Urban wetland landscape design should take "ecological protection, functional integration, cultural inheritance and experience optimization" as the core goals, and be carried out around four dimensions: ecological restoration, space creation, cultural expression and facility matching. Through scientific planning and meticulous design, an ecological space where "nature - people - city" coexist in harmony should be constructed. The following is elaborated from four aspects: design principles, core elements, technical means and implementation paths:

First, the core principles of design

The principle of ecological priority

Ecological integrity: Based on wetland ecosystems, protect the original topography, vegetation and hydrological conditions, and avoid excessive artificial intervention. For instance, the Dafosi Wetland Park in Tongnan, Chongqing, preserves the wetland environment of the river and tidal flats, shortens the boundaries of urban development, and restores the habitats of animals and plants on the tidal flats.

Biodiversity: By constructing diverse habitat types (such as grasslands, mudflats, swamps, woodlands, etc.), it provides living space for birds, fish, insects, etc. For instance, the Weiliu Wetland Park in Shaanxi Province has constructed habitats such as grassland and mudflats within the site to attract wetland birds and insects.

The principle of functional integration

Clear zoning: According to the functional requirements of the wetland, key protected areas, wetland exhibition areas, tourist activity areas and management service areas are divided. For instance, in urban wetland parks, key protected areas are used for scientific research and ecological protection, while tourist activity areas offer leisure and experience functions.

Elastic design: Adapt to natural processes such as floods and build elastic landscapes. For instance, the Weiliu Wetland Park designates the areas most vulnerable to flooding as flood parks and the relatively safe areas as rural leisure zones.

The principle of cultural inheritance

Regional characteristics: Explore the cultural elements of the wetland's location and integrate them into landscape design. For instance, the Dafosi Wetland Park in Tongnan, Chongqing, extracts shipping culture and Buddhist culture and showcases local characteristics through site construction.

Historical continuation: Simulating the natural ecological environment of history and recreating the artistic conception of historical allusions or poems. For instance, some wetland landscapes have restored the historical scene of "ten miles of lotus breeze" through the landscaping techniques of garden plants.

Principle of Experience Optimization

Hydrophilicity: Provide hydrophilic facilities to enhance interaction between humans and nature. For instance, pedestrian corridors and viewing platforms should be set up to allow people to experience the wetland ecology up close.

Barrier-free design: Ensure the safety of tourists by setting up protective facilities such as guardrails and warning signs along the edge of the wetland.

Second, core design elements

Water body design

Natural form: The water surface boundary should be tortuous and natural, extending the junction between land and water to form islands or beaches and other forms, enriching the types of wetlands.

Water quality purification: Improve water quality through wetland plant configuration and water body circulation design. For instance, a combination of subsurface flow wetlands and surface flow wetlands can be adopted, and plants with strong purification capabilities can be configured.

Plant configuration

Mainly native plants: Select local plant varieties to prevent the invasion of alien species. For instance, newly planted wetland plants such as reeds, lythrum salicaria and water Onions provide food and habitats for animals.

Rich layers: Combined with emergent, floating and submerged plants, a multi-level aquatic plant community is formed. For instance, the shallow water area is dominated by emergent and floating-leaved plants with broad leaves, while the deep water area is dominated by submerged plants.

Habitat design

Habitat diversification: Construct different habitat types such as grassland, mudflat, stony beach, marsh and forest land to meet the food chain requirements of wetland organisms.

Ecological corridors: Establish corridors for species migration and gene exchange to improve the fragmentation of wetland habitats.

Transportation and trail systems

Pedestrian traffic is the main mode of transportation within the park, with vehicle traffic as a supplement, forming a complete internal and external traffic flow line.

Water-friendly experience: Set up facilities such as wooden boardwalks by the water to enhance people's water-friendliness.

Third, technological empowerment means

Ecological bank protection technology

Natural materials: Use natural materials to form a "permeable" interface, such as cuttings of living willow branches, boulders, gabions, etc., to enhance the self-purification function of water bodies.

Ecological slope protection: Build ecological slope protection to provide habitats for birds and prevent soil erosion at the same time.

Water resource recycling and utilization

Rainwater collection: Set up a rainwater collection system to make rational use of water resources. For instance, rainwater can be introduced into constructed wetlands, purified by wetland plants, and then used for greening irrigation or replenishing ecological wetlands.

Reclaimed water reuse: The tail water from sewage treatment plants is purified through constructed wetlands and reused after meeting the surface water standards.

Intelligent monitoring and management

Ecological monitoring: Set up bird monitoring points, plant monitoring points, water quality monitoring points, etc., to keep abreast of the ecological conditions of the wetland in real time.

Tourist management: By means of intelligent tour guide systems, crowd flow monitoring and other measures, the tourist experience is optimized and the wetland environment is protected.

Fourth, implementation path and guarantee mechanism

Plan first

Ecological investigation: Before the design, conduct a detailed investigation of the soil, water, flora and fauna, etc. of the original wetland environment to ensure that the design is based on scientific evidence.

Functional zoning: Based on the positioning and protection requirements of wetlands, functional areas should be reasonably divided, and the design priorities of each area should be clearly defined.

Multi-party collaboration

Cross-departmental cooperation: Wetland landscape design involves multiple departments such as planning, environmental protection, water conservancy, and culture and tourism. It is necessary to establish a collaborative mechanism to promote it in a coordinated manner.

Public participation: Invite nearby residents, experts, etc. to participate in the design discussion to ensure that the plan meets the actual needs.

Long-term maintenance

Ecological conservation: Regularly prune and replant wetland plants, and monitor and maintain water quality.

Facility maintenance: Regularly inspect and repair facilities such as trails, guardrails, and warning signs to ensure the safety of visitors.