A Sasaki GreenBuild Presentation: "Regenerative Landscapes in China: Social, Cultural, and Ecological Stewardship in the World's Fastest Urbanizing Society"

By Steve Benz posted on Wed, 2009-11-04 09:04 , 868 reads, 0 comments

 

 

Sasaki Principal Michael Grove presented this session at GreenBuild 2009 in Phoenix.  If you didn't make it to GreenBuild, check out his presentation here!

  

There is no doubt that the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing was China's coming out party – a grand spectacle on the world's center stage. The question, however, is what will China's post-Olympic legacy be? Will China become a global leader in sustainability, implementing stronger policies on ecological protection, and advancing environmental technologies? Will it embrace the new social realities of an emerging middle class, reflecting changes in human habitation, lifestyle, and cultural expression? This panel will explore three significant projects which are representative of China's progressive attitude to ecological restoration in the post-Olympic era.

In the city of Kunming, the 529 hectare Caohai North Shore will create a mixed-use district which transforms a brownfield site, reconnecting the city with its waterfront. Unfortunately, Dianchi is one of the most polluted lakes in China. Therefore, the focus for the project was not only on creating a viable urban community, but also on water quality improvements and the ecological restoration of the lake. Working with Shui On Land, the Kunming Urban Planning Bureau, and the Dianchi Lake Management Bureau, designers developed a master plan which created a variety of uses, provided contiguous pedestrian access along the lake, and integrated public transit. With the help of limnologists and other scientists focusing specifically on inland lakes, the plan also recommended strategies for the city to implement as part of its policy to restore Dianchi.

Also in southwestern China's Yunnan Province about 600 kilometers from Kunming, the Lashihai basin is one of the most significant landscapes in China. The roughly 15 square kilometer watershed is comprised of sensitive habitats for migratory birds, alpine forests and meadows, and small agricultural villages inhabited by the Naxi and Yi ethnic minorities – all located adjacent to the UNESCO certified cultural heritage city of Lijiang. The pressures that the basin faces are immense, placing Lashi at a critical tipping point. Working together, designers and developers embarked on a mission to properly plan the basin by protecting it from unmitigated growth. Through conversations with the local government, minority community leaders, and The Nature Conservancy, a master plan which sought to protect sensitive habitats and cultural influences while also allowing for strategic tourism development was established to protect Lashi's status as one of the "last great places on earth".

In northern China, the coastal city of Qinhuangdao faces similar issues from rapid, unchecked development. Its coastal dune ecosystem has been severely degraded due to a lack of regulatory oversight, and stream corridors which drain into the Bohai Bay carry urban refuse and storm water. Through the foresight of open-minded developer Kerry Properties, a new urban district emerging along the city's coast seeks to re-establish the dune ecosystem, restore an urban stream, and create a mixed-use destination for this city of 3 million. The result is a vision for Qinhuangdao which can serve as a model for sustainable development and landscape restoration for other cities facing similar environmental issues throughout China.