Help Create a Permanent Memorial for Kongjian Yu in Central Park

Donations are now being accepted for a permanent bench in Yu's honor.

Nearly one year after the passing of Kongjian Yu, FASLA, members of the landscape architecture community are coming together to create a permanent memorial bench in his honor in Central Park.

Yu's influence on the profession was profound. Through his work on ecological infrastructure, sponge cities, and nature-based design, he challenged cities to work with water rather than against it.

To honor that legacy, a group of landscape architects, designers, colleagues, and friends is working with the Central Park Conservancy to dedicate a permanent bench near the Harlem Meer, at the northeast corner of Central Park. The setting-where water, vegetation, wildlife, and public life meet-feels especially appropriate for someone whose life's work was devoted to restoring the relationship between people and natural systems.

The fundraising goal is $20,000. More than $6,000 has already been raised through individual contributions, and we are now asking the broader landscape architecture community to help us complete the campaign.

Our goal is to finish fundraising by September 20, ahead of September 23, the first anniversary of Professor Yu's passing.

We invite landscape architects, design firms, universities, manufacturers, students, colleagues, and friends to participate. Contributions of any size are meaningful, and organizations are encouraged to share the campaign with their staff and professional networks.

All donations are made directly through the Central Park Conservancy's official fundraising campaign and are tax-deductible.

A memorial bench is a modest object, but it can hold lasting meaning. We hope this one becomes a place where future landscape architects, students, and members of the public can sit beside the water, reflect on Yu's ideas, and remember his belief that landscape architecture can help create a more resilient and compassionate world.

Donate to the Kongjian Yu Memorial Bench

Please consider sharing this campaign with your colleagues, students, friends, and professional networks. We have also set up an email list for anyone who would like to receive occasional updates from the team about fundraising progress, the memorial bench, and the dedication. If you or your colleagues would like to stay informed, please join here.