{"id":108308,"date":"2023-11-21T16:38:46","date_gmt":"2023-11-21T21:38:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/?p=108308"},"modified":"2023-11-29T09:56:01","modified_gmt":"2023-11-29T14:56:01","slug":"kongjian-yu-interview","status":"publish","type":"metro_viewpoint","link":"https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/viewpoints\/kongjian-yu-interview\/","title":{"rendered":"For Kongjian Yu, Landscape Architecture is the \u201cArt of Survival\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-sandow-article-header article-header\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-header\" style=\"object-fit:cover;object-position:50% 50%\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1704\" src=\"https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Sanya-Mangrove-Park-Sanya-Hainan-Province-China-2018.-Photo-\u00a9Turenscape-courtesy-The-Cultural-Landscape-Foundation-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Aerial view of a park\" class=\"wp-image-108309\" srcset=\"https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Sanya-Mangrove-Park-Sanya-Hainan-Province-China-2018.-Photo-\u00a9Turenscape-courtesy-The-Cultural-Landscape-Foundation-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Sanya-Mangrove-Park-Sanya-Hainan-Province-China-2018.-Photo-\u00a9Turenscape-courtesy-The-Cultural-Landscape-Foundation-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Sanya-Mangrove-Park-Sanya-Hainan-Province-China-2018.-Photo-\u00a9Turenscape-courtesy-The-Cultural-Landscape-Foundation-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Sanya-Mangrove-Park-Sanya-Hainan-Province-China-2018.-Photo-\u00a9Turenscape-courtesy-The-Cultural-Landscape-Foundation-768x511.jpg 768w, https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Sanya-Mangrove-Park-Sanya-Hainan-Province-China-2018.-Photo-\u00a9Turenscape-courtesy-The-Cultural-Landscape-Foundation-1536x1023.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Sanya-Mangrove-Park-Sanya-Hainan-Province-China-2018.-Photo-\u00a9Turenscape-courtesy-The-Cultural-Landscape-Foundation-2048x1364.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sanya Mangrove Park, Sanya, Hainan Province, China, 2018. Photo \u00a9 Turenscape.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group article-header_intro none\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\"><p class=\"article-date\" aria-label=\"Post Date\">November 21, 2023<\/p>\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading size-large\">For Kongjian Yu, Landscape Architecture is the \u201cArt of Survival\u201d<\/h1>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-1 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column article-header_meta is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:50%\">\n<p class=\"summary size-regular\">The Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum Award winner talks to METROPOLIS about our changing planet, his \u201cSponge City\u201d concept, and nature-based solutions to urban planning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-sandow-byline byline size-regular\"><span>By: <\/span><a href=\"\/tag\/evelyn-meynard\">Evelyn Meynard<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n<ul class=\"social-share\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmetropolismag.com%2Fviewpoints%2Fkongjian-yu-interview%2F\" target=\"_blank\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path d=\"M9 8h-3v4h3v12h5v-12h3.642l.358-4h-4v-1.667c0-.955.192-1.333 1.115-1.333h2.885v-5h-3.808c-3.596 0-5.192 1.583-5.192 4.615v3.385z\" \/><\/svg><\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/sharing\/share-offsite\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmetropolismag.com%2Fviewpoints%2Fkongjian-yu-interview%2F\" target=\"_blank\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path d=\"M4.98 3.5c0 1.381-1.11 2.5-2.48 2.5s-2.48-1.119-2.48-2.5c0-1.38 1.11-2.5 2.48-2.5s2.48 1.12 2.48 2.5zm.02 4.5h-5v16h5v-16zm7.982 0h-4.968v16h4.969v-8.399c0-4.67 6.029-5.052 6.029 0v8.399h4.988v-10.131c0-7.88-8.922-7.593-11.018-3.714v-2.155z\" \/><\/svg><\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"http:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmetropolismag.com%2Fviewpoints%2Fkongjian-yu-interview%2F&#038;description=For+Kongjian+Yu%2C+Landscape+Architecture+is+the+%E2%80%9CArt+of+Survival%E2%80%9D\" target=\"_blank\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"> <path d=\"M12 0c-6.627 0-12 5.372-12 12 0 5.084 3.163 9.426 7.627 11.174-.105-.949-.2-2.405.042-3.441.218-.937 1.407-5.965 1.407-5.965s-.359-.719-.359-1.782c0-1.668.967-2.914 2.171-2.914 1.023 0 1.518.769 1.518 1.69 0 1.029-.655 2.568-.994 3.995-.283 1.194.599 2.169 1.777 2.169 2.133 0 3.772-2.249 3.772-5.495 0-2.873-2.064-4.882-5.012-4.882-3.414 0-5.418 2.561-5.418 5.207 0 1.031.397 2.138.893 2.738.098.119.112.224.083.345l-.333 1.36c-.053.22-.174.267-.402.161-1.499-.698-2.436-2.889-2.436-4.649 0-3.785 2.75-7.262 7.929-7.262 4.163 0 7.398 2.967 7.398 6.931 0 4.136-2.607 7.464-6.227 7.464-1.216 0-2.359-.631-2.75-1.378l-.748 2.853c-.271 1.043-1.002 2.35-1.492 3.146 1.124.347 2.317.535 3.554.535 6.627 0 12-5.373 12-12 0-6.628-5.373-12-12-12z\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" \/><\/svg><\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"mailto:?body=https%3A%2F%2Fmetropolismag.com%2Fviewpoints%2Fkongjian-yu-interview%2F&#038;subject=For+Kongjian+Yu%2C+Landscape+Architecture+is+the+%E2%80%9CArt+of+Survival%E2%80%9D\" target=\"_blank\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path d=\"M12 12.713l-11.985-9.713h23.97l-11.985 9.713zm0 2.574l-12-9.725v15.438h24v-15.438l-12 9.725z\"\/><\/svg><\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column empty-header-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:50%\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-2 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column article-header_meta is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:50%\">\n<p class=\"size-regular\">Kongjian Yu is one of China\u2019s most important landscape architects. This year alone he has been awarded the Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum Award in Landscape Architecture and the Oberlander International Landscape Architecture Prize, an initiative of the Cultural Landscape Foundation. For more than 25 years, Yu has been a practitioner of nature-based solutions to urban planning. He is the dean of the College of Architecture and Landscape Architecture at Peking University and the founder of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.turenscape.com\/en\/home\/index.html\">Turenscape<\/a>, a Beijing-based landscape firm with over 400 employees. His Sponge City concept has been implemented in more than 250 cities throughout China.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"size-regular\">What is a Sponge City? Yu\u2019s solution is a type of urban planning that mediates water absorption and storage, thereby increasing the city\u2019s resilience to floods. It consists of creating green infrastructure, permeable roads, and ponds to collect runoff and overflow to manage water productively, retaining water for future use, cleaning polluted water bodies, and improving natural ecosystems. Each Sponge City design must be unique, considering each locale\u2019s specific ecology, geology, hydrology, and culture. Yu calls his designs \u201cagrarian aesthetic\u201d, inspired by Chinese peasant agricultural tradition that has persisted for over two millennia. Opposed to landscape as mere ornamentation, he values functionality first and seeks to work with nature to create green infrastructure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"size-regular\">Kongjian Yu traveled to the United States to give the&nbsp;Sylvester Baxter Lecture&nbsp;at GSD, and for this year\u2019s Copper Hewitt National Design Museum&#8217;s Award Ceremony. On October 1, Yu met with METROPOLIS to discuss his ambitious vision and convictions&nbsp;on how&nbsp;landscape architecture, as a land-based profession, has the power to provide the means to adapt and mitigate climate change \u201cto heal the planet.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"size-regular\"><em>This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column article-header_content is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:50%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\" style=\"object-fit:cover;object-position:50% 50%\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1707\" height=\"2560\" src=\"https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/2023-Oberlander-Prize-Laureate-Kongjian-Yu.-Photo-\u00a9Barrett-Doherty-courtesy-The-Cultural-Landsape-Foundation.COLOR_.663A3919_20230920-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"portrait of a man in a red shirt and jeans\" class=\"wp-image-108311\" style=\"width:390px;height:585px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/2023-Oberlander-Prize-Laureate-Kongjian-Yu.-Photo-\u00a9Barrett-Doherty-courtesy-The-Cultural-Landsape-Foundation.COLOR_.663A3919_20230920-scaled.jpg 1707w, https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/2023-Oberlander-Prize-Laureate-Kongjian-Yu.-Photo-\u00a9Barrett-Doherty-courtesy-The-Cultural-Landsape-Foundation.COLOR_.663A3919_20230920-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/2023-Oberlander-Prize-Laureate-Kongjian-Yu.-Photo-\u00a9Barrett-Doherty-courtesy-The-Cultural-Landsape-Foundation.COLOR_.663A3919_20230920-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/2023-Oberlander-Prize-Laureate-Kongjian-Yu.-Photo-\u00a9Barrett-Doherty-courtesy-The-Cultural-Landsape-Foundation.COLOR_.663A3919_20230920-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/2023-Oberlander-Prize-Laureate-Kongjian-Yu.-Photo-\u00a9Barrett-Doherty-courtesy-The-Cultural-Landsape-Foundation.COLOR_.663A3919_20230920-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/2023-Oberlander-Prize-Laureate-Kongjian-Yu.-Photo-\u00a9Barrett-Doherty-courtesy-The-Cultural-Landsape-Foundation.COLOR_.663A3919_20230920-1365x2048.jpg 1365w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1707px) 100vw, 1707px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">2023 Oberlander Prize Laureate Kongjian Yu. Photo \u00a9 Barrett Doherty courtesy The Cultural Landscape Foundation.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group none\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\" style=\"object-fit:cover;object-position:50% 50%\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1748\" src=\"https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Nanchang-Fish-Tail-Park-NanchangJiangxi-Province-China-2021.-Photo-\u00a9Turenscape-courtesy-The-Cultural-Landscape-Foundation.1-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-108310\" srcset=\"https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Nanchang-Fish-Tail-Park-NanchangJiangxi-Province-China-2021.-Photo-\u00a9Turenscape-courtesy-The-Cultural-Landscape-Foundation.1-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Nanchang-Fish-Tail-Park-NanchangJiangxi-Province-China-2021.-Photo-\u00a9Turenscape-courtesy-The-Cultural-Landscape-Foundation.1-300x205.jpg 300w, https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Nanchang-Fish-Tail-Park-NanchangJiangxi-Province-China-2021.-Photo-\u00a9Turenscape-courtesy-The-Cultural-Landscape-Foundation.1-1024x699.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Nanchang-Fish-Tail-Park-NanchangJiangxi-Province-China-2021.-Photo-\u00a9Turenscape-courtesy-The-Cultural-Landscape-Foundation.1-768x524.jpg 768w, https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Nanchang-Fish-Tail-Park-NanchangJiangxi-Province-China-2021.-Photo-\u00a9Turenscape-courtesy-The-Cultural-Landscape-Foundation.1-1536x1049.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Nanchang-Fish-Tail-Park-NanchangJiangxi-Province-China-2021.-Photo-\u00a9Turenscape-courtesy-The-Cultural-Landscape-Foundation.1-2048x1399.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Nanchang Fish Tail Park, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China, 2021. Photo \u00a9 Turenscape.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group none\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"size-regular\"><strong>How do you define the role of landscape architecture in this new era of climate change?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"size-regular\">Landscape architecture is the single most important land-based profession. I will quote<a href=\"https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/viewpoints\/mcharg-design-with-nature-50th-anniversary\/\"> Ian McHarg<\/a> when he said that the landscape architect is a conductor of all the sciences and the arts that can be applied to the landscape medium. Landscape architecture is a means of global service operating in a zone we call the biosphere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"size-regular\">It combines science, art, and engineering so that man and nature can be in a harmonious state. Landscape architecture, a nature-based practice, is in a critical professional position to deal with climate adaptation and mitigation. Global natural surfaces that have been depleted like rivers, lakes, marshes, and so on, must be recovered, redesigned, or adapted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"size-regular\">I define landscape architecture as a profession of the art of survival. If you have a survival issue, you must consider making your design profession holistic and have multi-functional goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"size-regular\"><strong>What is wrong with gray infrastructure or the \u201cforest of cement,\u201d as you have called it in the past?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"size-regular\">When we talk about gray infrastructure, we talk about road, pipe, and water drainage systems which are based on artificial human technology that uses concrete. This leads to three problems. First, concrete creates too much carbon emission. Second, the systems fail because of climate change; they cannot adapt to different climate situations. Finally, they are disruptive because they cut off the relationship between man and nature. Think of flood walls, think of water going through tunnels and pipes, and having no relationship with human beings and other species. Gray infrastructure is disconnected and unsustainable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"size-regular\">This kind of infrastructure destroys the balance of the biosphere. Imagine how much water has been discharged from its natural course. In Central China, groundwater has dropped 82 feet in the past 50 years. The gray infrastructure has destroyed our planet. It is everywhere, and like a toilet, flushes away flood water. The lakes dry up, the ground sinks, and everything gets messed up. I have this vision that if you can save a village and a city, you can save the planet. We must find alternatives or a way to minimize gray infrastructure and maximize nature-based solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"size-regular\">We are not throwing away past civilization, but we have a more science-based and nature-based understanding of our cultural heritage and ancient wisdom. This new civilization is nature-based, wiser than the past primitive agricultural era, and much more ingenious than the industrial revolution, which was against nature. And we are coming to a new epoch where men and nature become friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"size-regular\"><strong>You have had a life that suggests an epic journey. You were raised in the countryside during the Cultural Revolution. You went to Beijing to study landscape gardening with prominent Chinese teachers, then got your doctorate at Harvard, where you created the Sponge City concept. In 1997 you returned to China, established the College of Architecture and Landscape Architecture at Peking University, and founded your own architecture practice. You have lectured tirelessly for decades all over China about Sponge City and, in 2013, got the Chinese government to implement it nationwide. What is the driving force behind all of these endeavors? And what is your ultimate goal?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"size-regular\">It certainly comes from a personal ambition. In the past centuries, we have been trapped in a misconception that industrial technology, in particular gray infrastructure, and chemicals, can solve humanity&#8217;s problems. But based on my village experience in working with nature, I understand that the industrial revolution, while having brought so many blessings for human beings, at the same time is destructive, and is killing the natural systems. So, I wanted to make a change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"size-regular\">You must solve the problem from down in the earth. I have this vision of a better world and a better planet. I have my own ideology and I have this utopia in my mind: I want this globe to be as beautiful, harmonious, and healthy as a village. How do we balance this? That is why I proposed the idea of the sponge city. Then I extended it into sponge land, sponge region, and sponge watershed. Now I&#8217;m thinking this can be a sponge planet. If you can make a planet like a sponge, you retain, slow down, and adapt water, you can really create a resilient planet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"comment size-regular\">Would you like to comment on this article? Send your thoughts to: <a href=\"mailto:comments@metropolismag.com\">comments@metropolismag.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n<ul class=\"tag-cloud\"><li>No tags selected<\/li><\/ul>\n\n<ul class=\"tag-cloud\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/tag\/evelyn-meynard\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Evelyn Meynard<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/tag\/kongjian-yu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Kongjian Yu<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/tag\/landscape\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Landscape<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/tag\/qa\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Q&amp;A<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"post-cards__wrapper is-condensed-default columns-3 single-row\" data-type=\"metro_viewpoint metro_profile metro_project metro_product\" data-amount=\"3\" ><h3 class=\"section-title\">Related<\/h3><ul><li class=\"card__metro_viewpoint\"><div 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https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/MET_hero_final-768x318.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/div><div class=\"post-cards__content\"><p class=\"type\">Profiles<\/p><a class=\"post-cards__title-link\" href=\"https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/profiles\/billy-fleming-designing-a-green-new-deal\/\"><h4><strong>Billy Fleming and His Students Are Designing a Green New Deal<\/strong><\/h4><\/a><p class=\"excerpt\">In his recent studio course, designer and University of Pennsylvania educator imagines a more just landscape architecture studio\u2026by taking his students to a uranium mine in Greenland. \u00a0<\/p><\/div><\/li><li class=\"card__metro_project\"><div class=\"post-cards__image\"><a class=\"post-cards__link\" href=\"https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/projects\/two-former-usps-facilities-now-have-massive-rooftop-gardens\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"685\" src=\"https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/ME_24_0203_GRN_MorganNorth-TishmanSpeyer-8-1024x685.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"\" style=\"object-position: 50% 50%;\" srcset=\"https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/ME_24_0203_GRN_MorganNorth-TishmanSpeyer-8-1024x685.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/ME_24_0203_GRN_MorganNorth-TishmanSpeyer-8-300x201.jpg 300w, https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/ME_24_0203_GRN_MorganNorth-TishmanSpeyer-8-768x513.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/div><div class=\"post-cards__content\"><p class=\"type\">Projects<\/p><a class=\"post-cards__title-link\" href=\"https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/projects\/two-former-usps-facilities-now-have-massive-rooftop-gardens\/\"><h4>Two Former USPS Facilities Now Have Massive Rooftop Gardens<\/h4><\/a><p class=\"excerpt\">The adaptive reuse of Postal Service facilities in Manhattan and Chicago include rooftop gardens bigger than many of these cities\u2019 more famous parks.<\/p><\/div><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum Award winner talks to METROPOLIS about our changing planet, his \u201cSponge City\u201d concept, and nature-based solutions to urban planning. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1208,"featured_media":108309,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"featured_image_focal_point":[],"legacy_WP_ID":0},"tags":[3168,3169,492,96],"metro_tax_domain":[],"metro_tax_topic":[],"metro_tax_program":[],"metro_issue":[],"metro_cat_viewpoint":[],"internal_flag":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>For Kongjian Yu, Landscape Architecture is the \u201cArt of Survival\u201d - Metropolis<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Kongjian Yu talks to METROPOLIS about our changing planet, his \u201cSponge City\u201d concept, and nature-based solutions to urban planning.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/viewpoints\/kongjian-yu-interview\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"For Kongjian Yu, Landscape Architecture is the \u201cArt of Survival\u201d - Metropolis\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Kongjian Yu talks to METROPOLIS about our changing planet, his \u201cSponge City\u201d concept, and nature-based solutions to urban planning.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/metropolismag.com\/viewpoints\/kongjian-yu-interview\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Metropolis\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" 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