Are Sponge Cities the Flood Control Fix We Need?

Join Abby and guest John Pattison as they dive into the benefits and drawbacks of "sponge cities," cities that incorporate natural features like wetlands into their stormwater management infrastructure. Is this method more resilient in the long term? Do the benefits outweigh the massive cost? How does this relate to the incremental, bottom-up approach? They’ll cover all this and more in today’s episode of Upzoned.

ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES

• “‘Sponge City’: Copenhagen Adapts to a Wetter Future” by Paul Hockenos, Yale Environment 360 (July 2025).

• Abby Newsham (X/Twitter).

• Theme Music by Kemet the Phantom.

 

This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members. Click here to learn more about membership.