Yang et al. (2026) Assessment of Hybrid Grey-Green Infrastructure for Waterlogging Control and Environmental Preservation in Historic Urban Districts: A Model-Based Approach

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Identification

• Journal: Hydrology
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-03-09
• Authors: Haiyan Yang, Han Wang, Zhe Wang
• DOI: 10.3390/hydrology13030088

Research Groups

Not provided in the paper text.

Short Summary

This study developed a quantitative assessment framework using a 1D-2D hydrodynamic model for a historic urban district to evaluate waterlogging risks and proposed a hybrid grey-green infrastructure (HGGI) system that effectively reduces waterlogged areas while minimizing intervention in cultural heritage.

Objective

• To establish a quantitative assessment framework for waterlogging risks in a historic urban district, evaluate the current drainage system's deficiencies, and assess the effectiveness of various mitigation strategies, particularly a hybrid grey-green infrastructure system, in balancing flood resilience with cultural preservation.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Historic urban district of City B, covering approximately 532 hectares.
• Temporal Scale: Continuous monitoring data for calibration; simulation of rainfall events with return periods from 0.5 to 5 years.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: 1D-2D-coupled hydrodynamic model (InfoWorks ICM).
• Data sources: Continuous monitoring data for calibration; historical waterlogging records for validation; rainfall event data for simulations.

Main Results

• The 1D-2D hydrodynamic model achieved a Nash–Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE) of 0.91 during calibration and showed strong consistency with historical waterlogging records.
• Under a 0.5-year return period storm event, 75.3% of pipe segments were hydraulically overloaded, leading to 9.58 hectares (1.80% of the total area) of surface waterlogging.
• A proposed hybrid grey-green infrastructure (HGGI) system, integrating source reduction (Low Impact Development) and terminal storage (underground tanks, intercepting sewers), reduced waterlogged areas by 83.58% for a 0.5-year event and 64.87% for a 5-year event.
• The HGGI system achieved minimal intervention in historic street patterns through trenchless construction, decentralized Low Impact Development, and underground storage, avoiding large-scale road excavation.

Contributions

• Developed a quantitative assessment framework for waterlogging in high-density historic urban districts facing preservation constraints.
• Demonstrated the effectiveness of a hybrid grey-green infrastructure system in significantly enhancing flood resilience while minimizing intervention in cultural heritage.
• Provided a practical approach for balancing urban flood management with environmental and cultural preservation in sensitive historic environments.

Funding

Not provided in the paper text.

Citation

@article{Yang2026Assessment,
  author = {Yang, Haiyan and Wang, Han and Wang, Zhe},
  title = {Assessment of Hybrid Grey-Green Infrastructure for Waterlogging Control and Environmental Preservation in Historic Urban Districts: A Model-Based Approach},
  journal = {Hydrology},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.3390/hydrology13030088},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.3390/hydrology13030088}
}