China City Planning Review (No.3, 2017)

♦Brief Analysis on the Characteristics and Regeneration Methods of Brownfields in Binhai New Area

Author: Wang Jing, Zhou Yizhou, Liu Ziming

Abstract: Under the new normal, urban construction in China is gradually transforming from an era of expansion planning to stock-based planning. The reuse of once-used, abandoned, or contaminated land in urban areas has become the focus for digging the potential of urban land resources and values. Binhai New Area, as the forefront of economic growth in China’s development zones, has experienced rapid development in the past 30 years, where the brownfield regeneration issue is becoming increasingly prominent in the rapid process of urban industrial development and new town construction. In consideration of the large size of each single brownfield patch and serious petrochemical contamination, it is essential and valuable to carry out a research on the present status, problems, and regeneration strategies of brownfield in Binhai New Area.

Keywords: brownfield; stock-based; regeneration; industrial heritage; sustainable

♦Governance of Urban Green Open Space for Responding to Climate Change

Author: Tang Yan, Chen Kai

Abstract: In the global actions to address climate change, urban open green space is one of the main spatial objects that can be used to effectively mitigate greenhouse gases and to promote the implementation of climate adaptive policies. From a global perspective, this paper firstly analyzes the governance strategies and cooperation mechanisms of urban open green space as responding to climate change in European countries. Then, taking the Central City of Beijing as a case, the paper explores its urban thermal environment, distribution of urban open green space, and climate governance operation based on the specific conditions in China. Further, with the digital technologies of GIS and RS, it analyzes the nature and related governance demands of urban open green space and then divides the Central City of Beijing into four governance zones, following which this paper discusses the climate policy strategies and implementation approaches of each governance zone.

Keywords: urban green open space; governance; climate change; urban thermal environment

♦From Comprehensive Defense to Resilient City: Strategic Conception of Shanghai’s City Security in the New Normal

Author: Shi Tingting

Abstract: The trend of climate warming and deeper globalization is adding new content to urban risks in Shanghai, resulting in the adaption of traditional comprehensive defense planning to the new environment. Based on the resilient city theory, this paper proposes a transition for Shanghai from an original comprehensive defense to a resilient city vision through strategic framework and approaches from the three aspects of engineering technology, spatial defense, and social governance in the New Normal age. Meanwhile, it suggests that Shanghai should use information technology to enhance the level of risk monitoring and to improve engineering design standards; strengthen the resilience from the scales of “life circle-urban circle-municipal administrative area”; and innovate as well as improve the social safety governance.

Keywords: New Normal; comprehensive defense; resilient city; city security

♦Form Follows Water: A Study on Stormwater Resilient Urban Design

Author: Zhou Yinan, Li Baowei

Abstract: Rapid urbanization and global warming cause a sharp increase of frequency and intensity of stormwater disaster. Urban design, depending on the methodology of urban form and the creation of the spatial environment to promote stormwater resilience, has broken through the traditional design mode and become an efficient path leading to addressing urban stormwater disaster. Firstly, this paper discusses the concept and connotation of storm-water resilient urban design based on the resilient city theory in order to set up the theoretical framework of the design method. Then combining with the specific cases and focusing on four key problems of urban design, the practical urban design methods in favor of stormwater resilience are analyzed, including the optimization of land use, the organization of urban structure, the creation of multi-functional space, and the integration of urban systems. In the end, the paper further analyzes the challenges in practical application. Stormwater resilient urban design expands the boundary of traditional urban design and provides a new choice for performance-based eco-city design.

Keywords: stormwater resilience; urban design; resilient city; eco-city; performance-based design

♦Experience of Sponge City Master Plan: A Case Study of Nanning City

Author: Zhang Wei, Wang Jiazhuo, Che Han, Wang Chen, Zhang Chunyang, Shi Lian, Fan Jin

Abstract: As a new urban development pattern, the construction of sponge cities has been deeply integrated into the new urbanization and water safety strategy. Nanning City, as one of the first batch of experimental sponge cities in China, has undertaken exploration and practice on sponge city planning, construction, and management. The sponge city master plan of Nanning City establishes an urban ecological spatial pattern in order to protect the security of the sponge base. The sponge city construction strategy has also proposed an overall construction strategy of a sponge city in line with urban development features. Through the systematic analysis and planning, a “23+10+202” pattern of sponge city construction has been formed. “23” represents 23 drainage basins, in which major sponge facilities such as storage facilities, waterfront buffer zones, wetland parks, ecological rainwater corridor and sponge parks are allocated. “10” represents 10 sponge functional zones, which provide important reference for the establishment of sponge city construction index system. “202” represents 202 management units, which decomposes the general objective and provides technical support not only for sponge city construction and management, but also for the implementation of general objectives in the regulatory plan as well.

Keywords: sponge city; master plan; Nanning City

♦Comparative Study on Temporary Shelter Planning After Earthquake: With the Plate-Houses Construction After Wenchuan Earthquake as an Example

Author: Ni Fen

Abstract After the Wenchuan earthquake of 2008 in Sichuan, China, in order to meet the demand for temporary and transitional houses, Chinese government organized the construction of a great number of plate-houses that played an important role at the time. This paper conducts a comparative study between the plate-houses constructed after Wenchuan earthquake and the temporary shelters in other countries on aspects including planning layout, area index, social psychology, economic cost, etc. In the Wenchuan case, statistics show that the FAR of the plate-house residential area is around 0.4, the number of supporting houses makes up 20% in the total house sets, the average floor area of each house is about 25 m2 that occupies a land area of 60 m2, and the per capita planned floor area is 7 m2, which is far above the international recommended minimum standard of 3.5 m2. Even if the area for residence, school, hospital, and other land use functions are all counted, the per capita planed land use area of China’s plate-house area is still above the international recommended minimum standard, which is 30 m2. This paper holds that China has been capable of the planning and construction of the physical space of plate-house, but the holistic concept and the systematic arrangement level still need further promotion.

Keywords: Wenchuan; earthquake; temporary and transitional settlement house; plate-house; FAR (floor area ratio); per capita floor area; per capita land use area

♦Development Characteristics of Beautiful Countryside in Hangzhou, Regarding Theory of Consumption Space Production: A Comparative Study on Three Villages

Author: Wu Qianbo, Gong Yuanyuan, Chen Qianhu

Abstract: In China, the Beautiful Countryside Development is a prototype of New Countryside Construction whose development mechanism is closely related to the urbanization level of the region. Regarding the consumption space production of the metropolis amid the accelerating process of urbanization since the 1990s, the declination of traditional villages is just inevitable. Thus, under the circumstances of new urbanization, the development of traditional villages is more and more related to the expansion of urban consumption space and the modernization of agriculture, as proved by the formation of a concentric-radial pattern of rings of consumption spaces in the rural area surrounding Hangzhou. Taking three villages around Hangzhou as a typical example of the Beautiful Countryside Development, this paper puts forward a Beauty Index System to evaluate their development characteristics and analyzes their development mechanisms respectively. It proves that the three villages are all characterized by the integrity of both production space and consumption space, yet with different attributes in terms of human settlement, society and culture, and industrial structure. It concludes that this is the result of various driving forces which also result in the formation of a concentric-radial pattern of rings in rural areas amid urbanization.

Keywords: consumption space; Beautiful Countryside; development characteristics; concentric-radial pattern of rings; Hangzhou

♦Spirit of Mountain Cities: Recalling Mr. Huang Guangyu’s Theories About Eco-Planning of Mountain Cities

Author: Yan Shuiyu, Yang Liu, Xing Zhong

Abstract: This paper reviews Mr. Huang Guangyu’s major ideas on the eco-planning of mountain cities. The primary principle is that the spatial structure of a mountain city must adapt to its eco-environmental characteristics. The primary foundation is evaluating the natural eco-environments’ suitability of a mountain city and integrating urban development with the spatio-temporal pattern of ecological resources. The non-construction land has to be scientifically planned because it is closely related to the ecological security of a mountain city and affects the quality of urban settlements. The working methodology is a multi-disciplinary collaboration and integration, as well as all-round thinking through a combination of theoretical research and practice. These theories have been put into effect in the planning projects by Huang and have had far-reaching impact. In brief, they can be regarded as the spirit of mountain cities.

Keywords: mountain city; eco-planning; Huang Guangyu