Rain gardens

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Be a Rain Saver: The magic of rain gardens in urban stormwater management

Effective management of stormwater in urban environments is key to protecting the built environment and reducing the risk of flooding. Solutions based on natural drainage, such as rain gardens, offer an innovative and sustainable way to treat rainfall not as an enemy but as a valuable resource. A rain garden is a shallowly dug area planted with plants that can drain and absorb rainwater. This means that water does not immediately run off asphalt or concrete surfaces, but infiltrates gradually into the ground, reducing the overloading of drainage systems and the risk of flooding. Rain gardens can even be used to recycle rainfall locally, as it is incorporated into groundwater reserves and recharged into local vegetation.

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Why is a rain garden useful?

Rainwater conservation:
Rain gardens keep water in the soil, improving local water balance. This is particularly important in cities where paved surfaces interrupt the natural water cycle.
Increasing biodiversity: native and water-tolerant plants used in rain gardens are not only aesthetically pleasing, but also provide food and habitat for bees, butterflies and other pollinators. In this way, a rain garden can also function as a beehive.
Reducing the heat island effect: green vegetation in rain gardens helps to mitigate urban heat islands, improving the microclimate.
Community spaces and traffic calming: a well-designed rain garden creates a landscaped environment that can also serve as a resting place or community space. In addition, green lanes can reduce car traffic, making streets friendlier for pedestrians and cyclists.

How can you be a Rainmaker?

You can create a rain garden in the garden of a family home, in a condominium courtyard or in a public space with minimal investment. All you need is a suitable space, some water-loving plants and a little planning. By participating in the “Be a Rain Saver” campaign, you are not only beautifying your environment, but also actively contributing to sustainable urban development.

Estimate the rain!

Rain gardens in urban rainfall management

The designer who turns cities into sponges
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The designer who turns cities into sponges

Green roof, Permeable surfaces, Rain garden, water collection

The designer who turns cities into sponges

Kongjian Yu pioneered the concept of China’s “sponge city” – less concrete and more green space, harnessing rainwater instead of fighting it. The good example is being followed by many metropolises around the world. Yu was recently awarded the Oberlander Prize of the Cultural Landscape Foundation for his work on sponge cities.

Is your city prepared for the effects of climate change?

What makes a city a “sponge”? – Kiállítás és beszélgetés a következő 50 évről
Gallery
What makes a city a “sponge”? – Kiállítás és beszélgetés a következő 50 évről

Green roof, Permeable surfaces, Rain garden, water collection

What makes a city a “sponge”? – Kiállítás és beszélgetés a következő 50 évről

Most of our buildings are designed for 50 years. Today, when we start designing a building, a district or an infrastructure, the question is whether the structure can withstand natural and social challenges that may not yet be felt. Will it still be possible to work with the same tools in 2074 as our colleagues did in 1974?

Lessons from Vienna in rainwater management
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Lessons from Vienna in rainwater management

Green roof, Permeable surfaces, Rain garden, water collection

Lessons from Vienna in rainwater management

Under the LIFE Urban Rainfall project, led by the Municipality of Hegyvidék, Budapest is working hard to develop a new, modern and comprehensive rainfall strategy, which it hopes will serve as a long-term guide to managing rainwater and turning the city into a sponge city. What is a sponge city? It is a fair question. On the one hand, the concept of a sponge city is a response to the problems caused by extreme rainfall due to climate change, and on the other hand, it is a modern reinterpret […]

Water-sensitive cities: the “From Sydenham to Bankstown” project
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Water-sensitive cities: the “From Sydenham to Bankstown” project

Green roof, Permeable surfaces, Rain garden, water collection

Water-sensitive cities: the “From Sydenham to Bankstown” project

In 2018, the Cooperative Research Centres Program for Water Sensitive Cities in Australia supported the design process of the Sydenham to Bankstown project, which combined the latest research with local expertise to jointly develop practical ideas to address urban water challenges.

The Sydenham to Bankstown corridor is a corridor defined by the Greater Sydney Commission’s Greater Sydney Region Plan and Eastern City and South District Plans, which includes 1 […]

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