Since being selected as a pilot city for the national Sponge City program in 2015, Liangjiang Yuelai New City has unveiled a slew of innovative technologies in unexpected places.

From smart pavements that utilize natural filtration methods to prevent runoff water, to rooftop gardens that cool buildings in the heat of summer, Liangjiang is becoming safer, cleaner and smarter.

A rainwater garden is built between the driveway and walkway to improve water quality and ensure the rainwater becomes available for plants as groundwater. These rain gardens are covered in every main street in the Liangjiang New Area, which can cut down on the amount of pollution reaching creeks and streams by up to 30 percent. [Photo/liangjiang.com.cn]

Rainwater gardens have been built between roads and pavements to improve water quality retain water during heavy downpours. The green verges distribute water in a zig-zag direction to ensure maximum absorption and reduce the amount of pollution reaching creeks and streams by up to 30 percent.

A rooftop garden installing at a newly-built residential district of the area can store 50 percent rainfalls. It can lower temperature in surrounding area by about 2.25 degree centigrade, which has great impacts on ease up the city’s heat island effect. [Photo/liangjiang.com.cn]

To help solve the stifling heat often experienced in inland China, rooftop gardens have been deployed around the city. The gardens use a mixture of moss, heather and shrubs to absorb up to 50 percent of rainwater and reduce temperatures in surrounding areas by 2.25 degrees.