Increased surface runoff generated in urban areas due to larger proportion of impervious surfaces has, in many cases, exceeded the capacity of urban drainage systems. In response to such challenge, this paper introduces the quantitative analysis of pluvial flood alleviation by open surface water systems in the case of Almere in the Netherlands and compares it with Tianjin Eco-City in China, with the aim of optimizing land use planning and urban design for new urban districts. The methodology is a combination of quantitative and qualitative analysis. With the analytical tool of ArcGIS, the authors have investigated the influence of spatial distribution of surface water system on the reduction of pluvial flood risks. The conclusions include some preliminary principles: (1) a densely distributed surface water network is preferable; (2) areas farther away from water body require water sensitive spatial intervention; and (3) optimizing the allocation of different types of ground surface could contribute to pluvial flood alleviation. An alternative design proposal for a typical urban block in Tianjin Eco-City has been put forward to illustrate these principles.

Building energy consumption in China recently surpassed the US building consumption, and it is expected to increase significantly in the next decade pushed by the continuous population and urbanization increase. In response to that situation, the Chinese government introduced a series of building energy codes and rating systems to assess and enhance the building energy performance. The purpose of this study is to develop a rating system for the building energy efficiency, based on in situ measurement. The system is intended for office buildings in China’s cold zone. An evaluation framework, graphic dominant point, and principle of data collection and processing are illustrated in this paper. Three existing buildings were rated under the new rating system. The authors believe that the new system will contribute to a more accurate and comprehensive understanding for asset holders and occupants, that report on the extent to which energy efficiency buildings have been reached. Rating results are expected to be a reference for the retrofitting of existing buildings and the design of new buildings. In addition, the outlook for the rating system was also discussed.

High-rise residential estates are characterized by high floor area ratios, many floors, and similar green area ratios. Beijing is hot in summer, and shading is an important strategy to improve the outdoor thermal environment of residential estates in summer. With respect to the morphological characteristics of high-rise residential estates, three types of shading were summarized, and their relationships with air temperature were quantified and analyzed. The three types of shading are building–tree integrated shading, building shading, and tree shading. Two residential estates that can represent the morphological characteristics of high-rise residential estates in Beijing were selected for field measurements, and the cooling effects of the three types of shading were obtained by analyzing the measured data. In the same residential estate, the daytime air temperature difference between shaded and un-shaded areas can be 0.5 °C or more. It was found that building–tree integrated shading has the most significant cooling effect, with building shading and tree shading second. The cooling effect of shading decreases with time, with morning shading having the greatest effect, and afternoon shading having the least effect.

Increased surface runoff generated in urban areas due to larger proportion of impervious surfaces has, in many cases, exceeded the capacity of urban drainage systems. In response to such challenge, this paper introduces the quantitative analysis of pluvial flood alleviation by open surface water systems in the case of Almere in the Netherlands and compares it with Tianjin Eco-city in China, with the aim of optimising land use planning and urban design for new urban districts. The methodology is a combination of quantitative and qualitative analysis. With the analytical tool of ArcGIS, the authors have investigated the influence of spatial distribution of surface water system on the reduction of pluvial flood risks. The conclusions include some preliminary principles: (1) a densely distributed surface water network is preferable; (2) areas farther away from water body require water sensitive spatial intervention; (3) optimizing the allocation of different types of ground surface could contribute to pluvial flood alleviation. An alternative design proposal for a typical urban block in Tianjin Eco-city has been put forward to illustrate these principles.

This paper proposed a research framework to contribute to understanding how integrated policy and implementation approaches, based on the concept of Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) can create more positive relationships between water management and urban development. The research includes the interaction of technical measures and public policy responses, water management, spatial planning, economic development, agriculture and other sector policies.