THE FUTURE OF URBAN PLANNING WITH MEA WATER MANAGEMENT

A sponge city is an urban concept that aims to manage rainwater efficiently and sustainably by diverting it from sealed surfaces, filtering it and allowing it to seep away directly on site if possible. This helps to prevent flooding, improve water quality and regulate the urban climate. For the city of the future, this means that rainwater is considered a valuable resource that helps to irrigate green spaces, store moisture and positively influence the microclimate.

MEA’s systems offer various solutions that support the sponge city concept:

1. MEASTORM: This system is specialized for large-scale stormwater management and plays a key role in the retention and controlled discharge of stormwater. MEASTORM helps to buffer the volumes of water that arise during heavy rainfall and supports infiltration or targeted discharge of the water, thus avoiding overloading of the urban sewer network.
2. MEAKERB: An innovative 2-in-1 system, MEAKERB combines curb and drainage in one. The system captures water directly at roadsides and sidewalks and efficiently channels it into the sewer system or to infiltration systems. This combination not only saves space, but also ensures fast and direct drainage.
3. MEACLEAN PRO and MEACLEAN TREE: These systems clean rainwater before it is discharged into the environment. MEACLEAN PRO filters pollutants and impurities out of the wastewater, improving the quality of the infiltrated water and reducing the environmental impact. MEACLEAN TREE integrates perfectly into urban green spaces and supplies trees with filtered rainwater, which promotes their health and growth and makes urban green spaces more resilient.
4. MEADRAIN S and MEARIN PLUS/EXPERT: These drainage systems offer flexible and high-performance solutions for draining water from roads, parking lots and public spaces. MEADRAIN S polymer concrete drainage channels are designed for particularly demanding surfaces, while MEARIN PLUS and EXPERT are made of fiberglass composite material that is highly durable and long-lasting. The systems quickly and reliably drain rainwater, reduce surface sealing and support the controlled discharge or infiltration of water in the urban landscape.

Together, these systems form an extensive network that supports the sponge city by both capturing and filtering water, storing it, and returning it to the natural cycle in a controlled manner. The combination of water management and water purification is essential to making urban areas more resilient and sustainable and to integrating nature into the city. In doing so, they create the basis for a greener and more livable city of the future.