Amsterdam boasts 45,000 sqm of ‘blue-green’ roofs, absorbing rainwater for resident use, a concept gaining traction globally, reports Wired.
These innovative rooftops manage extra weight to nurture specially selected plants, but Amsterdam's go further, capturing rainwater. Notably, the Resilio project covers 9,000 sqm, including 8,000 sqm on social housing.
The 'sponge city' idea, increasingly popular worldwide, utilises green spaces to absorb heavy rainfall, mitigating floods and replenishing groundwater.
Blue-green roofs, featuring plant life atop lightweight systems storing water, manage rain levels with smart valves. This flexibility reduces flooding risk, enhancing city adaptability.
Software from Autodesk aids in modelling blue-green roofs' impact on flooding, crucial amid climate change.
Beyond flood management, these roofs cool buildings, support wildlife, and even facilitate rooftop agriculture. Retrofitting older buildings may be necessary for implementation.
Tax incentives could promote blue-green roofs, aligning with global efforts for sustainable urban development.
'Sponge cities' are urban areas with abundant natural areas such as trees, lakes and parks - or other good designs intended to absorb rain and prevent flooding.
Cities need to be designed with this in mind as a growing number of urban areas are experiencing devastating floods due to climate change, reports World Economic Forum, citing researchers.
As climate change brings increasing flood threats, cities need to be designed like giant sponges that allow water to drain away safely, researchers say.
A first-of-its kind study used artificial intelligence to rank seven major cities on their 'sponginess' - in this case, the amount of natural space they have that can easily absorb rainwater.
The term "sponge cities" is used to describe urban areas with abundant natural areas such as trees, lakes and parks or other good design intended to absorb rain and prevent flooding.
Interest in harnessing nature - or using "nature-based solutions" - to tackle climate shocks has grown in popularity in recent years.
Cities as diverse as Shanghai, New York and Cardiff are embracing their "sponginess" through inner-city gardens, improved river drainage and plant-edged sidewalks.
An equal benefit of sponge cities is that they can hold more water in rivers, greenery and soil instead of losing it to evaporation, meaning they are more resilient to drought.
Natural ways to absorb urban water are about 50% more affordable than man-made solutions, and are 28% more effective, according to earlier research by global design firm Arup and the World Economic Forum.
A city's sponginess is not set in stone. Adding more parks, trees, other greenery or natural drainage can boost a city's absorbency and make it more flood- and drought-resilient.
Many cities are adding green spaces to increase sponginess and deliver other benefits, from cleaner air to wildlife habitat and places to escape summer heat.
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