A 2,100 square foot park on the banks of New York City's Gowanus Canal is part of a plan to catch pollutants from storm off from draining into the already polluted waterway.

The New York City Department of Environmental Protection is investing $1.5 million in a pilot project that will see the creation of a so-called "sponge park," designed by landscape architects at DLANDstudio. The project is part of a 20-year plan that hopes to protect local waterways through similar ecological approaches. Lisa W. Foderaro of the New York Times reports that the park will be designed to absorb water through selection of plants and inclusion of "a network of sand beds and soils." If successful, the park may serve as a model for other cities.
The park is part of a larger effort in New York City and urban areas across the country to prevent polluted storm water from flowing directly into rivers or overloading sewage treatment plants. With combined storm-sewer systems like New York’s, in which one set of pipes handles both sewage and storm water, even moderate rainfall can overwhelm treatment plants, causing raw sewage to spew into waterways.
Foderaro writes that the park will be quickly assembled using modular pieces during the spring, with completion in about eight weeks.
FULL STORY: A Park to Sop Up Pollutants Before They Flow Into the Gowanus Canal

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

San Antonio and Austin are Fusing Into one Massive Megaregion
The region spanning the two central Texas cities is growing fast, posing challenges for local infrastructure and water supplies.

Since Zion's Shuttles Went Electric “The Smog is Gone”
Visitors to Zion National Park can enjoy the canyon via the nation’s first fully electric park shuttle system.

Trump Distributing DOT Safety Funds at 1/10 Rate of Biden
Funds for Safe Streets and other transportation safety and equity programs are being held up by administrative reviews and conflicts with the Trump administration’s priorities.

German Cities Subsidize Taxis for Women Amid Wave of Violence
Free or low-cost taxi rides can help women navigate cities more safely, but critics say the programs don't address the root causes of violence against women.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
planning NEXT
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie