Short answer

When designing urban water management systems, actively seek to understand and measure the cultural values and experiences they create for users, moving beyond purely functional or ecological metrics.

Field: Sustainability
Source: Sustainability (2025)
Method: Systematic Review and Framework Proposal
Sample: 61 empirical articles
Evidence: Moderate effect

Urban water resilience initiatives like Sponge City Infrastructure (SPI) often overlook the cultural ecosystem services (CES) they provide, necessitating a more holistic assessment approach. This sustainability research insight is drawn from a 2025 study published in Sustainability. Using Systematic review and framework proposal with 61 empirical articles, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: When designing urban water management systems, actively seek to understand and measure the cultural values and experiences they create for users, moving beyond purely functional or ecological metrics.

Study

SustainabilityNew This WeekModerate effect

Sponge City Infrastructure: Integrating Cultural Values into Urban Water Resilience

Urban water resilience initiatives like Sponge City Infrastructure (SPI) often overlook the cultural ecosystem services (CES) they provide, necessitating a more holistic assessment approach.

Sustainability · 2025

Key Findings

01Non-monetary assessment methods, particularly questionnaire surveys, are predominantly used for evaluating CES in SPI.
02Monetary assessment methods for CES are rarely applied.
03Research on CES in SPI is geographically concentrated in a few major cities.
04Abstract CES categories (e.g., inspiration, sense of place) are underexplored.
05Nearly half of the reviewed studies lack measurable indicators for CES.

Application

Design takeaway

How to apply

When undertaking a design project involving public spaces or environmental infrastructure, conduct user research that specifically probes for cultural values, sense of place, and aesthetic appreciation, and develop metrics to quantify these aspects.

Project actions

01When researching user needs, include questions about emotional connection, inspiration, and sense of place related to the design context.
02Consider developing a simple scoring system or rubric to evaluate the potential for a design to provide specific cultural ecosystem services.

Method & Evidence

AimHow are cultural ecosystem services (CES) currently addressed within research on Sponge City Infrastructure (SPI), and what framework can be developed to better integrate CES into SPI planning?

MethodSystematic Review and Framework Proposal

ProcedureA systematic review of 61 empirical articles was conducted to analyze the assessment of CES in SPI research. Bibliometric analysis was used to identify trends, categorize CES types, assessment methods, and evaluation indicators. Based on these findings, a context-specific CES assessment framework was proposed.

Sample61 empirical articles

ContextUrban planning and environmental design, specifically focusing on water resilience infrastructure in urbanizing regions.

Variables

IVType of assessment method (monetary vs. non-monetary), focus on abstract CES categories.

DVLevel of CES integration in SPI research, identification of CES types, assessment methods, and evaluation indicators.

CVGeographic location of studies, specific urban water resilience strategies.

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

+Provides a comprehensive overview of current research trends in CES and SPI.
+Proposes a practical framework for improving CES assessment in future projects.

Limitations

It can be challenging to objectively measure abstract concepts like 'inspiration' or 'sense of place'.

Reliability & validity

The systematic review methodology, if rigorously applied, enhances the reliability of the findings. The validity of the proposed framework would depend on its empirical testing and application in diverse contexts.

Think critically

Given the dominance of non-monetary methods and the scarcity of research on abstract CES, how can designers effectively advocate for the inclusion of these less tangible benefits in project proposals and evaluations?

Design Principles

"Integrate qualitative and quantitative methods to comprehensively assess the cultural ecosystem services of designed interventions."

Designers and engineers developing urban infrastructure must consider the intangible cultural benefits alongside ecological and functional aspects. Neglecting CES can lead to projects that fail to resonate with local communities, potentially undermining long-term adoption and success.

What This Means for Your Design

When designing things like parks or water features in cities, we often focus on how well they manage water or how they look. This research shows we also need to think about how these designs make people feel, what they mean to the community, and if they inspire people, and we need better ways to measure these 'cultural benefits'.

How to use in your project

1.Reference this study when discussing the importance of user experience and cultural impact in your design process, especially for public or environmental projects.
2.Use the findings to justify the inclusion of specific user research methods aimed at uncovering cultural values.

Add to My Project

Quick Cite

Paragraph starter

This research highlights the critical need to integrate cultural ecosystem services (CES) into the design of urban infrastructure. By moving beyond purely functional and ecological assessments, designers can create interventions that foster deeper community connection and enhance the qualitative experience of urban environments. Future design projects should therefore prioritize methods for understanding and measuring the cultural values that users derive from designed spaces.

Source

Sustainability

Assessing Cultural Ecosystem Services in Sponge City Infrastructure: A Systematic Review and Framework Proposal

journal · 2025

View source

Questions About This Research

What does the research say about sponge city infrastructure: integrating cultural values into urban water resilience?: When designing urban water management systems, actively seek to understand and measure the cultural values and experiences they create for users, moving beyond purely functional or ecological metrics. Evidence: Sustainability (2025).
Why does "Sponge City Infrastructure: Integrating Cultural Values into Urban Water Resilience" matter for design?: Designers and engineers developing urban infrastructure must consider the intangible cultural benefits alongside ecological and functional aspects. Neglecting CES can lead to projects that fail to resonate with local communities, potentially undermining long-term adoption and success.
How can designers apply this research?: When designing urban water management systems, actively seek to understand and measure the cultural values and experiences they create for users, moving beyond purely functional or ecological metrics.
What were the main findings?: Non-monetary assessment methods, particularly questionnaire surveys, are predominantly used for evaluating CES in SPI.. Monetary assessment methods for CES are rarely applied.. Research on CES in SPI is geographically concentrated in a few major cities.. Abstract CES categories (e.g., inspiration, sense of place) are underexplored.
What research method was used?: Systematic Review and Framework Proposal with 61 empirical articles.
How strong is the evidence?: Evidence strength is rated Moderate effect, based on a 2025 journal from Sustainability.
What should I do differently in my next project?: When undertaking a design project involving public spaces or environmental infrastructure, conduct user research that specifically probes for cultural values, sense of place, and aesthetic appreciation, and develop metrics to quantify these aspects.
What are the limitations?: The review's findings are heavily influenced by the existing body of research, which may have its own biases and limitations. The proposed framework is preliminary and requires further validation.