As rising global temperatures result in surging storms and extreme weather events, flash floods are becoming a more regular occurrence across the globe. The concrete infrastructures most cities use to channel the runoff from their streets are no longer fit for purpose. Chinese professor Kongjian Yu is advocating for an alternative approach to the problem: to allow the rain in. Since proposing the ‘sponge city’ concept in 2013, Yu has received global recognition for his research into urban flooding and nature-based mitigation strategies. As principal designer of Turenscape , a world-renowned firm reshaping the disciplines of landscape and urban design from Beijing, Yu brings these principles into practice, tending to natural hydrological systems to design more resilient cities. Building on ancient teachings and traditional land practices to reconnect people to the earth, the firm re-approaches landscape architecture as a conservation practice—one that presents opportunities to steward the environment for future generations. Turenscape was awarded the World Landscape of the Year Prize in 2015 and 2017. At The World Around Summit 2024 Yu contemplated how in preparing our cities for the future, we might learn from the landscapes that came before them.