Participation Pathways for Enhancing the Resilience of Heritage to Stormwater Risks: Suzhou Section of Grand Canal

The Suzhou section of the UNESCO-listed Grand Canal embodies navigation, economy, history, and local identity, with its officially recognized heritage sites playing an important role in shaping the city’s cultural landscape. However, the stormwater threats under urban growth increasingly endanger the resilience of the Heritage of Suzhou Section of the Grand Canal (HSG). While China has actively promoted Sustainable Stormwater Management (SSM) strategies to address such risks, Suzhou’s SSM initiatives have been largely technology-driven, with limited integration of cultural heritage into synthesized resilience planning. Moreover, public participation—an essential pillar of effective SSM implementation—remains underdeveloped in the local context. This study addresses the institutional and participatory gaps in existing SSM practices by exploring potential participation pathways that enhance heritage resilience. It proposes an integrated framework combining SSM strategies with public participation mechanisms, hypothesizing that such a synthesis can both mitigate hydrological threats and activate public involvement in protecting canal heritage. Using the Heritage of Suzhou Section of the Grand Canal as research object, this research adopts a mixed-methods approach, investigating key literature and documents to examine the interrelations among SSM policies, heritage conservation, and public participation. Additionally, it utilizes survey-based statistical analysis (SPSS) and data visualization to assess: (a) perception levels, (b) attitudes, and (c) willingness to engage. The research indicates a positive correlation between the public’s perception of HSG and stormwater risks and their level of concern for heritage protection. It highlights the public’s positive attitude towards participation, reflecting trust in governmental initiatives and a willingness to be actively involved. The study offers insights into potential pathways to bridge institutional gaps and enhance public engagement in Sustainable Stormwater Management, particularly in heritage-sensitive contexts. It contributes to advancing discussions on public participation in heritage-centered stormwater risk management and provides policy insights for China’s broader efforts to integrate SSM into stormwater-threatened cultural heritage sites, ultimately aiming to strengthen the climate resilience of waterfront heritage.