Almost all of China's medium and large cities are now susceptible to floods. And [Kongjian] Yu says 60% of them experience flooding every year. Extreme weather from climate change is exacerbating the problem.
So Yu has been evangelizing a solution he calls "sponge cities." That is, urban landscapes that are softer and purposely designed to absorb more water.
Gareth Doherty, an associate professor of landscape architecture at Harvard University, says the concept is revolutionary.
— NPR
The contributions of Turenscape founder Kongjian Yu to the development of the so-called “Sponge City” concept date to the mid-90s, stemming from a near-death experience in his childhood home of Jinhua. He says that by the end of the decade, roughly 80% of Chinese cities will now be adequately... View full entry
Safdie Architects has been tapped by developers Great Gulf to deliver a master-planned residential development in Killington, Vermont. While design proposals for the site are yet to be revealed, Great Gulf has said that sales of the first residences will launch next year, designed by a team led by... View full entry
This fall’s anticipated debut of the Sankofa Park component of the new Destination Crenshaw public space redesign from Perkins&Will and Studio-MLA in Los Angeles has been pushed back to February of next year, according to an announcement made Wednesday by the group managing its construction in... View full entry
The 5.5-acre Gansevoort Peninsula has opened at Hudson River Park, the first public beachfront in Manhattan. The $73 million project was designed by Field Operations and includes a large sports field, boardwalks, promenades, lawns, a picnic area, and an ecological salt marsh. Image credit: Barret... View full entry
The fallout from last week’s record-breaking rainstorm in New York City is shining a light on local climate mitigation efforts and water infrastructure as the increased threat from flooding becomes a major issue for Mayor Eric Adams’ administration and key city agencies. A total of seven... View full entry
The buzz that followed the recent debut of Populous' $2.3 billion Sphere in Las Vegas has provided one academic at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas with a valuable teaching opportunity to expose students to cutting-edge concepts integral to the future of high-tech spatial experience, urban... View full entry
Concerns over the possible Federal Government shutdown next month are causing headaches for contractors of much-needed infrastructure projects across the country who fear a chain reaction in the construction industry could leave lasting setbacks that would take years to overcome. A stop-work on... View full entry
Arquitectonica has been selected as the master planners and designers of a new $1 billion mixed-use healthcare development in Miami, the firm announced via a press release today. Site preparations will begin this year on the seven-acre Highland Park Miami development in the city’s Medical... View full entry
Archtober, New York City's annual month-long festival of Architecture and Design, is about to commence once again, featuring a packed calendar of exciting events and activities across the five boroughs. Organized by the Center for Architecture in collaboration with a host of partners, Archtober is... View full entry
The California High-Speed Rail Authority has been awarded more than $200 million from the Biden Administration in what is one of the largest pieces of federal funding awarded to the project in its history.
The $202 million grant was made by the U.S. Department of Transportation through the 2022 Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) program — part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed in 2021.
— KTLA
The latest funding reduces some of the $128 billion burden incurred by the project, which had been teetering on the edge before the state allocated enough funding to complete a critical 171-mile stretch in California’s Central Valley. The federal money will be put specifically towards six grade... View full entry
Hines has been announced as the developer of a new 8-million-square-foot mixed-use district and Major League Baseball stadium development in St. Petersburg, Florida. The new home of the mercurial Tampa Bay Rays franchise is part of a larger $6.5 billion investment in the region that will expand... View full entry
More details have emerged regarding Saudi Arabia’s plans for the TROJENA and OXAGON segments of their $500 billion NEOM megaproject after the country participated in a regional real estate trade conference in Riyadh last week. As part of the inaugural Cityscape Global meeting, promoters of NEOM... View full entry
RIOS has released details of a new 100-year master plan included as part of its participation in the 4th Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism (SBAU), which takes place through the end of October in the South Korean capital. The firm's concept for the 'Hyper-Abundant City'... View full entry
The American Institute of Architects Los Angeles (AIA|LA) has released an open letter sent to organizers of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games on behalf of its members, encouraging their strategizing with the chapter toward outcomes they say will be a “big win” for multiple stakeholders in... View full entry
Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) has announced their team’s reaching the midway point for their ongoing Western Sydney International Airport in the Australian metro’s new Parkland City region. The project will serve as a catalyst for economic development in Parkland City while supplementing... View full entry
