Exhibition

Water, Land & The City: Towards a Sponge Cambridge

Cambridge is more than its historic centre: it sits at the edge of the Fens, shaped by river valleys, chalk streams, and a long history of drainage and cultivation. This iterative exhibition explores our relationship with water and how we might move from controlling water to living with it.

Drawing on the idea of 'Sponge City, the exhibition brings together international examples and practices alongside local rain garden and climate resilient projects across Cambridge. We also invite you to revisit our display of 'Maps of Cambridge' by local school children, which offers a different way of seeing the city, water, and the land.

With today's Cambridge facing a dual challenge of flooding and water scarcity, this exhibition invites a reimagination of our relationship with water and the possibility of a more climate resilient, sponge-like Cambridge.

We thank the following individuals and organisations for their generous support and materials: Turenscape, Water Sensitive Cambridge & Clara Todd, LDA design & JJ Waters, Teasels Design & Daniel Lee, City of Cophenhagen (Kobenhavns Kommune), SLA, Wysing Arts (Creative Youth Council), and Yu Wence (Turenscape).