Strategic Planning for Nature-Based Solutions in Heritage Cities: Enhancing Urban Water Sustainability

Abstract

Nature-Based Solutions (NBSs) offer promising pathways to enhance ecological resilience and address urban water challenges, particularly in heritage cities where conventional gray infrastructure often fails to balance environmental needs with cultural preservation. This study proposes a strategic framework for the integration of NBSs into historic urban landscapes by employing Internal–External (IE) matrix modeling and an impact–uncertainty assessment, grounded in a structured evaluation of key internal strengths and weaknesses, as well as external opportunities and threats. The Internal Factor Evaluation (IFE) score of 2.900 indicates a favorable internal environment, characterized by the multifunctionality of NBS and their ability to reconnect urban populations with nature. Meanwhile, the External Factor Evaluation (EFE) score of 2.797 highlights moderate support from policy and public awareness but identifies barriers such as funding shortages and interdisciplinary coordination. Based on these findings, two strategies are developed: an SO (Strength–Opportunity) strategy, promoting community-centered and policy-driven NBS design, and a WO (Weakness–Opportunity) strategy, targeting resource optimization through legal support and cross-sectoral collaboration. This study breaks new ground by transforming theoretical NBS concepts into actionable, culturally sensitive planning tools that enable decision-makers to navigate the unique challenges of implementing adaptive stormwater and environmental management in historically constrained urban environments.