Climate Resilience Inspired by Monsoon Culture

The Future of Sustainable Urban Design

Sponge Cities and Sponge Planet

This article explores the visionary ideas of Kongjian Yu, the pioneer of the "sponge city" concept, which addresses climate change through nature-based solutions rather than high-tech fixes. Drawing from his experiences growing up in a monsoon climate in China, Yu advocates for the integration of green and blue infrastructures in urban design to manage water effectively. He emphasizes that conventional approaches, like concrete walls, are inadequate in preventing flooding, as evidenced by freque...

In an interview, Professor Kongjian Yu explains the concept of "sponge cities," which use nature-based solutions to manage urban flooding. He discusses their challenges, particularly in China, where rapid urbanization and extreme weather have outpaced the implementation of necessary infrastructure. Yu emphasizes the need for rewilding urban environments, better planning, and capacity building to enhance flood resilience. Despite some failures, successful examples like Sanya and Beijing show prom...