{"id":41189,"date":"2025-07-10T13:06:11","date_gmt":"2025-07-10T11:06:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wearewater.org\/insights\/putting-water-at-the-center-a-sustainable-city-is-possible\/"},"modified":"2025-07-10T15:44:34","modified_gmt":"2025-07-10T13:44:34","slug":"putting-water-at-the-center-a-sustainable-city-is-possible","status":"publish","type":"waw_insight","link":"https:\/\/www.wearewater.org\/en-in\/insights\/putting-water-at-the-center-a-sustainable-city-is-possible\/","title":{"rendered":"Putting Water at the Center. A Sustainable City Is Possible"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"whads-insighttext-gblock\"><div class=\"whads-insighttext-gblock__heading__col\"><\/div><div class=\"whads-insighttext-gblock__text__col\"><p>Architect <strong>Martha Thorne<\/strong> defines the complexity of water management. This factor has become crucial in today&#8217;s urban planning: <em>&#8220;Water carries symbolic, emotional, biological, cultural, and of course, architectural and urban significance. The intrinsic complexity of water becomes even more evident in these times of climate change and is reflected in droughts and floods, with undeniable political and economic consequences for cities.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Thorne, former Dean of the IE School of Architecture and Design and Executive Director of the prestigious <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pritzkerprize.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pritzker Architecture Prize<\/a> from 2005 to 2021, is currently one of the most influential voices shaping the future of cities and urban planning\u2014a concept that is no longer a future-oriented aspiration, but a pressing need of the present. A long-time <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wearewater.org\/en-in\/partners\/friends\/\">Friend of the Foundation<\/a>, Thorne has spearheaded the debate series Water for all: architecture, the city and society, organized by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.roca.es\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Roca Group<\/a> and the Fundaci\u00f3n Arquitectura Contempor\u00e1nea (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.arquitecturacontemporanea.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">FAC<\/a>), whose first edition was held at the Roca Barcelona Gallery on June 12 (you can watch the full debate <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/events\/7332730991343497216\/comments\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here).<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><div class=\"whads-insightimage-gblock\" data-image-type=\"small\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"808\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wearewater.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Besos.jpg\" class=\"whads-insightimage-gblock__image\" alt=\"We Are Water image\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wearewater.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Besos.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/www.wearewater.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Besos-300x168.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wearewater.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Besos-1024x575.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.wearewater.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Besos-768x431.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.wearewater.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Besos-400x224.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.wearewater.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Besos-600x337.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1440px) 100vw, 1440px\" \/><div class=\"whads-insightimage-gblock__caption\"><p><strong>The Bes\u00f2s River (Barcelona):<\/strong> once one of the most polluted rivers in Europe, now a rewilded metropolitan corridor where eels and otters thrive. A striking example of ecological and social transformation. \u00a9 Jos\u00e9p M. Mor\u00e8<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"whads-insighttext-gblock\"><div class=\"whads-insighttext-gblock__heading__col\"><\/div><div class=\"whads-insighttext-gblock__text__col\"><p>Two leading experts in integrating water into urban planning participated in this first session: <strong>B\u00e1<\/strong><strong>rbara Pons<\/strong>, Director General of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bcnregional.com\/?lang=es\">Barcelona Regional<\/a>, and <strong>Enric Batlle<\/strong>, co-founder of \u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.batlleiroig.com\/es\/\">Batlle i Roig<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><div class=\"whads-insightvideo-gblock\"><div class=\"whads-responsive-video\"><iframe class=\"whads-youtube-video__player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/QY6RHwVfJxM\" allow=\"fullscreen; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture;\" frameborder=\"0\" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><div class=\"whads-insightimage-gblock\" data-image-type=\"small\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"817\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wearewater.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Martha-Thorneokok.jpg\" class=\"whads-insightimage-gblock__image\" alt=\"We Are Water image\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wearewater.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Martha-Thorneokok.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/www.wearewater.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Martha-Thorneokok-300x170.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wearewater.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Martha-Thorneokok-1024x581.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.wearewater.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Martha-Thorneokok-768x436.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.wearewater.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Martha-Thorneokok-400x227.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.wearewater.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Martha-Thorneokok-600x340.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1440px) 100vw, 1440px\" \/><div class=\"whads-insightimage-gblock__caption\"><p>A long-time <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wearewater.org\/en-in\/partners\/friends\/\">Friend of the Foundation<\/a>, The renowned architect <strong>Martha Thorne<\/strong> has spearheaded the debate series Water for all: architecture, the city and society, organized by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.roca.es\/\">Roca Group<\/a> and the Fundaci\u00f3n Arquitectura Contempor\u00e1nea (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.arquitecturacontemporanea.org\/\">FAC<\/a>).<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"whads-insighttext-gblock\"><div class=\"whads-insighttext-gblock__heading__col\"><h2 class=\"whads-insighttext-gblock__heading\">Do We Know What Water Does in the City?<\/h2><\/div><div class=\"whads-insighttext-gblock__text__col\"><p>The conceptual shift brought about by water issues in urbanism is now globally evident. B\u00e1rbara Pons noted: <em>&#8220;When I studied architecture in the 1990s in Valencia, nobody ever mentioned water concerning urban planning. Things are very different now. We can&#8217;t ignore water\u2014we must integrate it into all projects.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Pons considers a deep understanding of the water cycle essential for any urban design project: <em>&#8220;As designers transforming urban environments, we must understand that water flow permeates everything. Knowing where water runs now, where it used to run, and where it will run is the starting point.&#8221;<\/em> For Pons, green infrastructure and water are the foundation of urbanism, and trees\u2014the ultimate natural infrastructure\u2014must be integrated into watershed-scale planning.<\/p>\n<p>This is a cornerstone of new urbanism. Enric Batlle highlighted the outdated nature of cities still based on 19th-century models, referencing parts of Barcelona that &#8220;hide&#8221; water: &#8220;<em>The city is full of grates and drains where water vanishes underground. That&#8217;s a result of an old mindset\u2014one that believed the faster water disappears, the better the city is designed. If it puddles, that&#8217;s a design failure. Then we need to bring in water from elsewhere to meet our needs. This logic has to change.<\/em>&#8220;<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"whads-insighttext-gblock\"><div class=\"whads-insighttext-gblock__heading__col\"><h2 class=\"whads-insighttext-gblock__heading\">The Sponge City: Letting Soil Do Its Work<\/h2><\/div><div class=\"whads-insighttext-gblock__text__col\"><p>Batlle is a strong proponent of the &#8220;sponge city&#8221; concept. He referred to several of his projects revitalizing roadways and roundabouts where soil plays a key role in absorbing rainwater regardless of intensity: <em>&#8220;We must move toward a sponge city, where water moistens the soil and reaches trees first. In the spaces we&#8217;ve designed this way, trees have survived recent droughts and the soil has absorbed even the heaviest downpours. Sponge soil is beneficial both in times of drought and heavy rainfall.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><div class=\"whads-insightimage-gblock\" data-image-type=\"small\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"623\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wearewater.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Rotonda.jpg\" class=\"whads-insightimage-gblock__image\" alt=\"We Are Water image\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wearewater.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Rotonda.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/www.wearewater.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Rotonda-300x130.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wearewater.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Rotonda-1024x443.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.wearewater.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Rotonda-768x332.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.wearewater.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Rotonda-400x173.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.wearewater.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Rotonda-600x260.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1440px) 100vw, 1440px\" \/><div class=\"whads-insightimage-gblock__caption\"><p><strong>Roundabout Elisabeth Eidenbenz in Esplugues de Llobregat (Barcelona): <\/strong>A space once dedicated to cars is transformed into a rainwater management zone that enhances biodiversity. \u00a9 Batlleiroig<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"whads-insighttext-gblock\"><div class=\"whads-insighttext-gblock__heading__col\"><\/div><div class=\"whads-insighttext-gblock__text__col\"><p>Soil&#8217;s relationship with water is one of the major challenges of global urban planning. Today, concrete and asphalt cover nearly 4% of the Earth\u2014some 4.5 million km\u00b2 that once included forests, fields, rivers, and lakes. <em>&#8220;Cities cover over ancient watercourses,&#8221;<\/em> Batlle notes, a fact urban planners must recognize and communicate to both citizens and policymakers.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"whads-insighttext-gblock\"><div class=\"whads-insighttext-gblock__heading__col\"><h2 class=\"whads-insighttext-gblock__heading\">Water Reuse: At What Scale?<\/h2><\/div><div class=\"whads-insighttext-gblock__text__col\"><p>The architect emphasized that this water-conscious approach must extend to buildings: <em>&#8220;Rooftops can collect rainwater and greywater can be treated. This can reduce water consumption to just 20% of the norm.&#8221;<\/em> Efficiency also matters\u2014he noted that toilet tanks have gone from consuming 19 litres per flush 40 years ago to just 3\u20134 litres today.<\/p>\n<p>Turning buildings into micro water treatment plants, however, raises a question of scale: Should this approach be implemented at the individual, building, block, or neighbourhood level? Governance is key. We must avoid placing the burden entirely on citizens with difficult-to-implement regulations: <em>&#8220;We can&#8217;t expect everyone to do it individually. It might work at the block level, but getting neighbors to agree is tough. Perhaps neighborhood organizations could manage rooftop water and recycling systems. We must act at all scales. But municipalities also need to be consistent\u2014don&#8217;t ask too much of citizens without acting accordingly at the city level.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"whads-insighttext-gblock\"><div class=\"whads-insighttext-gblock__heading__col\"><h2 class=\"whads-insighttext-gblock__heading\">Climate Change Challenges Urbanism and Demands New Tools  <\/h2><\/div><div class=\"whads-insighttext-gblock__text__col\"><p>B\u00e1rbara Pons also highlighted the need to prioritise vegetation, noting the damage caused by the recent drought in Spain, during which over 8,000 trees died in Barcelona due to a municipal watering ban. She stressed the importance of regulating groundwater and recycled water to protect urban vegetation\u2014the city&#8217;s most valuable natural asset.<\/p>\n<p>She also warned of the fast-changing Mediterranean climate: <em>&#8220;Climatologists say northern Mediterranean areas will soon resemble southern ones. In a few years, Barcelona&#8217;s climate is expected to resemble M\u00e1laga&#8217;s. The Mediterranean is warming 20% faster than the world&#8217;s other seas. Northern coastal cities must look to southern traditions and solutions.<\/em>&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Pons cited the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wearewater.org\/en-in\/insights\/flooding-exposure-is-also-anthropogenic\/\">October 2023 DANA<\/a> storm disaster in Valencia as proof that current planning tools are outdated: <em>&#8220;The affected area had been developed according to the legal standards of the time, but those standards failed. We need new cartography and to combine technology with new tools to update our data\u2014always with water as a top priority. We must understand that DANAs will become more frequent.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"whads-insighttext-gblock\"><div class=\"whads-insighttext-gblock__heading__col\"><h2 class=\"whads-insighttext-gblock__heading\">Industrial Rivers: Visible Proof That Change Is Possible<\/h2><\/div><div class=\"whads-insighttext-gblock__text__col\"><p>Despite the challenges, the environmental urbanism agenda is delivering results. Pons pointed to the regeneration of the urban stretch of the Bes\u00f2s River\u2014once one of the most polluted rivers in Europe: &#8220;<em>Around 2000, the waterways were cleaned up, and today it&#8217;s the backbone of a metropolitan park with eels and otters\u2014species that only live in clean waters.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Both experts emphasized the importance of making water and its recovery visible. Martha Thorne emphasised the importance of public trust in the feasibility of these changes to ensure long-term engagement. Enric Batlle added that once citizens see the projects, they understand them: <em>&#8220;Until now, our approach to water in cities has been one of our worst failures. We must get used to new models\u2014for beaches, streets, and more. Once they become visible, we realize other kinds of urban spaces are possible.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><div class=\"whads-insightimage-gblock\" data-image-type=\"small\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wearewater.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Team.jpg\" class=\"whads-insightimage-gblock__image\" alt=\"We Are Water image\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wearewater.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Team.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/www.wearewater.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Team-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wearewater.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Team-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.wearewater.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Team-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.wearewater.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Team-400x225.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.wearewater.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Team-600x338.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1440px) 100vw, 1440px\" \/><div class=\"whads-insightimage-gblock__caption\"><p>Dos expertos en la introducci\u00f3n del agua en los planes urban\u00edsticos protagonizaron el primer debate: <strong>B\u00e1rbara Pons<\/strong>, directora general de <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bcnregional.com\/?lang=es\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Barcelona Regional<\/a>, y <strong>Enric Batlle<\/strong>, cofundador de <a href=\"https:\/\/www.batlleiroig.com\/es\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Batlle i Roig<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"whads-insighttext-gblock\"><div class=\"whads-insighttext-gblock__heading__col\"><\/div><div class=\"whads-insighttext-gblock__text__col\"><p>This new approach to urbanism is crucial to achieving SDG 11, making cities\u2014where 80% of the global population is expected to live by 2035\u2014more inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wearewater.org\/en-in\/insights\/water-will-save-our-cities\/\">Water is the key<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"featured_media":41179,"template":"","categories":[139,104],"class_list":["post-41189","waw_insight","type-waw_insight","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-smart-water-en-in","category-sustainable-development-en-in"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Putting Water at the Center. 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