A Systematic Literature Review of Water-Sensitive Urban Design and Flood Risk Management in Contexts of Strategic Urban Sustainability Planning

Despite various sustainable urban development frameworks, over the years, inadequate land use patterns and infrastructure have worsened existing problems related to climate disasters such as flooding, heavy precipitation and droughts. Based on a systematic PRISMA literature search and bibliographic analysis, we analyzed statistical data from 44 articles relevant to water-sensitive urban design (WSUD) and flood risk management (FRM) worldwide from 2013 to 2023. We focused on specific selection criteria that focused on settlement typologies and outcomes, indicators and planning approaches to analyze the impact of flooding on urban infrastructure of four different settlement types in 23 case studies, summarized into nine different approaches. The results show that WSUD and FRM have shared sustainability goals but differ in their focus and applicability depending on the settlement type and indicators. In the context of strategic planning for urban sustainability, it can be stated that WSUD has a much stronger focus on integration and future orientation than FRM. Therefore, WSUD seems better suited to be linked to strategic planning for urban sustainability than FRM. Finally, we propose to extend WSUD to “water-sensitive regional design (WSRD)”. This broader framework would integrate regional hydrological, ecological and socioeconomic aspects to address water issues at a larger scale.