Eco-development in China by Wu Deng & Ali Cheshmehzangi

Author:Wu Deng & Ali Cheshmehzangi
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Springer Singapore, Singapore

In order to achieve the project goals, the planning outline was proposed to combine the ‘national five major development concept plan’ and the ‘Shenzhen development strategy plan’ to put forward the above strategic paths/approaches for the development of new areas. This outline plan was also addressed in the ‘Thirteenth Five-Year Plan of Guangming New District Economic and Social Development’. Moreover, the above key strategic paths demonstrate a clear indication of the project’s political status at the national level; an example, with which we can see multiple objectives of eco-development and multi-level governmental actors whom are involved in the whole development process.

Case Study Reflections

While efforts are being made, the city is not yet fully operational, and it is currently on phase two where the majority of the infrastructure and major development projects are in progress. The current project status indicate that the completion date of 2020 is possible and most of the key transportation network are already in place. The GEC’s location and its TOD mode are potentially key factors to some of the earlier successes of the project, some of which are based on its rapid GDP growth, industry development, and infrastructure growth. Although described as a striking example in China (i.e., both in research and media), Schwoob et al. (2011, p. 25) argue that ‘it is to be feared that the desire for standardisation will prevail over originality’. Similar to some other cases that we have studied in China, real estate projects are now playing a significant role in the GEC project.

Described as one of the ubiquitous eco-city examples by Joss et al. (2013), the GEC project does not represent a unique model of eco-city development in China. Rather, it gives us an overview of a typical national-led model of eco-city. In fact, for the case of GEC, location plays a major role and unlike other similar cases (i.e., in terms of size and project timeframe), such as Cao Feidian Eco-City (Tangshan, in Hefei Province) and Kunming Eco-city (in Yunnan Province), it is accessible to nearby urban and industrial hubs. On the other hand, the TOD mode of GEC allows for more economic vitality and industrial development.

While in the case of Dongtan project in Chongming Island of Shanghai , Arup was working on a complete new development zone, the case of GEC demonstrates more emphasis on a sustainable social/economic community and strikes a balance between modernisation and environmental preservation. The GEC (or as part of the district plan, known as the Guangming New Town Centre) takes an interesting approach by combining urban design and eco-sustainability, arranged into human-scale clusters of housing/farming suburbs in the form of towers/craters conceived as augmentation of existing topography. The project, once completed as planned in 2020, will be a supporting sub-centre to the city of Shenzhen as well as supporting the nearby industries.

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