Transforming Riverfronts: Green–Blue Infrastructure and Urban Design as a Strategy to Structure the Landscape and Enhance Urban Resilience

Abstract

In the context of accelerated urbanization and the increasing frequency of extreme climate events, riverfronts have assumed a strategic role in architecture, urbanism, and sustainable territorial planning. This article aims to analyze and systematize the scientific literature on green–blue infrastructure and urban design as strategies to structure riverfront landscapes and enhance urban resilience. A systematic literature review with a bibliometric approach was conducted following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, analyzing 30 scientific articles indexed in Scopus (Q1, Q2, and Q3). The results reveal a theoretical convergence around green–blue infrastructure as a multifunctional system capable of integrating flood control, ecological connectivity, environmental comfort, and social value, thereby surpassing traditional grey infrastructure approaches. In addition, six recurrent variables are identified: green–blue infrastructure, urban and hydrological resilience, riverfront landscape structuring, environmental performance, governance, and fluvial ecological restoration. The bibliometric analysis indicates a concentration of scientific output in countries such as China, Brazil, and the United States, as well as knowledge gaps in intermediate cities and Latin American contexts. The study contributes to SDGs 11, 13, and 15 by providing conceptual and methodological foundations for resilient and sustainable urban planning.