Petra Storjohann

Leibniz Institute for the German Language
Member of: WG2, WG3

FEATURED NEOLOGISM:

German Schwammstadt. It is a direct loan translation of English sponge city. Although it refers to a new urban planning model that focuses on water management by strengthening green infrastructures instead of using drainage systems, it triggers many more associations. So far I collected the following associations:

  1. city that has a map that looks like a sponge
  2. city that fills up with people like a sponge does with water
  3. city that cannot be described clearly as it occurs to be a bit blurred or watery on a picture
  4. city that is built on water
  5. underwater city that has loads of sponges