New York City has completed a two-court basketball facility in Queens that doubles as a recreational space during dry weather and a flood-control system capable of temporarily storing stormwater during heavy rainfall.
Completed in early 2025, South Jamaica Water Square was built below the surrounding ground level, allowing it to collect runoff from nearby roofs, roads and paved surfaces. Underground pipes channel the water into storage areas beneath the courts and planted bioretention zones.
The system can hold about 44,600 cubic feet of stormwater, or roughly 334,000 gallons. The project was initially estimated at $5 million, but its reported final cost reached about $6 million, with the facility expected to manage up to 3.5 million gallons of stormwater annually.
In the Philippines, where flooding is a persistent problem, basketball courts are commonplace but are rarely designed specifically for flood control. Still, several public spaces across the country have incorporated similar flood-mitigation features.
The Quezon Memorial Circle Open Field, for instance, includes a retention pond, detention tank and basin with a combined capacity of about 1,119.5 cubic meters of rainwater. Quezon City also operates a lagoon beside City Hall that can hold approximately 13,050 cubic meters.
Two covered basketball courts in Barangay Santa Monica and Tandang Sora were likewise built above detention basins. The facilities can temporarily hold 1,700 and 1,256 cubic meters of water, respectively, while continuing to serve as venues for sports and community activities.
The privately developed Vertis North Rain Garden in Quezon City also combines flood mitigation with public recreation. Its planted infiltration strips and detention pond collect runoff during heavy rains, while the area serves as a space for exercise, recreation and community activities during normal weather.
In Bonifacio Global City, Burgos Circle and Burgos Park were constructed above an underground retarding basin capable of holding about 22,000 cubic meters of floodwater. The system temporarily stores excess water before releasing it toward nearby creeks once rainfall subsides.
The Iloilo River Esplanade, meanwhile, occupies a former dike road originally built for flood protection. The riverbank structure was later transformed into a public linear park featuring pedestrian paths, cycling areas and landscaped spaces.
A similar project is also being planned for Rizal Park in Manila. The government intends to build three underground detention basins beneath portions of Luneta in 2027 while keeping the surface available for public use.
