119 Building and Operating Modern Infrastructure terrace slopes, create ponds, and plant reeds and willows alongside the water, re-creating the landscapes of his youth. “You must put the biodiversity layer together with the built layer,” he said. The results have repeatedly shown that the materials of a sponge city can cost far less and provide more value than concrete, and pipes do. At Turenscape, Yu creates spaces that serve biodiversity purposes as well as such needs as agriculture and recreation. Creations return wildlife corridors to the landscape to achieve ecosystem security for species. “Where water and land meet, you have life. Art and science can come together to make biodiversity beautiful.” — Kongjian Yu, founder and principal designer, Turenscape, and professor and dean, College of Architecture and Landscape, Peking University Softening the Impact of Extreme Weather Events Yu believes his boyhood of farming in a monsoon landscape was good practice to address extreme weather. He saw how his ancestors used terraced fields and ponds to store monsoon rainwater for the dry season because adaptation was needed. Now, he would like to see the sponge city concept implemented across regions, nations, and the world—with urgency. He feels keeping water in place is important to cool our cities and even stop sea level rise. “We have performance data to show that sponge cities increase biodiversity, clean the water, and solve the problem of urban flooding,” Yu said. “In addition, people love them. It lowers maintenance costs, and it triples and even quadruples property values in surrounding areas.” With all those benefits, Turenscape is in high demand during a peak period of China’s urban development. The work has expanded elsewhere too, including Thailand, Singapore, and several US cities. Jack Dangermond, president of Esri, has called Kongjian Yu’s sponge city concept a gift from China. “It’s appealing, people understand it right away, and it’s doable everywhere,” Dangermond said. “It’s wonderful work.” Benjakitti Park is a public park in Central Bangkok that intercepts rainstorms and reduces their destructive power. (Photo ©Turenscape) The design of the Jinhua Yanweizhou Park focused on becoming friends with floods on a parcel at the confluence of the Yiwu and Wuyi rivers. (Map ©Turenscape)
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