It is with immense sadness and shock that I write about the passing of the brilliant Professor Kongjian Yu who presented at the Australian Landscape Conference in 2023.  Professor Yu tragically died in a plane crash on 23 September 2025, while undertaking research in the Pantanal region of Brazil. He was 62.

Professor Yu’s was best known globally for his groundbreaking work, known as ‘Sponge Cities which uses an ecological approach to water management. Its philosophy is to retain and slow down water flow and, clean water using plants as filters.

Professor Yu was also a recipient of Doctor of Design at Harvard GSD, the Founding Dean of the College of Architecture and Landscape at Peking University, founder and design principle of Turenscape. His projects have won numerous international design awards including 14 ASLA Excellence and Honor Awards, 6 WAF Best Landscape of the Year Award and 5 times winner of the AZ Awards of the Best Landscape. He is a recipient of the Doctor Honoris Causa from Sapienza University of Rome and Honorary Doctorate from Norwegian University of Life Sciences. He was elected International Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Science and the 2020 IFLA Sir Geffrey Jellico Award receiver.

Professor Yu’s studio, Turenscape have graciously allowed me to reshare the recording of his presentation.  Their note says: ‘we are heartbroken and would like more and more people to know Professor Yu’s vision and spirit, which will continue to guide and inspire us.’  We send our condolences to his family, friends and colleagues. Watch the presentation recording here.