‘Sponge cities’ can help protect against flooding. Here’s how

The concept is attributed to Chinese landscape architect Kongjian Yu and eventually became part of China's urbanism policy in 2014. He has since been awarded the 2023 Oberlander Prize for his work addressing climate change-accelerated urban flooding. 

Having grown up in rural China, Yu developed an awareness of the seasonal movement of natural waterways and the role of vegetation in slowing their course. But as he explained to the Cultural Landscape Foundation behind the Oberlander Prize, it was witnessing the impacts of "grey infrastructure" and pollution on delicate local irrigation networks that drove him towards developing the sponge city philosophy.