Benni Yu-ling Pong

Benni Yu-ling Pong is a Registered Landscape Architect and the current Vice President of the Hong Kong Institute of Landscape Architects (HKILA). He holds a Master of Landscape Architecture (with distinction) from the University of Hong Kong and a Master in Design Studies from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design.

With over 15 years of professional practice, Benni has been involved in award-winning projects that span public space design, urban design, and large-scale landscape planning. His work often integrates nature-based solutions, blue-green infrastructure, and resilient design strategies, shaping sustainable urban environments in Hong Kong. His designs have been showcased at the 2022 Hong Kong Shenzhen Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism/Architecture and the 2019 Beijing International Horticultural Exposition. Recent accolades include the HKILA Award (2024), International Design Awards (2023), Architizer A+ Award (2022), and the HKIA Special Award (2022–23).

Beyond practice, Benni is also an urbanist, geographer, and researcher. His academic work explores spontaneous landscapes, ruderal ecology, urban voids, and spatial perception in cities, often through ethnographic methods. His studies have been published in the HKIA Journal, HKILA Journal (Yuan Lin), and Landscape Architecture Frontier (LAF).

Benni plays an active leadership role in the profession. He is Chairperson of the Organizing Committee for the International Climate and Biodiversity Conference: Nature-based Solutions in Action (Hong Kong, March 2025), co-convenor of the Working Group on Cultural Landscape (HKILA & HKICON), and a Committee Member for the Organizing Committee of the IFLA 62nd World Congress 2026. He also contributes as a co-opted member of the Green Labelling Committee of the Hong Kong Green Building Council (HKGBC), editor of Guangdong Landscape Architecture, and a member of the Australasia Pacific Network in Landscape Research Group.

Previously, he served as Chairperson of the Practice Committee (2017–18) and Deputy Chairperson of the Continuing Professional Development Committee (2022–24) at HKILA, underscoring his commitment to advancing the profession and mentoring the next generation of landscape architects.

With his combined expertise in practice, research, and leadership, Benni continues to be a key advocate for sustainable, innovative, and culturally responsive landscape architecture in Hong Kong and the Asia-Pacific region.