Beyond hydrologic benefits: post-occupancy evaluation of the Sponge City Construction in China, a case study of the Quyuan Park, Changde

ABSTRACT The Sponge City Construction (SCC) attempts to provide a solution for coping with urban flooding and water-environmental issues in China. During the last decade, numerous SCC projects have been implemented in green spaces (so-called spongy green spaces) which combined hydrological benefits and socio-ecological benefits. Much research attention has been paid to hydrologic modeling as a pre-step of implementation. However, less attention is focused on evaluating and monitoring these projects after implementation. This study used post-occupancy evaluation (POE), combining analytic hierarchy process, fuzzy comprehension evaluation, and semi-structured interview methods to demonstrate the public perception of the Quyuan Park in Changde. The results showed the following: (1) Over 50% of responses for 31 out of 33 indicator questions were “strongly agree”, reflecting an overall positive evaluation; (2) air quality, plant growth, and physical well-being received the three highest satisfaction scores; (3) indicator scores for water management and service management category are relatively low; (4) dissatisfaction and improvements focused on needs for commercial facilities and children's playgrounds. The mismatch between technical objectives and respondent feedback implied a gap between SCC implementation and public awareness. The findings provide a reference and indicator framework of POE for policymakers, planners, and designers in the future.