Chinese landscape architect Yu Kongjian died in a plane crash on Tuesday (Sept. 23) in the Brazilian wetlands of Mato Grosso do Sul state. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva sent his condolences, calling him "a global reference with the sponge cities which combine quality of life and environmental protection."
According to Xinhua, Brazilian authorities confirmed that Yu and three other people, the pilot and two local filmmakers, were killed when the aircraft they were travelling in crashed in a rural area near the town of Aquidauana, in the Pantanal wetlands.
Local media reported that Yu and his team were filming a documentary about Sponge City in the Pantanal wetlands at the time.
The vice-president of Brazil also posted on X that, "I received with sadness the news of the crash of an airplane in the Pantanal, which claimed the lives of Chinese architect and urbanist Kongjian Yu, filmmakers Luiz Fernando Feres da Cunha Ferraz and Rubens Crispim Jr. Professor Yu became renowned for creating the concept of 'sponge cities', with notable contributions to sustainable urbanism, the preservation of biodiversity, and the protection of the planet."
His legacy will continue to inspire all those dedicated to the ecological cause. "My deepest condolences to Yu's family and the Chinese people, as well as to the friends and relatives of the filmmakers and pilot Marcelo Pereira de Barros," the vice-president said.
According to Peking University, Yu was born on May 12, 1963, in Jinhua, Zhejiang province. He is the founding dean of the College of Architecture and Landscape Architecture at Peking University and a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He is renowned for proposing the "sponge city" concept, which has been applied in thousands of cases both domestically and internationally.
Professor Yu was selected for Forbes' "2025 Sustainability Leaders" list, which recognizes 50 individuals with global influence in climate action and green transformation, becoming the only Chinese scholar on the list, according to the news website of Peking University on Sept 18.
Related News:
Comment