The Chinese Sponge Cities initiative has been pioneering globally in rethinking how cities deal with their water systems [both natural and infrastructural], particularly in light of global climate change and unprecedented urban growth. However, it is time to lean into the next step in this initiative. The current sponge cities works are primarily targeted at small scale engineering projects and focus on suburban residential development. The question of how sponge cities has to find its way into existing metropolitan areas, and how it can be upscale to operate in many of the rapidly urbanizing world’s deltas is still a major challenge. This seminar and subsequent workshops will see our natural and infrastructural systems as fully integrated ecologies.
The Shenzhen/Hong Kong border is crossed by invisible flows of material. Dust, and airborne particulate, index the changing landscape, registering air pollution and construction debris from the rapidly changing landscape, waterscape, and urban environments of the PRD.
The interdisciplinary design practice AGENCY engaged in a 3 weeks residency program at Future+ Aformal Academy and Handshake 302 in December 2017, within the New Cities, Future Ruins (NCFR) project in Pearl River Delta.