A Pragmatic Framework for Urban River System Plan in Plain River Network Area of China

As an essential ecological infrastructure and landscape in urban area, urban river system is frequently managed and engineered. This paper develops a pragmatic framework which includes a series of basic steps for urban river system planning based on several practices in Yangtz River Delta (YRD) of China. The planning steps include on-site investigation and monitoring, analysis of the current river system, estimation of urban demand on river system goods and services, analysis of the compatibility of services for each river, design of the enhancement projects and evaluation of the feasibility and post-effects. The framework is used in Taicang city as a case study.