The genius of China’s sponge cities

Did you know that since June 2021, 24 provinces in China have experienced severe floods, with over 443 rivers affected? Due to unprecedented urbanization and climate change, the country is experiencing severe flooding with 67% of China’s population now living in flood-prone areas. To deal with this problem, the government came up with the idea of sponge cities, areas designed to soak up as much extra water as possible, stopping it from flooding cities and saving it for future use. In order to make these sponge cities, the government has combined storage tunnels, rain gardens, wetlands, and bioswales together. China has ambitious plans to build 30 sponge cities, each customized to its region, in the hopes that 80% of its urban areas will be able to absorb and reuse at least 70% of rainwater by 2030. The largest of these is Lingang, a planned sponge park in Shanghai’s Pudong district. It features water-absorbent bricks, allowing water to drain to the soil and central reservations that are used as rain gardens. But Lingang is just one innovative sponge city, there are plenty more. Have we piqued your curiosity yet? Do you want to know more about the science, technology, and engineering behind these sponge cities? Do you want to witness sustainability and urban planning at its best? Then, don’t miss this. To get the latest science and technology news, subscribe to our newsletter “The Blueprint” at Find out more information at #engineering