Famed ‘Sponge Cities’ Chinese Architect Dead in Brazil Plane Crash

File image of Yu Kongjian, dean of the College of Architecture and Landscape of Peking University, who died in a plane crash in Brazil on September 24, 2025.

Chinese landscape architect Yu Kongjian, known for his so-called nature-mimicking “sponge cities,” has died in a small plane crash in Brazil with two filmmakers documenting his work, police said Wednesday.

The 62-year-old was considered a leading figure in sustainable urban planning; his “sponge cities” replace concrete surfaces with natural features that better absorb water in flood situations.

  • Get a daily email packed with the latest news and analysis from Africa, Asia, and across the Global South.
  • Read exclusive insights on the key trends shaping China’s relations across the Global South.
  • Full access to the News Feed that provides daily updates on Chinese engagement in the Global South.

China, Africa and the Global South... find out what’s happening.

Subscribe today for unlimited access.

OR

Already a subscriber? Log in Click Here to Learn More
by Agence France-Presse

Most Read

1
Developing Countries’ Debt Servicing Costs to China Are Significant, but Nowhere Near as Much as Other Creditors
2
Uncertainty Roils Minerals Markets
3 Chinese Scholars See Russia’s Venezuela Strategy as a Model of Hybrid Power Projection in the U.S.’ Backyard
4 From J-10C to Kaan? Indonesia’s Fighter Jet Deal With Turkey Shocks Chinese Military Fans
5 Chinese Military Fans Discuss Why Indonesia Bought Rafale Instead of J-10C
6
Indonesia Goes Nuclear, Taps China and Russia for Modular Reactors

You Might Like

China Now the Top Destination for African Students, Says New Report

China is surging ahead of France, the United States and the United Kingdom to become the top destination for African students seeking to study abroad, according to new data from ...

The U.S. and Europe May No Longer Want Confucius Institutes, But That is Not the Case in Africa

The Chinese language and cultural centers known as Confucius Institutes long fell out of favor in the United States and Europe, where critics accused the Chinese government-backed initiative of being ...

Check This Out… Shaolin Kung Fu in Zambia

The Shaolin Cultural Center in the Zambian capital Lusaka recently held an event to show off the talents of some of their incredible students, both kids and adults, who’ve become masters of this ancient ...

Lula’s Victory Expected to Boost China-Brazil Ties

Chinese President Xi Jinping was quick to send his congratulations on Monday to Luis Inacio Lula da Silva on his re-election as president of Brazil. The Foreign Ministry in Beijing was equally ...

What is The China-Global South Project?

Independent

The China-Global South Project is passionately independent, non-partisan and does not advocate for any country, company or culture.

News

A carefully curated selection of the day’s most important China-Global South stories. Updated 24 hours a day by human editors. No bots, no algorithms.

Analysis

Diverse, often unconventional insights from scholars, analysts, journalists and a variety of stakeholders in the China-Global South discourse.

Networking

A unique professional network of China-Africa scholars, analysts, journalists and other practioners from around the world.

More about CGSP