An Evaluation of Sponge City Construction and a Zoning Construction Strategy from the Perspective of New Quality Productive Forces: A Case Study of Suzhou, China

Xiaoyi Liu, Yiqin Chen, Heng Zhang and Jiang Chang ()
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Xiaoyi Liu: School of Architecture and Design, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China
Yiqin Chen: School of Architecture and Design, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China
Heng Zhang: School of Management Science and Engineering, Anhui University of Finance and Economics, Bengbu 233030, China
Jiang Chang: School of Architecture and Design, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China

Land, 2025, vol. 14, issue 4, 1-21

Abstract: With the acceleration in urbanization, surface hardening has increased, urban flooding and soil erosion problems are frequent, and urban water resource management faces great challenges. Sponge city construction can effectively alleviate these problems by simulating the natural water cycle and constructing blue–green infrastructure. In this study, the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and the ArcGIS weighted overlay tool were used to construct a framework for assessing the suitability of sponge city construction in Suzhou from the three dimensions of Geo-Smart spatial productive forces, Eco-Dynamic green productive forces, and Resilio-Tech responsive productive forces. A zoning strategy based on new quality productive forces is also proposed. The results show that Suzhou can be divided into three types of construction zones according to the suitability level: key construction zones, secondary key construction zones, and general construction zones. The key construction zones account for about 28.01% of the total land area, mainly covering the built-up areas of Suzhou, covering the developed urban areas such as Gusu District, Xiangcheng, Suzhou Industrial Park, and other key zones such as Northern Kunshan. The secondary key construction area and general construction area, on the other hand, account for 61.94% and 10.05% of the total area, respectively. From the new quality productive forces, this study proposes the following construction guidelines for sponge city zones: (1) enhance the coordinated development of urban planning and sponge city construction; (2) promote blue–green infrastructure development, strengthen inter-departmental cooperation, and ensure ecological and economic co-development; and (3) encourage public participation in governance. This research offers theoretical and practical guidance for sponge city construction in Suzhou and other cities from the perspective of new quality productive forces.

Keywords: new quality productive forces; sponge city construction; suitability for construction; Suzhou (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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