Soak it up: Can sponge cities save us from flooding?

Solve for X: Innovations to Change the World

As the effects of climate change trigger record-breaking rainfall and flooding, cities from Montreal to Mumbai are re-thinking how urban design can keep inhabitants safe from natural disasters. Kongjian Yu, a landscape architect based in Beijing, has a counterintuitive idea. Instead of fighting water by building more dams, sewers and pipes, he proposes we let it in, designing nature-based infrastructure that can absorb run-off. His principles have been adopted by the Chinese government and implemented in hundreds of municipalities. Could this nature-based approach help us adapt to a changing climate?

Featured in this episode:

Kongjian Yu is a Beijing-based landscape architect and founder of Peking University’s College of Architecture and Landscape. His concept of sponge cities — designing cities to absorb water — is being applied in urban areas across the globe.

Further reading:

• Landscape architect Kongjian Yu, pioneer of the “sponge city" concept, wins the 2023 Oberlander Prize
• How letting water be water can lead to better climate resilience
• Kongjian Yu has a plan for urban flooding: “Sponge cities”
• Treading water — Toronto is spending billions on flood protection, but experts say it needs to spend billions more
• Will a $1-billion flooding bill finally make the GTA take stormwater seriously?
• Toronto’s Don River floods offer urgent planning lessons for climate-challenged cities

Solve for X is brought to you by MaRS, North America’s largest urban innovation hub and a registered charity. MaRS supports startups and accelerates the adoption of high-impact solutions to some of the world’s biggest challenges. For more information, visit marsdd.com.