TwinBlue Connects Seoul and Shenzhen, Earning Group 4 3rd Place at KYS 2026

Seoul, South Korea — Group 4 won 3rd Place Best Idea Innovation Senior Level at Korea Youth Summit (KYS) 2026 through its project, TwinBlue.

TwinBlue: A Twin-City Blueprint for Blue-Green Infrastructure explores blue-green infrastructure through a twin-city approach connecting Seoul and Shenzhen, with reference to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11.7.

Meet the Team Behind TwinBlue

Behind TwinBlue’s achievement is Group 4, whose members come from China and bring different areas of expertise. Their diverse skills became an important part of developing a solution to urban challenges.

• Tian ZhenJia

• LIAO Lihui

• Xiao Yan Liu

• Wang Zhaokun

Each member contributed to a different area of the project. Wang Zhaokun focused on GIS & Data, LIAO Lihui on Presentations & Partnerships, Xiao Yan Liu on Policy & Equity, while Tian ZhenJia focused on Methods.

These different areas of expertise shaped Group 4’s collaborative process in developing TwinBlue. By bringing together different perspectives, the team explored urban issues from a broader point of view.

The Background Story of TwinBlue

TwinBlue was developed around the idea of creating urban environments that are inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. The project connects Seoul and Shenzhen through a twin-city blueprint for blue-green infrastructure.

The idea is closely connected to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11.7, which serves as part of the project’s framework. Through this focus, TwinBlue places infrastructure and sustainability at the center of discussions about urban development.

The project brings together several areas of expertise, including GIS and data, coastal systems, policy and equity, methods, as well as presentations and partnerships. This collaboration allows Group 4 to approach urban challenges from multiple perspectives.

Exploring TwinBlue’s Twin-City Approach

TwinBlue introduces a blue-green infrastructure approach through the concept of a twin-city. The project focuses on Seoul and Shenzhen as the two cities within its framework.

Through this approach, TwinBlue presents a blueprint for exploring how blue and green infrastructure can support more inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable urban development.

The blue-green infrastructure concept combines green and blue elements in urban planning. Green elements can include spaces such as parks and public areas, while blue elements relate to water features within urban environments. Together, they form an approach to urban planning that considers not only physical development but also the quality of spaces available to communities.

The selection of Seoul and Shenzhen is an important part of the TwinBlue concept. The two cities provide a context for exploring how blue-green infrastructure can be developed through a twin-city perspective.

By connecting experiences between cities, the project highlights how urban solutions can be developed through the exchange of knowledge, experiences, and approaches that respond to the needs of each city.

TwinBlue is also directly connected to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11.7. This target highlights the importance of providing universal access to safe, inclusive, and accessible green and public spaces.

For this reason, TwinBlue goes beyond infrastructure. The project also looks at how urban spaces can be developed to provide broader benefits for communities.

Through this concept, TwinBlue places collaboration between cities as an important part of building a more sustainable urban future. The project brings together perspectives from Seoul and Shenzhen within a broader framework for urban development.

This idea ultimately led Group 4 to receive 3rd Place Best Idea Innovation Senior Level at Korea Youth Summit 2026.

Conclusion

Through TwinBlue, Group 4 presents an approach to urban development that goes beyond infrastructure. The project also considers public access to urban spaces and the importance of creating more sustainable environments.

TwinBlue’s blue-green infrastructure approach connects Seoul and Shenzhen through a twin-city perspective, highlighting the role of collaboration in addressing urban development challenges. The project shows how young people from different backgrounds and areas of expertise can contribute new perspectives to sustainable development.

Winning 3rd Place Best Idea Innovation Senior Level at Korea Youth Summit 2026 marks an important recognition of Group 4’s idea. Through TwinBlue, the team demonstrates how youth collaboration can contribute to conversations about sustainable cities and the future of urban development.