The trajectory of water sensitive urban design: integrating water management with urban planning and design

Ghaderian, M., Hakimian, P. and Shahab, S. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3788-2564 2025. The trajectory of water sensitive urban design: integrating water management with urban planning and design. Australian Planner 10.1080/07293682.2025.2526201

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Abstract

Since the late 1990s, the development of Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) has evolved to include broader concepts such as water-sensitive cities, offering a complementary alternative to conventional urban water management. While widely accepted in principle, WSUD continues to face critical shortcomings in practice. Through the bibliometric analysis of 688 publications and an in-depth content analysis of the 30 most highly cited articles, this study identifies persistent discrepancies between WSUD’s stated objectives and its real-world outcomes. Key gaps are evident in areas such as long-term performance monitoring, socio-economic impacts, climate resilience, policy integration, and community engagement. The findings also point to recurring social, institutional, technological, and economic limitations that hinder implementation and diffusion. These insights call for a re-evaluation of existing WSUD approaches and underline the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration. Future directions in urban planning and design should place greater emphasis on the socio-economic dimensions, climate adaptability, governance structures, and technological innovation necessary to advance WSUD as a core component of sustainable and resilient urban development.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Published Online
Status:	In Press
Schools:	Schools > Geography and Planning (GEOPL)
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis (Routledge): SSH Titles
ISSN:	0729-3682
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	11 July 2025
Date of Acceptance:	23 June 2025
Last Modified:	16 Jul 2025 13:45
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/179764

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