Project Spotlight: Kunshan Miaojing River Corridor Featured in THE PLAN’s Outdoor Winter Issue

February 9th, 2026
Berkeley, CA

We are honored to announce that the Kunshan Miaojing River Corridor has been featured in the Winter 2025 issue of Outdoor magazine. Published by THE PLAN, Italy’s premier international architecture and design platform, this publication is renowned for highlighting projects that merge technical innovation with landscape aesthetics. Our inclusion in the "Where Life Grows" feature marks a significant recognition of our commitment to resilient, ecology-driven design.

Exploring "Where Life Grows"

The latest issue investigates the vital role of ecological corridors—linear or reticular land portions that connect core natural habitats—in restoring balance to urbanized areas. The editorial highlights how a "new architectural grammar" can support biodiversity while providing inclusive public spaces.

Other global projects featured alongside ours include:

Vulkan Beehives (Norway): A Snøhetta-designed project consisting of hexagonal towers on Oslo rooftops that use advanced sensors to monitor bee behavior within an urban "Bee Highway".

The Pollinator and Bird Garden (USA): A 1.4-ha living laboratory at the Penn State Arboretum, designed by Didier Design Studio to interpret complex research on pollinator decline through 340 specially selected flora species.

Sponge Greenway (China): A Turenscape project in Ningbo that utilizes "terrain modeling" and phytoremediation to transform a polluted post-industrial brownfield into a purified riparian wetland.

Our Featured Project: Kunshan Miaojing River Corridor

Closing the feature is our work on the Kunshan Miaojing River Corridor, which transformed a former aqueduct into a 600,000 m² vital ecological backbone for the region. By linking the Kuilei Lake basin to Kunshan’s historic center, the project creates a dynamic refuge that rebalances human activity with environmental preservation.

Key highlights from the feature include:

Continuous Urban Connectivity: The project establishes a seamless 20 km system of trails, tunnels, and elevated walkways that traverse existing street grids to link residential neighborhoods directly with nature.
Layered Infrastructure: We utilized metal-grated platforms, permeable surfaces, and pathside drainage channels to augment the corridor's resilience while minimizing environmental impact.
Biodiversity & Education: Through a plethora of ecological zones, native species forests, and an onsite Ecological Education Center, the corridor serves as a benchmark for riverfront revitalization.

We extend our sincere thanks to THE PLAN for recognizing the Miaojing River Corridor as a model for ecological restoration.