Cascading Floodspace
Rebalancing flood prevention through spatial design interventions in Jianghan Plain, China
H. Zhang (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
I Bobbink – Mentor (TU Delft - Landscape Architecture)
A.W. Baar – Mentor (TU Delft - Surface and Groundwater Hydrology)
M.U.J. Peeters – Graduation committee member (TU Delft - Real Estate Management)
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Abstract
This project explores how landscape design can contribute to rebalancing flood prevention, ecological resilience, and productive land use within the Jing River Flood Storage Area (JRFSA), a key node in China’s middle Yangtze River flood control system. Located in the densely cultivated Jianghan Plain, the area faces a growing mismatch between large-scale flood management strategies and the everyday realities of agricultural production, ecological degradation, and rural development. Through the concept of Cascading Floodspace, the design introduces a multi-layered spatial framework that divides the floodplain into adaptive zones with differentiated flooding frequencies, land use patterns, and ecological functions. These zones support flood-responsive agriculture, habitat diversity, and seasonal tourism, while allowing for long-term landscape transformation without immediate disruption. The project operates across multiple scales—from regional water networks to site-specific interventions—and repositions the role of the landscape architect as both a spatial strategist and a mediator between competing values: risk and livelihood, ecology and economy, permanence and change.