Bioswales in Urban Stormwater Management: A literature review on design principles and performance assessment

As urbanization intensifies across global regions, the demand for resilient, sustainable stormwater management solutions has never been greater. Bioswales, a cornerstone of green infrastructure, have gained prominence for their ability to mitigate urban runoff by combining hydrologic control with water quality treatment. This literature review critically examines the evolution of bioswale design and performance, synthesizing findings from peer-reviewed studies, modeling frameworks, and engineering manuals published between 2015 and 2020.
The review highlights key design parameters—vegetation selection, soil media composition, hydraulic geometry, and drainage configurations—that collectively govern bioswale functionality. Empirical evidence demonstrates that, when properly implemented and maintained, bioswales can achieve total suspended solids (TSS) removal rates exceeding 90%, nutrient and heavy metal reduction, and runoff volume reductions ranging from 50% to 80%. Moreover, advances in computational modeling have enabled more precise simulations of infiltration dynamics, pollutant fate, and long-term system behavior under variable climatic conditions.
Despite these advantages, bioswales are subject to several limitations, including media clogging, climatic performance constraints, space limitations in dense urban contexts, and variability in municipal design standards. The review identifies emerging trends that seek to overcome these challenges, including the deployment of smart bioswales with real-time monitoring, integration into multi-element treatment trains, and adoption of nature-based multifunctional designs.
To optimize the role of bioswales in next-generation stormwater management, future research must prioritize site-specific adaptability, maintenance-informed lifecycle modeling, and policy frameworks that support widespread implementation. When strategically integrated, bioswales offer a compelling pathway toward achieving climate-resilient, ecologically enhanced urban hydrologic systems.