New Publication - Roggero: Becoming Sponge City Berlin
Two opposing perspectives characterize research on urban climate experimentation: ‘planned scaling’ sees experiments as test beds to explore innovative solutions, which are subsequently institutionalized and scaled city-wide. ‘Permanent experimentation’, on the other hand, sees experiments as stand-alone, context-dependent instances of actual climate action, unlikely to be replicated elsewhere. The literature has addressed their relative merit in absolute terms, discussing which approach is superior in general. We hereby attempt to advance that discussion by relating that question to context: specifically, different combinations of heterogeneity and capacity calling for the one or the other approach. With reference to Berlin, Germany, and its attempt to become a sponge city, we tackle the question whether it is feasible to institutionalize current experimentation and do away with experiments (planned scaling), or whether instead the city is more likely to become a sponge city experiment by experiment (permanent experimentation). Interviews reveal a number of deep-seated, structural issues that put planned scaling out of reach. Becoming Sponge City Berlin will thus require permanent experimentation, with implications for the policy instruments currently in place.
Roggero, M. (2025). Becoming Sponge City Berlin: ‘planned scaling’ vs. ‘permanent experimentation.’ Journal of Environmental Policy & Planning, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/1523908X.2025.2497939