Yu Kongjian, pioneer of sponge cities, dies in Brazil plane crashCEFR B2
29 Sept 2025
Adapted from Global Voices Brazil, Global Voices • CC BY 3.0
Photo by Ian Talmacs, Unsplash
Yu Kongjian, 62, a Chinese landscape architect who pioneered the sponge city theory, died in a plane crash in the Pantanal, Brazil, on September 23, 2025. Three others also died: pilot Marcelo Pereira de Barros and filmmakers Luiz Fernando Feres da Cunha Ferraz and Rubens Crispim Jr. The group was making a documentary about sponge cities and the cause of the crash is under investigation. Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and the São Paulo International Architecture Biennale published condolences and praised Yu’s legacy.
Yu’s sponge city approach treats urban landscapes as infrastructure that can store and manage water, using techniques such as green roofs, rainwater storage and infiltration systems, sunken green spaces, permeable pavement, bioretention ponds and wetland revitalization. The idea became a national priority in China in 2013 after the 2012 floods that left 79 dead and tens of thousands displaced, and it was further promoted after 2018 under the concept of ecological civilization.
His work achieved international recognition, for example Qijiang Park in Zhongshan, Guangdong, a 2001 project that reused a former shipyard and won awards. However, his methods face practical limits: a sponge city project in Zhengzhou drew criticism after a severe 2021 flood that claimed 12 lives. Yu said reversing climate change is difficult — he rated his optimism 4 out of 10 — and he named water scarcity as the main challenge over the next 25 years.
Difficult words
- pioneer — to be first to develop or introducepioneered
- sponge city — an urban design that stores and manages rainwatersponge cities
- infrastructure — basic systems and structures for a city
- permeable pavement — surface that lets water pass through
- bioretention pond — shallow basin that collects and filters runoffbioretention ponds
- ecological civilization — policy idea linking environment and societal progress
- criticism — negative public reaction or disapproval
- scarcity — shortage or lack of a needed resourcewater scarcity
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Do you think the sponge city approach could work in your city? Why or why not?
- What are the risks and benefits of promoting a design idea after a disaster, based on the article?
- How should planners respond when a project gets public criticism after a severe event?
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