Cities in Canada and around the world are using “sponges” in parks, sidewalks and rooftops to soak up and divert water to deal with flooding, which has been made worse by climate change and urban development in wetlands.New apartment buildings are featured next to a lake in Berlin, Germany, in an example of 'sponge city' urban planning.
"Instead of seeing the rain as something bad, we are now keeping the rain and turning it into something beautiful," said Philippe Sabourin, a spokesperson for the City of Montreal, on a recent tour of the area.As climate change drives heavier rainfalls, some cities are turning to a natural solution where green spaces act as sponges that soak up excess rain.
Kongjian Yu, a Chinese architect, pioneered the concept. Inspired by the way his childhood village coped with flooding during the monsoon season, Yu has made green solutions to water management his life's work. Yu's vision goes far beyond a scattering of parks. His sponge cities feature vast stretches of green and blue, where ponds and wetlands are allowed to co-exist with highways and highrises.
"It is a fundamental change. It is an evolutionary change of the relationship between man and nature," he said.