Danyi Xiang
Urban Transformation and Sustainability
Water & Culture, Adaptation & Integration: Integrated urban transformation for river flood resilience and sustainable leisure industry in the city of Maastricht
The city of Maastricht is facing a significant threat from increasingly frequent and severe fluvial floods, particularly affecting the vulnerable leisure industry. Therefore, this study aims to explore an integrated transformation for the city of Maastricht from an urban design perspective, addressing river flooding and promoting sustainable leisure industry development, leveraging floods as a valuable resource. Guided by three key design goals—ecological integrity, equality of opportunity and cultural identity consolidation—the proposed approach involves an integrated landscape structure with cores and corridors, incorporating blue-green infrastructure and cultural landscapes at three scales (regional, city and neighbourhood).
Additionally, the study acknowledges broader benefits, encompassing ecological restoration and economic and cultural prosperity across the Maas River basin. Its findings offer valuable insights and a potential blueprint for other fluvial cities, contributing to the advancement of sustainable urban design and resilience on regional and possibly global levels.