Landscape Design of River Channels in Small Towns based on Regional Culture-Case Study of Landscape Design of Duohua River

¹ School of Civil and Transportation, Hohai University, Xikang Road, Nanjing, China
² School of Architecture, Southeast University, Sipailou, Nanjing, China

Abstract

Water is the vital source of life while river channels constitute the arteries of the earth. As a key element of eco-structure of the Landscaping system, river plays a significant role in social life. Current river channels in small towns are managed only to achieve the traditional functions of flood prevention and irrigation while river channel landscape construction is confronted with problems such as replicating landscapes and degradation of ecological environment. River channel landscape should receive increasing attention after taking treatment measures including sewage interception, dredging, base soil treatment and revetment repair. This study offers ideas and strategies for landscaping designs of rivers in small towns that realize the value of regional culture in contemporary times on the basis of taking root in the concrete settings of the locations and the form of the design subjects in light of landscaping practices of Duohua River in Longli County which comb through regional elements and selectively keep some of them in the principle of respecting local history, natural conditions and culture in an effort to build a river landscape that represents regional culture and meets the requirements for sustainable development so that both the function and landscaping beauty can be better integrated.