The capital city of Denmark, Copenhagen, has adopted the concept of sponge city to address annual flood issues. The Northern European country incorporated this concept into the Cloudburst Management Plan in 2012. The sponge city concept was introduced by Chinese architect Chinese landscape architect Kongjian Yu researched the sponge city concept in the late 1998. Natural wetlands will absorb water during floods and fill water reserves during droughts.

Copenhagen, the vibrant capital of Denmark, is renowned for its design, cycling culture, and high quality of life. But beneath the charming canals and green spaces, a pressing challenge looms: managing increasingly intense rainfall due to climate change. Rather than relying solely on traditional infrastructure like pipes and sewers, Copenhagen is embracing nature-based solutions, transforming itself into a “sponge city.” The sponge city concept, originating in China, focuses on absorbing and ret...

In Zhoukou, China, this unique public park utilizes the surrounding environment’s natural topography to foster a water-resilient landscape, while drawing on historical Chinese narratives and traditions. Called Huaiyang Fuxi Cultural Park, the project was designed by Beijing-based practice Turenscape. The park is located on a site that traces back to China’s first mythical emperor from approximately 6,500 years ago. For centuries, the site has embodied adaptive resilience, maintaining a balance b...

Cities across the world are grappling with the escalating challenges of urban flooding and climate resilience. Traditional grey infrastructure such as concrete flood channels, drainage pipes, and embankments often proves insufficient in the face of extreme weather events.

Chinese experts shared their experience with "sponge cities" with Valdivia, Chile, which aims to be recognized as a "wetland city" to protect its biodiversity. Kongjian Yu presented on ecological infrastructure as a sustainable alternative to traditional methods, highlighting Wuhan's success in implementing these solutions. This exchange aims to help Valdivia balance urban development with environmental conservation.

Chinese landscape architect and urban planner Kongjian Yu, a professor at Peking University and director of the landscape architecture firm Turenscape, one of the largest in the world, often tells a story about when he fell into a river as a boy in rural China. He managed to save himself by grabbing onto branches along the edge

Sponge City is a response to the failing modern concrete and steel stormwater management systems especially during heavy unexpected rains. Sponge City is an alternative resilient stormwater management approach that was conceived as early as the 1970s by Peter Cook but was shaped by the constant efforts of the Beijing-based landscape architect Dr.Kongjian Yu and gained popularity when applied by the Chinese government in 2013.