Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
Associate Professor, Department of Urban Planning, Faculty of Architecture and Art, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran
2
Master’s degree graduate in Urban Planning, Faculty of Architecture and Art, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran
10.22099/iuds.2026.56228.1219
Abstract
The expansion of built-up surfaces and the decline of vegetation cover in high-rainfall lowland cities reduce the natural capacity for infiltration, water retention, and stormwater regulation, thereby increasing the risk of urban flooding, waterlogging, and pollutant transport. In Rasht, addressing this issue requires a spatially informed and design-oriented approach that can transform hydrological modelling outputs into water-sensitive urban design strategies. This study aims to develop water-sensitive urban design strategies for urban stormwater management in Rasht using the InVEST model. The research adopts a quantitative-spatial approach, including the production of land-use/land-cover and NDVI maps for the years 2000, 2008, 2016, and 2024 in ENVI, as well as the modelling of the 2024 baseline hydrological condition using the Urban Stormwater Retention module of InVEST. The data used in the study include Landsat and Sentinel imagery, GPM precipitation data, HWSD hydrological soil group data, and EMC values for nitrogen and nitrate, as well as phosphorus. The results indicate that built-up areas increased from 41.28 km² to 63.48 km², while vegetation cover decreased from 46.89 km² to 21.71 km². The central and southern zones of Rasht are characterized by higher runoff, lower infiltration, reduced water retention capacity, and greater pollutant loads. By contrast, the western and northern zones, owing to higher NDVI values and more extensive vegetation cover, demonstrate greater potential for infiltration, water storage, and pollutant reduction. Accordingly, the proposed strategies include redesigning impervious surfaces in the city center, creating detention and retention spaces in the southern zones, protecting ecological capacities in the western and northern zones, and developing blue-green corridors along riverfront areas.
Keywords
)