Identifying and reactivating historic cultural landscape elements as green-blue infrastructure for polder urbanization. A case study of Suzhou, Yangtze River Delta Region

Suzhou, located in the alluvial plain of the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) Region, has a long tradition of land reclamation and intensive agriculture in the form of hydraulic entitiespolders. However, since the implementation of Chinese Economic Reform in 1978, this formerly highly productive agricultural area has been transformed into a mixed urbanindustrial fabric due to booming urbanization, industrialization, commerce and tourism. By this, historic (pre-reform era) site-specific cultural landscape structures and elements are gradually being swallowed and ruined by a reckless development module, while new cultural but generic, urban and industrial landscape elements become prevalent. This research starts with the landscape characterization of Suzhou. The methodology of Landscape Character Assessment (originated in the UK) is localized and applied to define and describe 12 landscape character types, with definitive and descriptive indicators. Additionally, the historic landscape elements that constitute specific structures for character types are classified into 7 function types and 3 form types. Afterwards, a temporal-spatial study of landscape transformation has been made by monitoring and mapping sections of typical landscape structures and their constituent elements. Based on previous research, the landscape planning of Wujiang District and specific site design of the urban-rural fringe have been launched to develop landscape-based strategies and methods not only for heritage preservation, but also for solving the pressing problems of transportation, land-use, settlement activity and green-blue space planning. This project has established the historic landscape structure as a framework for future city development and explored the possibility of protecting and maintaining the qualities and characteristics of these elements by identifying and reactivating them as green-blue infrastructure. This may eventually contribute to a more sustainable and resilient approach to polder urbanization.