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"Could We Turn Cities Threatened by Floods Into Sponges?" - Mashable (August 2, 2022)
"All modern cities are based on grey, industrial, inflexible technologies based on reliable climates. In contrast, the green
technology of the sponge city is based on three principles: hold water in place as much as possible, slow down
its flow, and - do not fight against water.
- Kongjian Yu Professor, Graduate School of Landscape Architecture | President & Principal, Peking & Turenscape who coined,
"Sponge City"
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| BLUE BARREL SPONGE & BROWNSPOTTED GROUPER ~ Scientific American; Creative Commons Chris Coccaro) |
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| VENUS BASKET GLASS SPONGES WHERE SQUAT LOBSTER HAS MADE HOME ~ NOAA Okeanos Ex |
SPONGES
.
Sponges are multi-celled structured invertebrate animals who are great oxygen pumper creators. Sponges are considered the
glue of reefs, 3 dimensional topography providing habitat for many sea creatures. Scientifically classified in "Phylum Porifera,"
there are approximately 8,550 living sponge species. There are four distinct classes: Demospongiae (most diverse, 90% of
all living sponges), Hexactinellida (rare glasslike sponges), Calcarea (calcium carbonate spicules), and Homoscleromorpha
(recently recognized so rarest and simplest type, with approximately 117 species). Many fish and other sea life, like lobsters
rely on finding homes - dwelling in sponges. Sea turtles are their main predators. Sea turtle decline has created a small
sponge abundance yet imbalance and further bleaching and destruction of coral reefs, of which their buds attach themselves
in some areas of oceans and seas. The brittle nature of ecosystems make sponges in danger of extinction due to man's overharvesting
and deep-sea mining "clear-cut" removal.
The architecture of a sponge allowed a tool to be utilized to clean - anything. While real sponge use for cleaning has declined,
the demand for cosmetic and medical use has skyrocketed.
So there is no better example, just like billions of fish, to dwell within the protection and air producer from harm - the
SPONGE.
"Sponges: Oldest Creatures in the Sea?" - "Changing Seas TV" (2016)
"Sponges" - The Marine Bio Conservation Society
Deep-sea Sponge Grounds Ecosystems of the North Atlantic, an integrated approach towards their preservation and sustainable
exploitation
Partner Consortium of 25 European Countries, Canada, and the United States of America
"Sponges!" - "Johnathan Bird's Blue World"
"Globally, we have a lot to learn about deep sea sponges in terms of ecological function in the ocean, but also
for medical value for humans. Some species of sponges have properties that aid in medical treatment of human diseases.
The technology to reach deeper areas of the ocean continues to improve, providing opportunities for scientists to learn more
about these deep sea environments. In Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary, only a small fraction of these deeper areas
have been explored. Understanding the deep sea communities in national marine sanctuaries is a critical step in protecting
sensitive ocean ecosystems. The ability to search deeper and discover new species provides a significant advance in our knowledge
of the deep sea ecosystem and diversity and significantly advances in CBNMS, and along the west coast of North America."
"A Swirling Vortex Is No Match for This Deep-Sea Sponge" - New York Times (September 9, 2021)
"Viruses Mediate Interactions Between Bacteria and Sponges: A Newly Identified Group of Viruses may Help Suppress Eukaryotes
Immune Response and Promote Tolerance of Endosymbiotic Bacteria." - The Scientist Magazine (January/February 2020)
"Scientists Use Sea Sponges to Study Global Warming" - The New York Times (February 7, 2024)
The world's most famous sponge certainly knows the only transport one travels around - especially in a sponge city!
Watch! SpongeBob SquarePants' 20th anniversary Tram in Portugal! (2019)
BECOMING A SPONGE CITY
What is a "Sponge City?"
A sponge city is the allowance of water to interact immediately with soil of urban surface, embedding the Earth's crust area,
thereby sucking up as much water as possible and naturally releasing water over time.
It is a metropolitan that essentially reverts back to its natural ecosystem, its natural biodiversity, including those relocated,
or extinguished due to economic reasons. The metropolitan is ecologically modified so that all surfaces are permeable, allowing
water to pass through to prevent flooding and droughts. When flooding, water seeps down, removing surface water as best it
can. Excess water is directed by pumps for intentional overflow to certain areas, such as intentional ponds and even playgrounds
and basketball courts that are on purpose built lower than its surroundings, creating small plains. Movable walls are also
built. Walls are moved into place to create other flood plains, such as a street block. Because of permeable surface, water
stays in place, lessening the ability for drought to destroy vegetation, especially trees.
This wholistic process was invented by urban planning Chinese landscape architect and professor, Kongjian Yu. It was to address
their cities' floods, starting to be implemented in circa 2000. This includes reverting back to natural order of waterways
that may of been dammed or land dredged in order to create new land, often with purpose of living on top of due to population
growth and/or migration.
Those metropolitans that adapt and go forth just about completely redoing their infrastructure will vastly cool down the heat
index, thereby vastly slashing its Greenhouse and Urban Heat Island Effect. Matter of replacing grey with green infrastructure.
"What are Sponge Cities?" - Business Standard (July 18, 2023)
Chinese architect Kongjian Yu, coined the term, "Sponge City."
AS OF 2019: 250 SPONGE CITIES
"How Turning Cities into Giant Sponges Can Help Tackle Floods" - WWF International (Aug 28, 2019)
Professor Yu has a 500 City waitlist, and that was as of a few years ago....
"Build Sponge Eco-Cities to Adapt Hydroclimatic Hazards" - Handbook of Climate Change Adaptation. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
(January 1, 2014)
Barcelona: "How to Survive Heatwaves in the City" - DW Planet A (July 26, 2024) ["Climate Shelters"]
"Sponge City, Natural Green Urban infrastructure" - Sieker | Bloomberg (April 9, 2019)
"The Future of California's Water" - ABC 10 (May 2, 2024)
"Urbanism 101: What is a Sponge City?" - The Urbanist-(February 8, 2023)
"What are Sponge Cities?" - The Kid Should See This
"As Climate Change Amplifies Urban Flooding, Here's How Communities can Become Sponge Cities'" - Prevention Web (May 7. 2024)
The idea of moving water is as old as the aqueduct. These days, people recognize that there is not a single macro move
that does not have macro repercussions. This has caused our Anthropocene—aka human impact—state of natural
imbalance. Now that we have moved into the era of the Internet of Things, we have the predictive micro technologies to work
with nature.
The most damaging floods are those that arrive without warning—flash floods. They are challenging because of our inability
to predict when they will come. But we know they will come, and we can model their damage. And we know that the increase in
flash floods is because we do not have enough green infrastructure—a strategy of water management that involves creating
“green landscape as sponges”—to absorb them."
LIVING SHORELINES
"Seawalls and Beach Erosion" - 15 Second Science
BALTIMORE CITY TODAY
Baltimore is to become a sponge city that has hydroclimatic hazards.
Please Seek, "BALTIMORE, BUILD THESE NOW" - Here
Please Also Seek, "THE COMMONS" Page - Here
64%!!!! - Yes Baltimore City has 64% Metric Tons of Carbon Dioxide Equivalent (MTCO2e) Greenhouse Gas (GHGs) Emissions from
Buildings.
"Building" means, includes, the materials of what they are made of concrete, cement, steel, asphalt (petroleum)
roof shingles, their insulation, and their appliances.
Baltimore City's sustainable environmental organizations with Office of Sustainably fighting climate change through plantings,
composting at waste collection levels. Baltimore City Government "Sustainability Plan" Keeps incinerator running which
creates toxic ash that leaches from tower into air, and in solid form, which goes to landfills. Great people efforts and
projects.
Article does not cover the majority of what must be done, and so has a "Pollyanic" depth of "climate change"
action. Government departments, especially Department of Housing and Department of Transportation and building contractors
continue to harm Baltimore City and Earth through building with non-permeable materials, concrete, cement, asphalt, and steel
and gas for energy with no regulations. Move to cross laminated timber (CLT), rails in vegetation....
"The Harbor Wetland, the Aquarium’s newest living exhibit, a 10,000-square-foot recreation of what would have been found
along Baltimore’s shoreline hundreds of years ago. Floating between the Aquarium’s pedestrian bridges, spanning
the Harbor’s Piers 3 and 4.
It’s nature meets engineering, created to educate kids and other visitors, promote healthy water, and bring back native
species—and it’s already working. When the vegetation was planted in mid-May, animals like crabs, eel, dragonflies,
turtles, and more swam on in like they did in pre-industrial marsh. 'On day one, a mallard duck nested,' says Charmaine Dahlenburg,
the Aquarium’s director of field conservation. 'And the biggest shock of our life, two weeks in, were the sea otters.'"
RETHINKING EDUCATION
"Free Trees and Green Garlands: How Antwerp is Encouraging Residents to be Urban Gardeners" - (May 13, 2024)
"Playing instruments and Singing as Forms Supporting a Sustainable Development of a Child From a Polish Perspective" - Book:
On the Need for Transcultural Education [Pgs. 227-244] (December 2020)
" The integration of music teaching into environmental education, as explored in this paper, can be a good solution
to this problem. This fun and educational approach is a good way to enhance students' interest in learning.
The results showed that third graders with appropriate education got a significant improvement in their scores than sixth
graders with no education. Both their median and mean scores improved from 66 and 60 to 70, respectively. More students are
also concentrated in the high-score segment. In terms of the direction of focus, the percentages of the four areas of saving
food, saving water, saving electricity, and separating garbage all changed. The values of the corresponding numbers for
the third and sixth grades are 29%, 20%, 23%, 28% and 29%, 15%, 21%, 35%, respectively."
ADDRESSING PRODUCTS
'See the Asphalt, the hot roofs, and see the steam permeate out of these hard heat-trapping surfaces" .... Climate-Resilient
....
RETHINKING TRANSPORT
Baltimore, Phoenix has thrown down the Streetcar Gauntlet!!!!
Phoenix is making a dedicated shift to streetcar system, and calls out Baltimore, and others with no streetcar systems to
build do the same. At same time Phoenix snickers, "At least we aren't them!" Listen:
In The Comments: Jacob Korducki March 2022
"This sort of creates a rat race effect too because as more and more drivers switch to bigger and heavier vehicles, the more
unsafe I feel driving a small sedan. Makes me want to size up my vehicle as well for a piece of mind, for my
own safety."
"Why There Are So Few Pickup Trucks In Europe" - Cheddar News (2020)
Truck Moves - "Your Two-Day-Shipping Needs to Change" - The Armchair Urbanist
"Passenger Rail in the US vs. Spain - Brace Yourself for Utter Chagrin" - City Nerd (2023) [Both Union built]
RESTRUCTURING GOVERNMENT
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RETHINKING TRANSPORTATION
"Children's Green Walk to School: An Evaluation of Welfare-Related Disparities in the Visibility of Greenery Among Children"
- Environmental Science & Policy (May 2020)
"Increased biodiversity improves the health of vegetation, soil, and water. This can save a lot of money that would otherwise
be needed for overdue maintenance, reorganisation, or pest control, and in addition to the importance for the animals and
plants themselves (their intrinsic value), biodiversity is also important for humans. Many people appreciate plants and animals
and have more respect for nature when they can experience it directly. They might also be more willing to contribute to greening
their own environment or participating in co-management of existing green spaces." [Page 17]
We can concentrate better with vegetation around us, recover faster from illnesses, and suffer less from anger, depression,
stress, and anxiety. [Page 14]
With Green and Green-Blue Connections, we will:
• Link streets, pathways, watersides, and canals to larger green areas in the city, such as parks with as much vegetation
as possible (‘Green by default’).
• Connect larger green areas in and around the city through green walking and cycling routes with clear and inviting
entrances.
• Create parks on top of tunnels where possible, such as the Spaarndammer and Gaasperdammer tunnels.
• Increase green tramways where possible.
• Transform grass verges to include a rich array of flowers, except in places that need to be mowed frequently for reasons
of traffic safety.
• Ensure that native plants grow on at least half of the city’s canal walls and watersides.
• Encourage residents and businesses to start a green initiative or maintain a green space as part of the green and
green-blue connections. [Page 39]
Includes, "Historic growth of the city and urban green infrastructure"
"The results of our research indicate that low-maintenance green tram tracks are an economically feasible solution for
introducing more green areas into cities."
"Comparison of the Differences in the Composition of Ruderal Flora Between Conventional Tram Tracks and Managed Green Tram
Tracks in the Urban Ecosystem of the City of Bratislava" - Hacquetia (June 2022) [Scroll down for full article]
✓ CHECK
THE IRON HORSE: RAIL
✓
TRAMS - STREETCARS ARE WILDLIFE FRIENDLY TRANSPORT SYSTEMS "The results of this study, and a literature survey of other transport
options, suggest that tram tracks are not very dangerous for birds, and at least from this point of view, can be recommended
as an environmentally friendly transport system in urban areas."
"Replacing Asphalt with Green: the Arnhem Plan" - domus (2020)
Landscape Architecture: "Vibrant Hong Kong" Episode 40 - RTHK (March 1, 2024)
"Advantages of Trams I Trams are Beneficial for Environment" - Change Started (June 23, 2021)
"Mitigating the Effects of Climate Change at Public Transport Stops in Prague" - Eurisy European Association (February 10,
2022)
"Public Transportation's Role in Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions" - Federal Transportation Administration (January 2010)
"Athens Tram: Green Track on the Coast Line" (2022)
"Lisbon's Iconic Old Trams Helping Portugal Fight Climate Change" - Euronews 19/05/2021
"How Do Streetcar Transit Users and Streetcar Decision-Makers Perceive Heat Risk?" - Journal of Public Transportation (2023)
Controlling pollution is a major environmental issue.
CHINA
Environmental Benefits of Hosting the Olympic Games - International Olympic Committee (IOC)
FORESTRY: "Olympic Forest Project" - IOC Media (June 17, 2021)
CONCRETE WASHING
Similar to "Greenwashing," concrete-washing is in whatever way possible, to save and continue one's business by any measure
possible because of its pollutants, under guise that one is an ethical and moral company who a "truly cares" about environment
and future, and is cutting carbon emissions on behalf of their customers, and buying carbon credits in exchange of continuing
to pollute. In reality; to make money without conforming to voluntarily address climate crisis and health deterioration
(example: carcinogens in products like tires); making changes or spending or losing money in order to comply with ethic and
moral standards of , without any and taking glory for being an ethical company. [Example: "Make believe" credits that claim
that trees are being planted when they were already going to be planted and no money was given, or another group gave money
for the same planting.... There is an alternative being done to fossil fuel damage action/event.
To bolster the concrete and cement industries, in other words, keep them in business and keep margins high, any which way
to make projects to sell to, especially governments is of most importance to them. So mammoth sea walls, cisterns,... are,
of course mandatory. Yet, again and again they have failed. But they don't care. They just build, with no assurance, no
contract ever guaranteeing their usage.
"Kongjian Yu Defends His Sponge City Campaign" - The Dirt Magazine | The American Society of Landscape Architects (August
4, 2021)
UNITED STATES & COUNTRIES: "SPONGE CITY" STATUS
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