Winning the confidence of mayors all over his country, Yu’s design firm, Turenscape, has completed hundreds of infrastructure projects called “Sponge Cities” since its founding in 1998.

We make countless choices every single day, from the mundane to the life-altering. What to eat, what to wear, whether to swipe right on a dating app—these decisions, big and small, ripple ...

Put in the oven and cook for about 40 minutes — though give a first check after ½ hour — by which time the sponge mixture will have risen and a cake tester will come out cleanish. Remove from the oven ...