International Sponge City Days
The International Sponge City Days 2026 will bring together leading experts from around the world on March 19 and 20 at the ZHAW Grüental campus in Wädenswil. The aim of the two-day event is to exchange ideas on sustainable, climate-adapted urban development - with a focus on sponge city principles. Global best-practice examples from Australia, Asia and Europe will meet local implementation experiences in Switzerland. The conference program is aimed at experts from planning, science, politics and administration as well as anyone interested in resilient cities and innovative water strategies.
- Date: Thursday 19 and Friday 20 March 2026 (registration deadline: 9 March 2026)
- Venue: Hybrid, ZHAW Wädenswil, Building GA, Grüentalstrasse 14, 8820 Wädenswil
- Language: English (on-site with German translation)
- Getting there: We recommend arriving by public transport, as there are no free parking spaces available on the Grüental campus. Conference participants may park at the the “Gerenau” car park (Schönenbergstrasse 189, Wädenswil). From there, free shuttle buses run to the ZHAW-Campus.
- Fees: Conference rate CHF 240.00 per day | Online conference rate CHF 150.00 per day | Students or apprentices CHF 190.00 per day
- Included: Catering and campus tours (on-site only)
- Cancellation: Cancellations are possible up to 14 calendar days before the event without incurring any cancellation fees. If you cancel after this date or fail to attend, the conference fee will be charged in full or will not be refunded.
- Payment methods: PostFinance Card, TWINT, Visa, Mastercard
- Conference program flyer: upcoming soon
- Contact: fachtagung.lsfm@zhaw.ch
Conference focus
The International Sponge City Days 2026 will dedicate two days to the future-oriented design of climate-resilient cities. The first day will focus on international best practice examples: experts from Australia, China and Europe will present concrete implementations and lighthouse projects of the sponge city principles. Complemented by local perspectives from Switzerland, a dialog between global expertise and regional application will be created.
On the second day, the focus will be on scientific principles and integrated planning approaches. Topics such as multicoded urban development and research findings on the effectiveness of blue-green infrastructures will provide space for in-depth discussions and networking between practice, research and politics.