CWR: A Conversation with Dr. Kongjian Yu on Restoring Our “Sponge Planet”

Extreme rainfall and flash flooding are becoming increasingly frequent and severe, but most cities are ill-equipped to cope with these risks. In highly concretised urban environments, the “sponge city” is an urban planning strategy that builds climate resilience through restoring water’s natural patterns. We’ve been talking about sponge cities since 2016, and we’re thrilled to finally speak to the “Father of Sponge Cities,” Dr. Kongjian Yu.

He is the Founder and Principal Designer at Turenscape, an award-winning design institute based in Beijing that specialises in holistic landscape design solutions for the challenges of urban expansion, environmental degradation, and climate change. We ask Dr. Yu about his approach of mixing “old” and “modern” technologies and philosophies to futureproof cities against climate change.

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Source: https://cwrrr.org/interviews/kongjian-yu-on-restoring-our-sponge-planet/