Sponge cities technology: Guidelines for Applying in Egypt

Abstract

Cities are currently facing major and severe threat of environmental stability that many researches focus on finding ways to help save, protect cities, and bring back local biodiversity and human breathtaking places. Also achieving resilient cities as one of the SDGs has been a main concern for recent development strategies and researches. Furthermore, multiple planning solutions have appeared to guarantee sustainability and prosperity. This paper introduces Sponge cities as an urgent effective technology for sustainable green cities and one of the recent terms and inquiring strategies for overcoming devastating outcomes of climate change. China, being the first leading country in applying the sponge city technology, has considered it as a necessary design concept and basic measuring criteria for ecological urban development. This technology aims to make maximum use of natural water resources providing an integrated system of environmental performance at the same time, it seeks to protect cities from the dangers of floods resulting from severe climatic changes. This study proposes how can sponge city technology be applied within Egyptian cities; it aims to set a group of guidelines for urban development of local environments in order to prosper and overcome environmental disturbance of climate change. A fast review on definitions and objectives is presented. Then the study determines briefly the main design features and techniques for such technology. Moreover, the paper focuses on specific global experiences for Sponge cities with various objectives and different conditions. These experiences are presented through an analytical study to explore their objectives, construction techniques, impact, future vision and performance. Further on it deals with the Egyptian status to apply the proposed technology on local areas acquiring a pathway to resilient ecosystems.