Dutch cities are rightly famous for their dual-purpose parks and playgrounds that double as flood protection, where what might be a basketball court most days becomes a temporary water retention pond during a big storm. Half a world away, Surat, India, along the Tapi River is similarly concerned about floods. But instead of basketball courts, the Gujarati city has devised temples surrounded by so-called water plazas. They will accommodate worshippers during normal periods, but transform into islands of Ganesha statues during heavy rains. In March 2019, flood management specialists from Rotterdam traveled to Surat to help conceptualize these one-of-a-kind water plazas, which are scheduled to be built this year.
Read more at Next City.