Climate change is accelerating the already formidable problems of managing stormwater, especially in major river systems around the world. In a fascinating cross-cultural dialogue full of insightful statements and provocative insights the Beijing-based landscape architect Kongjian Yu, winner of the 2023 Cornelia Hahn Oberlander International Landscape Architecture Prize and leading proponent of the “sponge cities” concept for addressing urban flooding, and Pieter Schengenga, director of H+N+S Landscape Architects, the Netherlands, explore different strategies for designing with and for flooding, turning a challenge into an opportunity to serve social and ecological needs. The event includes a discussion and Q&A moderated by Elizabeth Meyer, noted author and educator, Merrill D. Peterson Professor of Landscape Architecture and former dean of the School of Architecture at the University of Virginia and Faculty Director of the UVA/Morven Sustainability Lab.
Kongjian Yu is internationally known for championing “sponge cities” concept—addressing climate-change-accelerated urban flooding with large-scale nature-based infrastructure, including constructed wetlands, greenways, parks, canopy tree and woodland protection, rain gardens, green roofs, permeable pavements, bioswales, other measures, all of which act as sponges soaking up and storing rainfall instead of relying exclusively on traditional concrete reinforced riverbanks, dams, pipes, drains, and other conventional engineering solutions. Since being adopted as national policy in 2013, the “sponge city” concept has been implemented in more than 70 cities in China, with the goal that by the year 2030, 80% of the cities would be able to absorb 70% of their rainfall.
Pieter Schengenga is closely associated with his firm’s “Room for the River” projects, intended to address flood protection, enhanced landscape design, and the improvement of environmental conditions in the areas surrounding the Netherlands’ rivers. Measures include moving dykes back from the rivers; creating and increasing the depth of flood channels, removing obstacles, and constructing a “green river” to serve as a flood bypass
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