Interviews and Coverage

Note: Selection criteria include: international mainstream media or top industry publications (e.g., The Guardian, BBC, ASLA, ArchDaily, Landscape Architecture Magazine); domestic central-level and key media outlets (e.g., People's Daily, Xinhua News Agency, CCTV, Guangming Daily, authoritative publications of the Architectural Society of China); significant interviews, features, or award coverage with high academic dissemination or policy influence.

Ø 2025

CNN｜Why Concrete Might Be Doing More Harm Than Good in the Fight Against Flood Risks，2025-08-15。

Los Angeles Times｜Should L.A. Look to 'Sponge Cities' to Solve Its Flooding Problem？2025-08-11。

Forbes｜Meet The Landscape ArchitectBehind China's Sponge Cities，2025-09-19。

Globo（Brazilian Mainstream Media）｜Chinese Architect Turns Floods into Solutions with 'Sponge City' Concept，2025-09-01。

CCTV.com | "Beautiful China" Highlights Xinjiang Ecological Corridor，2025-07-31。

The Dirt｜Kongjian Yu: Water Is Key to Climate Action，2025-02-11。

Archinect News｜Sponge city concept mitigates flood risk atTurenscape's Huaiyang Fuxi Cultural Park，2025-07-21。

CGTN｜Extreme Weather: Global Solutions for Floods, Heatwaves & Drought，2025-08-11。

Global Voices｜Soaking up the Storm: Sponge Citiesand the Future of Flood-ResilientSoutheast Asia，2025-09-23。

Ø 2024

BBC | Should London Become a “Sponge City”？2024-05-22。

BBC | Can Bringing Back Nature Save Our Cities from Floods？2024-08-24。

BBC | How Asia's 5,000-year-old Rice Terraces are Inspiring Modern Flood Control, 2024-08-07

CNN | Why Turning Cities into‘Sponges’ Could Help Fight Flooding，2024-08-15。

Architectural Record | “Landscape Is Survival”，2024-08-07。

The Architectural Review | City lungs: Benjakitti Park in Bangkok, Thailand by Arsomsilp Community and Environmental Architect with Turenscape，2024-07-04。

The Architect’s Newspaper | On the Road to Sponge Planet，2024-11-06。

Dezeen | Turenscape Transforms Concrete Sea Wall into "Resilient Public Space"，2024-11-08。

AZURE | 11 Inspiring Reflections from Azure’s Human/Nature Conference，2024-11-07。

Peking University News Network | Yu Kongjian Delivers Keynote Speech on Innovative Flood Management Approaches at the U.S. National Academy of Sciences，2024-11-18。

The Seattle Times | Urban Solutions to “Stop Fighting Water，2024-04-03。

Público (Portugal) | Urban Sponge Concepts Can Address Both Flooding and Drought，2024-06-12。

LA NACIÓN (Argentina) | “What Does a Sponge City Look Like？”，2024-05-29。

Arab News | Like the Desert Needs Rain — How to Be Friends with Floods，2024-05-27。

GEO (France) | China’s Landscape Becomes a Global Model of Sustainability，2024-05-27。

UOL (Brazil) | Sponge Cities: A Solution for Flood Prevention，2024-07-08。

People’s Daily | Team Project Wins Global Grohe Water Award，2024-09-26。

BBC (Headlines) | China’s “Sponge Cities” Offer a Way Out for Brazil’s Floods，2024-05-22。

House & Home (Canada) | “The Future of Cities Lies in Sponge Cities”，2024-10-10。

ArchDaily | UIA 2030 Sustainable Architecture Award Winners Announced，2024-11-18。

Ø 2023

CNN | Urban Design Should Embrace Water and Coexist with It，2023-03-30。

World Health Organization (WHO) | Sponge Cities Promote Human Health，2023-02-08。

Architectural Record | Landscape Architect Yu Kongjian, a Pioneer of the “Sponge City” Concept, Wins the 2023 Oberland Prize，2023-11-20。

Dezeen | Yu Kongjian Wins 2023 Oberland Prize，2023-10-19。

ArchDaily | Yu Kongjian, Pioneer of the “Sponge City” Concept, Wins 2023 Oberland Prize，2023-10-20。

Harvard GSD | Yu Kongjian Wins the 2023 Cornelia Hahn Oberland International Landscape Architecture Award，2023-10-23。

Fast Company | This Landscape Architect Turns Cities into Sponges，2023-10-18。

ASLA | Yu Kongjian Wins the 2023 Oberland International Landscape Architecture Award，2023-11-03。

UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) | China’s Sponge City Initiative Wins International Award，2023-11-24。

The Paper | Exclusive Interview | Yu Kongjian: Building a “New Utopia” in the City，2023-11-06。

Ø 2022

BBC | How the “most sponge-like” cities cope with flooding，2022-08-24。

Euronews | What is a sponge city？2022-10-31。

World Economic Forum (WEF) | Six ways to tackle rising sea levels，2022-08-23。

Reference News | AP Report on China’s Advancement of Sponge Cities，2022-11-18。

News Investigation (CCTV) | “A Decade of Sponge Cities“，2022-09-05。

Focus Interview (CCTV) | “Ecological Conservation and Restoration: The Chinese Solution，2022-05-19。

ASLA (American Society of Landscape Architects) | “Olmsted’s Ideas in the Era of Global Urbanization”，2022-09-22。

POST | Analysis of China’s Sponge City Pilot Projects，2022-07-09。

Ø 2021

BBC | “To Combat Climate Change, He Turned Cities into Sponges”，2021-11-18。

Fast Company | “The World’s Top 10 Innovative Design Firms”，2021-11-04。

French Media | China’s “Sponge Cities” Are a “Revolutionary Reimagining” to Prevent Flooding，2021-11-17。

Beijing Daily | Healing the Earth—Wisdom from China，2021-07-15。

Peking University News | Professor Yu Kongjian Wins the “Kobbe Common Good Award,” the World’s Highest Honor in Ecological Civilization，2021-05-31。

Green China | Professor Yu Kongjian Wins the “Cobb Common Good Award,” the World’s Highest Honor in the Field of Ecological Civilization，2021-06-01。

Studing Qiangguo | Handan, Hebei — “Clear Channels Like This” Purify Source Water Quality and Ensure Ecological Circulation，2021-11-19。

Ø 2020

People's Daily Online | Exclusive Interview: Building Sponge Cities Requires Moving Beyond an Engineering-Centric Approach，2020-07-28。

Xinhua News Agency | How to Prevent and Control Urban Flooding During Heavy Rainstorms？2020-07-09。

People’s Daily Overseas Edition | “A Mission on Our Shoulders, Working Day and Night“，2020-02-01。

The U.S. National Academy of Sciences Releases Report on “Progress in U.S.-China Sustainable Urban Research”; Nature-Based Solutions and Sponge City Research Findings Draw Attention，2020-06-15。

Peking University: Peking University Professor Yu Kongjian Wins the 2020 Sir Geoffrey Jericho Award，2020-10-10。

China National Radio: 2020 OCT Planning and Design Alliance Conference Held; Yu Kongjian Delivers Keynote Speech，2020-12-08。

Ø 2019

Scientific American | Sponge Cities: A New Generation of Stormwater Management，2019-01-02。

Southern Weekly | Yu Kongjian: If We Can’t Build the Best Cities, Let’s at Least Avoid Building the Worst Ones，2019-03-06。

Architectural Archives | Yu Kongjian: A Revolution in the Aesthetics of the Urban Landscape，2019-04-18。

Architectural Archives | Dialogue with Yu Kongjian: Poetic Dwelling, The Origins of My Ideal Landscape，2019-04-17。

World Economic Forum | Report on Yu Kongjian’s Academic Achievements Regarding “Sponge Cities“，2019-09-09。

People’s Daily Online | Haidian District, Beijing Honors Leaders in Zhongguancun’s Cultural Industry; Yu Kongjian Named One of the “Top Ten Leaders”，2019-12-20。

Norwegian University of Life Sciences | Yu Kongjian Awarded Honorary Doctorate，2019-09-23。

Peking University News | Peking University’s Research on National Land Ecological Security Patterns Selected as One of the “Landmark Achievements in Global Ecological Planning Over the Past 50 Years”，2019-06-10。

Ø 2018

The Guardian | Turning cities into sponges: how Chinese ancient wisdom is tackling climate change，2018-08-17。

Landscape Architecture Magazine (LAM) | Feature: Seattle’s Qingxi Park—Terramo Design Defines the Future of an Historic American Neighborhood，2018-11-30。

Foreground | China’s Urban Groundwater Levels Are Plummeting—Can Yu Kongjian’s “Sponge City” Concept Prevent a Disaster？2018-03-01。

Singapore CUBES | Interview: Creating Sponge Cities，2018-09-05。

Reference News | British Media: Ancient Chinese Wisdom Inspires “Sponge Cities” to Be Friends with Water，2018-03-26。

People’s Daily | Haikou: Wetlands Enter the City (Beautiful China · Harmonious Coexistence),，2018-05-28。

Ø 2017

American Academy of Arts and Sciences | Grand Ceremony for the Induction of New Fellows; Professor Yu Kongjian Invited to Deliver a Speech，2017-01-20。

Professor Yu Kongjian Awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Rome，2017-04-07

Technical University of Munich | Interview with Yu Kongjian: Landscape Experience is the Source of Design，2017-05-05。

UED “Urban Environment Design” | Yu Kongjian: The Profound Form of a Beautiful China | The Vine City，2017-02-28。

Ø 2016

The American Academy of Arts and Sciences Holds a Grand Ceremony to Induct New Members; Professor Yu Kongjian Delivers an Invited Speech , 2016-10-13

Phoenix Satellite Television | Yu Kongjian: Restoring China’s Beautiful Mountains and Rivers Through “Sponge-Style” Ecological Water Management,2016-09-26。

gooood Interview Series | Issue 12: Yu Kongjian, 2016-11-07。

Xinhua News | Haikou Research Advances Sponge City Construction and Ecological Restoration with the “Big Foot Revolution” Concept，2016-12-30。

People's Daily Online | Building Sponge Cities Is Not a Simple, Brutal Engineering Project，2016-05-30。

China Construction News | Yu Kongjian—Pioneer of Sponge Cities，2016-05-30。

People’s Daily | Letting Wild Grass Grow in the City Is the True Essence of a Livable City，2016-05-19。

The Daily Telegraph (UK) | Who Is Today’s “Mr. Brown”，2016-05-03。

ArchDaily | Yu Kongjian Selected as Judge for the 2016 World Architecture Festival，2016-04-26。

Canadian Media | Can Major Cities Learn from the Sponge City Concept and the Practices of China Turen？2016-04-08。

Xinhua News | Anatomy of Sanya’s “Dual Restoration” Model: The “Big Foot Revolution” Creates a New Utopian City，2016-12-12。

Ø 2015

Forbes Magazine | Kongjian Yu: Bringing the Wisdom of Chinese Farmers to the International Design Stage，2015-12-07。

Professor Kongjian Yu Elected Vice Chair of the Technical Advisory Committee on Sponge City Construction under the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development，2015- 09-24。

The Atlantic | Why China Is Building “Sponge Cities”，2015-11-25。

a+a Architecture Knowledge | In the Name of the Land — An Exclusive Interview with Yu Kongjian, Chief Designer of Turenscape，2015-10-23。

ASLA The Dirt | Kongjian Yu: China’s Olmsted，2015-05-11。

MIND Magazine | Kongjian Yu: Aesthetic Revival Requires Advocating “Big-Foot Aesthetics”，2015-02-11。

Xinmin Evening News | “Sponge Cities” Still Need Art to Lend a Hand，2015-07-23。

China Youth Daily | Competing with Concrete Cities for Shade，2015-07-13。

China Construction News | Architects Reflect on the Merits and Demerits of Architectural Design from a Professional Perspective，2015-07-09。

Architectural Craft | The Big-Foot Revolution—Eco-Cities and a Beautiful China，2015-03-13。

Ø 2014

Southern Weekly : Weeds Make Cities More Beautiful —— 2014-12-30

Global Entrepreneur : Yu Kongjian — Principles of Natural Aesthetics —— 2014-12-31

GSA (Global Schindler Award): An Exclusive Interview with Professor Yu Kongjian —— 2014-12-31

Topos : Yu Kongjian’s Landscapes —— 2014-06-09

People’s Daily Online: Turen Design’s Yanweizhou Park Officially Opens on May 21—— 2014-05-20

Ø 2013

Chongqing Evening News : Yu Kongjian—Build More Wetland Parks to Cure Urban Flooding —— 2013-09-15

Beijing Evening News : Yu Kongjian: The Urban System Is Sick; Flooding and Heat Waves Are Merely Symptoms —— 2013-08-20

China Radio Network : The “Big Foot” Revolution Will Become the Direction of Ideological Reform in the New Era —— 2013-07-21

Zhongguancun: Yu Kongjian — The Revolution of Landscape —— 2013-05-13

Landscape Architecture Magazine (U.S.) : China’s Good Fortune —— 2013-05-08

China Science Daily : Yu Kongjian: Poetic Dwelling —— 2013-03-22

Peking University News Network : Yu Kongjian: Rebuilding the Authentic Relationship Between People and the Land —— 2013-05-13

Ø 2009

China Environmental News : Yu Kongjian, Dean of the Institute of Landscape Architecture at Peking University: I Love This Land —— 2009-01-19

Amazon Book Review : Review of Back to the Land —— 2009-08-25

Wen Wei Po : Yu Kongjian — We Need a “Revolution of the Barefoot” —— 2009-11-25

Ø 2008

Xinhua News Agency | Report on the Selection of the “New Seven Wonders of the World” (Including the “Red Ribbon”)，2008-03-28。

People’s Daily Online | “Red Ribbon” Ecological Landscape Selected as One of the “New Seven Wonders of the World”，2008-04-07。

Beijing Evening News | “China’s ‘Red Ribbon’ Gains Popularity in the U.S. / Selected as One of the New Seven Wonders”，2008-03-28、04-11。

China Green Times | “Red Ribbon” Selected as One of the New Seven Wonders of the World，2008-04-01。

Ø 2007

Domus：A Conversation with Yu Kongjian —— 2007-01-16

South Korean architecture magazine C3 : Features the Zhejiang Yongning Park project —— 2007-04-13

Science Times : Qinhuangdao’s Resource-Conserving Urban Green Space Wins ASLA Award —— 2007-05-14

Xinhua Net : China’s “Resource-Conserving Landscape” Wins U.S. Landscape Architecture Award —— 2007-04-12

China Construction News : What Does Qinhuangdao’s “Red Ribbon” Signify? —— 2007-04-12

Science and Technology Daily : China’s Resource-Conserving Urban Green Space Design Wins Award in the U.S. —— 2007-04-14

China Environment News : “Red Ribbon” Amidst the Greenery Wins Top Prize —— 2007-04-19

Urban Environmental Design : Yu Kongjian Discusses Industrial Heritage —— 2007-11-02

Landscape China Exclusive Interview : Yu Kongjian Leads Chinese Landscape Architecture Toward the International Stage —— 2007-04-17

Beijing Science and Technology News : Is the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal Dying? —— 2007-11-07

Ø 2006

Report on “Anti-Planning” at the University of Toronto's “Chinese Cities and Architecture Exhibition” —— 2006-11-12

Time Magazine's Exclusive Interview with Yu Kongjian: The Power of Nature —— 2006-04-07

China News Network: Experts Call on the State Council to Establish a Dedicated Agency to Oversee the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal’s World Heritage Nomination—— 2006-03-29

Ø 2005

CCTV-9 Focus on People : Exclusive Interview with Professor Yu Kongjian —— 2005-01-12

ASLA Official Website: Report on Taizhou’s “Anti-Planning” Project Winning the Planning Honor Award—— 2005-09-14

Chinese Landscape Architecture: Launches "Turenscape Column," Features Turenscape Works on Cover —— 2005-05-23

The National Art Museum of China Acquires Zhongshan Qijiang Park Artwork —— 2005-06-21

Ø 2004

China Real Estate Market: Yu Kongjian — Nurturing the Relationship Between People and Nature —— 2004-10-21

China Youth Daily: Yu Kongjian Criticizes CCTV’s New Headquarters as a “Waste of Money” and Advocates a Return to Nature —— 2004-10-23

Shenzhen Commercial News: Yu Kongjian Discusses Ethnic Identity and the Crisis in the Relationship Between People and Place —— 2004-09-25

Ø 2003

China Construction News: “The Path to Urban Landscapes: Conversations with Mayors” Published —— 2003-02-12