Cities like New York and Los Angeles are moving to build green infrastructure as the need for spongier urban spaces becomes more apparent.

Writing in Wired, Matt Simon warns that New York City needs to adapt to protect its citizens and infrastructure from future flooding like the city experienced during Hurricane Ian and recent rains.
As Simon explains, “On a warming planet, it’ll rain more and individual storms will get more intense. This pain will be especially acute in urban areas, which are built on stormwater infrastructure designed to handle the rainfall of yesteryear.” Now, old infrastructure can’t keep up. “Ancient wastewater systems are now tasked with getting rid of ever-bigger inundations.”
Meanwhile, hard, impermeable surfaces like concrete and asphalt effectively seal cities, leaving few places where water can drain into the ground. “Better sewer systems will be indispensable, sure, but planners are also fundamentally reimagining urban areas as “sponge cities” designed to mitigate flooding by absorbing water.”
Today, cities like New York and Los Angeles are working to reverse the problem by building green infrastructure such as rain gardens, bioswales, blue belts, and permeable pavement. In places like Los Angeles, this much-needed water will also help replenish underground aquifers.
According to Simon, “Green spaces don’t just mitigate flooding. They beautify the urban landscape and improve residents’ mental health. They filter out microplastics and other pollutants, keeping them from reaching sensitive water bodies like rivers. And when the weather is hot, they cool neighborhoods, because plants ‘sweat.’”
FULL STORY: New York Needs to Get Spongier—or Get Used to More Floods

What the US Intercity Rail System Could Look Like
An FRA study shows how new Amtrak lines could connect tens of millions more Americans to rail travel.

National Housing Group Criticizes Executive Orders
The National Low Income Housing Coalition issued a statement charging that Trump’s executive orders would worsen the housing crisis.

Amtrak Cascades Line Breaks Ridership Record
The route linking Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver, BC served nearly one million riders in 2024.

Single-Stair Reform Gains Strength
The movement to legalize single-stair multi-story buildings is gathering momentum, with the typology offering a more efficient, flexible, and healthy way to build housing.

Boston Bus Signal Priority Project Yields Faster Travel Times
The city now plans to expand a year-long pilot project that reduced the time buses waited at traffic signals.

Condos, a Key Source of Affordable Housing for Homeowners, Are in Jeopardy
Decades of increasing costs and deferred maintenance could lead to people losing their homes unless changes are made.
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