‘Sponge Cities’ Are Catching On. But Can They Handle Supercharged Storms?
Key takeaways
- It also catalyzed a transformation across the city.
- Other cities around the world—from Hong Kong to New York—have adopted similar green-gray approaches to curb urban inundation.
- From sprawling skyscrapers to busy highways, many of the characteristics that make major cities so iconic also put them at risk of severe flooding.
Why this matters: environmental and climate reporting with long-term consequences.
June 16, 2026 Share This Article Republish Flooding is common during extreme storms in New York City such as the one that hit in September 2023. Credit: Yuki Iwamura for The Washington Post via Getty Images Related Heat Is Killing Wildlife Across the Animal Kingdom. A New Forecasting Tool May Help. Heat Is a Growing Threat to the Hajj—Even in Spring An Unusually Early Heat Wave Breaks Temperature Records Across Western Europe Share This Article Republish Most Popular Trump’s EPA Unlawfully Cancelled Environmental Justice Grants, Judge Rules An Old Well Gushed Waste, Not Oil, in a Small West Texas Town Hoover Dam Approaches a Hydropower Cliff In 2011, a short but catastrophic cloudburst hammered Copenhagen, flooding parts of the Danish city with more than 5 inches of rain in a single day.
The storm caused more than $1 billion in damages. It also catalyzed a transformation across the city. Officials spent the next decade implementing a matrix of green spaces and engineered stormwater infrastructure to sop up future flooding.
Other cities around the world—from Hong Kong to New York—have adopted similar green-gray approaches to curb urban inundation. But as the aptly named “Sponge City” movement grows worldwide, experts say major challenges are keeping cities from reaching their full spongy potential. And with global warming giving rise to wetter storms and more severe droughts, research shows nature’s absorbent abilities are being pushed to the brink.