Sponge City

Water as a resource is irreplaceable. Yet heavy rainfall can become an absolute disaster – even in modern cities – if rainwater is not drained out in time. A great deal of effort in water resource management is directed at optimising the use of water and in minimising the environmental impact of water use on the city environment. The term “Sponge City” refers to the idea of a city where its urban underground water system operates like a sponge to absorb, store, leak and purify rainwater, and release it for reuse when necessary.

The book comprises 41 projects of urban landscape architecture, showing the exploration of the role of water management in urban spatial planning. These projects (all based in France) showcase how this notion is not just a response to the system’s functional demands, but also how it should take into account the development of ecological and biological diversity with respect to space and landscape intervention models, and the fusion of how the various elements of the outdoor space can enhance the quality of the environment at the same time.

Text in English and French.