Global built environment consultancy Arup recently published a “Global Sponge Cities Snapshot” report that surveyed seven cities on their natural ability to manage heavy rainfall.
Using an artificial intelligence and land use analyis system called Terrain, a “spoginess” ranking from 1% to 100% was calculated based on the quantity of green spaces, the quality of soils and the water run-off potential.
Ranked from highest to lowest in their overall “sponginess” rating, the seven cities surveyed were Auckland (35%), Nairobi (34%), Singapore (30%), New York (30%), Mumbai (30%), Shanghai (28%) and London (22%).
From region to region, you see cities being developed in a slightly different way. For example, some of the cities in China, they tend to be more densely developed with high-rise buildings. In Auckland (New Zealand), you see more low-rise buildings, more spaces between them. A city’s design impacts its ability to accommodate water…”
Digital Water Research Lead at Arup, Thomas Sagris.
