Editorial | Asia’s green revolution owes heavy debt to Yu Kongjian
The architect, who died in a plane crash in Brazil, was the driving force behind ‘sponge cities’ that have been embraced across the globe
In a career spanning almost three decades, the father of “sponge cities” rebelled against an over-reliance on steel and concrete buildings, skyscrapers and other infrastructure erected in modern cities across Asia that are ill-suited to their wet climate.
Cities need to be integrated with urban ponds and green zones, revitalised wetlands and green roofs. These absorb rain and reduce run-off. Gardens and bioswales filter and store excess water. Instead of concrete and asphalt, more permeable pavements let water seep into the ground. Also, sponge cities restore biodiversity to urban life.
In 2012, a devastating flood hit Beijing, killing 77 people. Soon after, the central government adopted Yu’s ideas as national policy, going on to implement them in hundreds of places across China. Many cities across the globe have referenced and consulted his ecological agenda in their own urban planning.
The son of a farmer, Yu grew up with an intuitive sense of the dynamics of watering and drainage. He was also inspired by traditional Chinese landscaping and architecture.
Ancient China didn’t have concrete pipes or underground tunnels. Instead, builders relied on natural solutions, with gardens that absorb water, inclined roofs that ease rain into permeable pavement and exterior walls lined with flowers and trees to absorb stormwater.