A Future for Sponge Cities
January 29, 2019
Wuhan, a rapidly growing metropolis in central China that is prone to flooding, is well on its way to becoming a “sponge city,” featuring permeable pavements, grassy open spaces, and artificial wetlands that can absorb excessive rainfall for discharge after danger has passed. This approach aligns with ideas explored in Issues, including recent proposals for how the United States can upgrade its infrastructure to meet extreme weather events expected with climate change, and a still-timely look from two decades ago at how to control flooding by working with the forces of nature instead of trying to eliminate them.