City as The Infrastructure of Innovation:

Insights and Proposals for Shaping Shenzhen's Innovation District and Knowledge-based Industry

Kecheng Huang

SMArchS Architecture & Urbanism

Advisors: J. Yolande Daniels & Siqi Zheng

Innovation district has become a popular concept in urban planning and design application in recent years. Proposed by city planning departments around the world, they aim to adopt this methodology to promote the growth of knowledge-based industries and, at the same time, improve the interaction and collaboration between the innovation industry and the city. In this paper, the author explores the relationship between cities and innovation districts across multiple scales, taking Shenzhen and its typical innovation districts as the research subject. Through site investigation and comparative analysis with the innovation districts in San Francisco, the author identifies the key issues and challenges in designing innovation districts in China’s context. In addition, the author also proposes design strategies at both the urban design level and architectural design level to improve the functionality and adaptability of them. The findings provide insights for addressing the challenges faced by innovation districts in Shenzhen, China.

Image (opposite): The Development of Innovation Industry in the Pearl River Delta since 1979, drawn by the author, Kecheng Huang