In this age of the Anthropocene, our cities face unprecedented challenges from climate change, including flooding, water scarcity, and rising temperatures. As Director of Design, Operations, and Communications at the Sponge Collaborative, Manushi Ashok Jain presents a compelling vision for integrating blue-green infrastructure into urban planning to combat these challenges.
Drawing from successful projects across Chennai and other Indian cities, this talk explores how the Sponge City approach transforms concrete-dominated urban landscapes into resilient ecosystems capable of absorbing, storing, and purifying water. Through case studies of urban wetland parks, lake restoration projects, and neighborhood sponge interventions, Jain demonstrates how cities can work with nature rather than against it.
The presentation highlights how strategic implementation of urban green spaces delivers multiple benefits beyond flood prevention – including reduced urban heat, enhanced biodiversity, improved public health, and strengthened community bonds. By reimagining cities as living systems rather than concrete jungles, we can create more sustainable, equitable, and climate-adaptive urban environments for generations to come. Manushi, an Architect and Urban Designer, has worked globally since 2012 in cities like Boston, NYC, Singapore, Mumbai, Bangalore, Afghanistan, France, and Croatia. Her work focuses on making cities more sustainable and permeable, addressing urban housing, hyper-density, and resiliency in urban development. In Afghanistan, she contributed to rebuilding efforts through sustainable design practices. With a Master’s in Architecture and Urban Design from Pratt Institute, NY, she employs innovative methods to bridge the relationship between architecture and urban design. She received the Creative Thesis Design Medal by A+D magazine and has been shortlisted for various international design competitions. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
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