Recently, heavy rainfall caused flash flooding in Montréal and Toronto, prompting engineers to seek new solutions. Kongjian Yu's "Sponge Parks" concept addresses this by using specially designed green spaces to absorb and manage stormwater, with several already implemented in Montréal and plans for expansion. These parks help mitigate the impact of heavy rains and improve environmental quality. Similarly, "bioswales" are being used to manage runoff and enhance urban green spaces, demonstrating i...

Turenscape and Arsomsilp’s interventions at Benjakitti Park blend landscape, industrial heritage and sports activities in the heart of Bangkok

At a time when Brazilians still watch, almost incredulously, the consequences caused by the storms in April and May in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil received a visit from the Chinese architect and landscape designer Kongjian Yu, creator of the sponge city concept. This concept utilizes nature itself to better withstand the increasing occurrence of storms.

In this context, the work of Beijing-based architect Kongjian Yu, founder of the landscape architecture firm Turenscape, has gained international visibility and recognition, which included receiving the 2023 Cornelia Hahn Oberlander International Landscape Architecture Prize (“Oberlander Prize”). His "sponge cities" concept, designed to address and prevent urban flooding in the face of accelerated climate change, was adopted as national policy in China in 2013. This approach prioritizes large-sc...

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.

The World Around held its fifth annual summit on May 11 at the Guggenheim Museum in New York. New projects addressed solutions for major issues such as environment, ecology, landscape design, cultural heritage, and resiliency. This fast-paced program presented over a five-hour period featured the work of 16 practitioners, critical thinkers whose projects fit the spirit of this year’s theme, “An Examined World.”

Sponge Planet: A Unified Water-Based Solution to the Climate Emergency

When I relocated with my family from Washington DC to Dubai in 2023, the last thing on our minds was that we might get flooded. Fast-forward a few months and all I think about is how something called a “sponge city” may help this emirate to alleviate the impact of heavy rainfall.

By 2050, the world’s population is expected to reach 9.8 billion and nearly 70% of this ever-growing population (6.7 billion people) is projected to live in urban areas. China, which now has the 2nd largest population in the world, is suggesting a Sponge City concept that could help prevent flooding, create healthier urban environments and build a more resilient future.