Kongjian Yu Killed in Brazil Plane Crash

Chinese architect and Peking University professor Kongjian Yu, 62, died in a plane crash Tuesday in Brazil’s Pantanal wetlands in Mato Grosso do Sul, along with pilot Marcelo Pereira de Barros and filmmakers Luiz Fernando Feres da Cunha Ferraz and Rubens Crispim Jr. The single-engine aircraft went down while attempting to land at a ranch about 100 km from Aquidauana; firefighters responded and officials said there was no immediate information on the cause. Yu founded Turenscape and the College of Architecture and Landscape at Peking University and was a global leader of the “sponge city” concept—nature-based urban design to retain water and bolster climate resilience. He and the filmmakers were reportedly working on a documentary, Planeta Esponja, about his work and the Pantanal’s ecology. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Vice President Geraldo Alckmin expressed sorrow and praised his contributions to climate-resilient urbanism, biodiversity protection and sustainable design. Local authorities are investigating the crash while Yu’s work and influence on sustainable urban planning continue to be recognized worldwide.