Hailong presents a touching tribute to his professor, colleague, and friend, the late Kongjian Yu. Recounting how they first met when Hailong was a student in urban planning and design, a lecture from Yu about water systems—the beginning of his burgeoning “sponge cities” concept—inspired Hailong to change his course of study to landscape architecture. As one of Yu’s PhD students, the two worked closely together for several years, and their academic relationship gradually evolved into a lasting friendship. Hailong remembers Yu for his dedication to his work and his rigorousness as a professor, but also for his joy, insightful encouragement, and support, and hopes that legacy continues to inspire generations to come.
The Cultural Landscape Foundation’s (TCLF) three-day Oberlander Prize Forum Soak it Up: Los Angeles, CA in December 2025 was inspired by the global champion of the “sponge cities” concept for addressing urban flooding, Chinese landscape architect Kongjian Yu, winner of the 2023 Cornelia Hahn Oberlander International Landscape Architecture Prize. The conference featured twenty leading landscape architects, including 2025 Oberlander Prize winner, Mexico City-based Mario Schjetnan, academics, and critics from Los Angeles and beyond, addressing landscape architecture’s leadership in managing the Los Angeles River, urban flooding, and drought in Southern California. The event, held at the Bovard Auditorium at the University of Southern California (USC), was curated by Professor Alison Hirsch, PhD, of the USC School of Architecture, and Charles A. Birnbaum, TCLF’s Founding President and CEO. Kongjian Yu was to have been a featured speaker, but following his tragic death on September 23, 2025, Soak it Up became a memorial to him and his revolutionary work.
To learn more, please visit: https://www.tclf.org/inspiring-soak-it-los-angeles-ca-conference-events-honor-late-oberlander-prize-winner-kongjian-yu.
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