Part & Whole – Reconciling Scale, Density and Sustainability in Asian Megapolises

AB O UT TH E AUTHO R S

Nirmal Kishnani

Nirmal Kishnani is an Associate Professor at the School of Design and Environment of the National University of Singapore. At the time of this publication, he held the appointment of Programme Director of the Master of Science, Integrated Sustainable Design (MSc ISD), through which he has, over the past decade, pioneered a pedagogy based on systems thinking and a regenerative design approach.

For more than twenty years, Kishnani has been an advocate of sustainable design, advising on projects and policies in Asia, formulating new platforms and scrutinising the space between front-line theories and drawingboard pragmatism. As editor-­ in-chief of FuturArc magazine, he championed thought leaders in the field of design, and made a case for a design an approach that is tailored to conditions within the Asian context.

His books Greening Asia: Emerging Principles for Sustainable ­Archi­tecture (2012) and Ecopuncture: Transforming Architecture and Urbanism in Asia (2019) both argue for upstream imagination over acts of downstream mitigation, advocating new methods and frameworks. His essays in this publication convey the same sentiment, asking what might be the aspirations of planners and urban designers as they prepare for an ecological age.

Five 1×1 km sites in three Asian cities have been unpacked and reconstituted by teams of architects, engineers, landscape designers and planners. The aspiration wasn’t to formulate generalisable prescriptions but to investigate the robustness of a new process. A method was created to tackle the complexity of the city, unpack systemic layers and recombine them in ways that mend fractures and enhance urban quality.

This approach sought to calibrate density and liveability, remain rooted in the narrative of place and examine what it means to be sustainable.

BANG KOK

HONG KONG

S HANG HAI

Our journey into the heart of twenty-first century Asian cities has revealed a deep anthropocentric bias, inherited from the legacy of the Modern movement and from recent globalisation and urbanisation trends. Challenging this legacy has revealed just how much of what happens today is unsustainable and in plain sight.

The two experts who have led the study, Asma Khawatmi and Nirmal Kishnani, combine design research in Hong Kong, Bangkok and Shanghai with insights into Asian megalo­ polises. They report on the dissonance of political, economic and social imperatives, pulling cities apart at the seams, so to speak. Layered on to this are the exigencies of climate change and ecological losses, which raise questions about the substance of the discourse and reveal its underpinning worldview. Anyone seeking easy answers will be disappointed. What this book offers are glimpses of an uncertain future; what it inspires, however, are insights into how to navigate that uncertainty.

ISBN: 978-981-14-5675-6

Asma Khawatmi Nirmal Kishnani

Asma Khawatmi is a French registered architect and a visiting Associate Professor at the Department of Architecture at the National University of Singapore (NUS). Since 2001 she has been combining her own practice with research, publications and exhibitions dedicated to south-east Asian cities. She has notably published several essays on the shophouse typology, including SG3. Decoding Sustainable Urbanism: Case Study Singapore, co-authored with Nirmal Kishnani in 2016.

Through collaborations with Asian universities, international experts and research centres, she has developed a multi-scalar and sustainable urban design methodology. In the context of the Master of Science, Integrated Sustainable Design (MSc ISD) and the Master of Arts in Urban Design (MAUD) graduate degrees, she has applied this process to act on sustainability issues of south-east Asian megalopolises. In this book, her methodology and essay articulate the characteristics and paradigms of Asian megacities through the study of Bangkok, Hong Kong and Shanghai. While these three cities do not sum up the complexity of contemporary Asian megalopolises, the exacerbated challenges they represent do make them universal case studies.

Asma Khawatmi

Part⁄Whole

Asma Khawatmi

AB O UT TH E B OO K

AB OU T THE B OOK

Nirmal Kishnani

Reconciling scale, density and sustainability in Asian megalopolises

Part⁄Whole

Reconciling scale, density and sustainability in Asian megalopolises Asma Khawatmi Nirmal Kishnani

Bangkok Hong Kong Shanghai

Part⁄ Whole

The research presented in this book was carried out over three years by students and professors of the Master of Science, Integrated Sustainable Design (MSc ISD) programme at the School of Design and Environment, National University of Singapore. This university is ranked consistently as one of the world's top tertiary institutions and is located in Singapore, a city-state in Asia that is a global leader in green architecture and urbanism.

In the design studios that anchor this one-year, post-professional course, sustainability is examined both as outcome and process.

The curriculum is Asian-centric, and anchored in systems thinking as a pathway. This starts by asking which systems matter, how built and natural systems interact, which flows and exchanges can be intentionally altered (i.e., designed) for a resilient future. It leads to frameworks for reciprocity between systems and spatial structures that bring together social, economic and ecological imperatives.

The students who join our programme come from different disciplines and backgrounds. The programme is taught by global experts in the fields of architecture, urbanism and landscape ecology.

AB OU T THE B OOK

Part⁄Whole

Reconciling scale, density and sustainability in Asian megalopolises Asma Khawatmi Nirmal Kishnani The research presented in this book was carried out over three years by students and professors of the Master of Science, Integrated Sustainable Design (MSc ISD) programme at the School of Design and Environment, National University of Singapore. This university is ranked consistently as one of the world's top tertiary institutions and is located in Singapore, a city-state in Asia that is a global leader in green architecture and urbanism.

In the design studios that anchor this one-year, post-professional course, sustainability is examined both as outcome and process.

The curriculum is Asian-centric, and anchored in systems thinking as a pathway. This starts by asking which systems matter, how built and natural systems interact, which flows and exchanges can be intentionally altered (i.e., designed) for a resilient future. It leads to frameworks for reciprocity between systems and spatial structures that bring together social, economic and ecological imperatives.

The students who join our programme come from different disciplines and backgrounds. The programme is taught by global experts in the fields of architecture, urbanism and landscape ecology.

Reconciling scale, density and sustainability in Asian megalopolises

Bangkok Hong Kong Shanghai

Part⁄ Whole Asma Khawatmi Nirmal Kishnani

INDE X

Prologue

12 18 24

City Identities

1 Understanding Situations A Multidimensional Approach

2 Concept, Strategies, Urban Design Guidelines, Master Plan and Outcomes An Integrated Approach

Epilogue

Reclaiming Sustainability for an Ecological Age

Nirmal Kishnani

Context and Pedagogy

Asma Khawatmi

28 Bangkok: A parallel universe of formal and spontaneous networks

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30 Hong Kong: A high-rise and compact city, a marketdriven development

32 Shanghai Baoshan: A district lost in urban transitions

A. Multi-Scalar Ecology B. Urban Parameters

52 54 62 70 78 86 94

City Challenges

The Condition of Asian Megalopolises and their Paradigms

Asma Khawatmi

Geography and Climate Natural Resources Mobility Urban Quality Energy

C. Urban Layers

102 Bangkok: Resilience through the co-production of formal and informal dynamics for a more inclusive city

104 Hong Kong: Hyper-dense and urban compactness vs. liveability

106 Shanghai Baoshan: Economic development vs. social and environmental conditions

Bangkok

Hong Kong

Shanghai Baoshan

110 Five Sites ⁄ Five Master Plans 112 Pak Klong Talat 118 Sam Yan 124 Sukhumvit 130 Khlong Toei Port 136 Lat Krabang 142 City Master Plan 148 Outcomes

152 Five Sites ⁄ Five Master Plans 154 Tai Po 160 Sham Shui Po 166 Stanley 172 Central 178 Wan Chai 184 Outcomes

190 Five Sites ⁄ Five Master Plans 192 Gucun Park 198 Qilian 204 First Steel Plant 210 Youyi Road 216 Lake Meilan 222 City Master Plan 226 Outcomes

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The Whole and the Parts, Mutual Intelligence

236

A Post-Anthropocentric Perspective

240 242 244 246

Notes Pedagogical Team / Participants Acknowledgements Imprint

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The Condition of Asian Megalopolises and their Paradigms

For the first time in history, more people are settled in urban contexts than in rural areas. More than 50% of the world population now lives in urban areas and according to the United Nations (UN) this figure is expected to reach 70% by 2050.1 The balance between developed and undeveloped territories has changed dramatically over the past century. We are now living in a world that is almost completely urban, and this raises new ecological issues. If the exchange between urban and non-urban used to create a sustainable balance, the balance has to be redefined under the new conditions of pervasive and global metropolisation and megalopolisation.

Globalisation and demographic evolution have influenced urban development trajectories.

Understanding the impact of these phenomena can certainly help redefine the challenges of urban development that confront cities with their context and act on the impact of urban activities on ecological and social systems.

Some of the most rapid demographic transitions of recent decades have been observed in south and south-east Asia. This area exemplifies the urban transition to the extreme, a process by which a predominantly rural population becomes predominantly urban. The rural exodus has been and still is massive, with nearly 40 million new urban dwellers per year feeding the growth of Asian cities, a brutal large-scale transition mainly towards the larger conurbations, most of which are concentrated on coastal plains.

While this urban transition seems essential to the processes of industrialisation, economic growth and increased welfare, it has also caused severe environmental deterioration. The city depends upon the sustainability of the rural economy for food, agricultural inputs to industry, natural resources and energy. Rural-urban exchanges are mainly one-way flows to the city that do not restore rural economic value or resources.

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Megalopolisation has become a demographic dynamic in which the megacity has gobbled up the city, the megalopolis has become a nation city within the nation state, and the bigger cities are larger than countries. Rapid globalisation-driven growth characterised by the widening and the acceleration of interconnectedness worldwide has produced compressed and telescoped patterns.

In the context of this exponential growth, environmental crises are occurring sooner, progressing faster and emerging more simultaneously.

Understanding and analysing unique spatial and temporal models of current urban environmental challenges in Asian megacities can help identify actions for more resilient urban conditions in these cities and elsewhere.

If Asian megalopolises undergo the same phenomena of globalisation as others, what specificities and paradigms do they present?

Here, we have chosen Bangkok, Hong Kong and Shanghai as three case studies to compare existing urban conditions, evaluate the paradigms of Asian megalopolises and propose local and extrapolated visions for a more sustainable urban transformation of megacities.

From Urban Palimpsests to Megalopolisation The urban condition of Asian metropolises consists of multiple layers of meaning and temporality accumulated at different stages of growth impacted by history, colonial land policies, industrialisation and migration waves. If Asian megacities present strong specific identities, in most cases the influence of Western culture in the course of the history of the urbanisation of centres and territories seems inherent to their development. The urban palimpsest is the combination of the interaction between cities’ internal essence and external influences.

According to Richard O’Connor, most south-east Asian urban megacities deal with two opposing influences that form their urban palimpsest. The internal essence, embodied in the sphere of social and cultural cohesion, defines society’s intrinsic essence that guarantees the stability and continu­ ity of the urban condition. In opposition, the ex-

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ternal paradigms composed by the Indic idiom, the colonial and the modern, provide the stylistic and technological changes from the outer world.

‘Today that world is modern, so everyone is ranked in a paradigm of modernity. Earlier, when the outside world was Indic, an Indic idiom defined the social hierarchy and its institutions of king, court, and social ranking.’

during the reign of King Rama V that corresponds to the period of the Industrial Revolution in Europe, roads and railways where largely developed as major means of transportation. Streets assumed the role of canals as primary public spaces and connectors, becoming the most important functional and structural element of the city and influencing contemporary development patterns in Bangkok.4 In Shanghai, Westernisation advanced as a result Richard O’Connor 2 Recurring themes represent the inner essence of a series of concessions implemented by major of urbanism, while variations reflect the ever-­ Western merchants hoping to develop the city’s changing modern paradigm. The interaction be- amenities in order to promote the commercial tween recurring themes and contrasting evolutions growth of their businesses. The first stage was the leads to the variety of urban forms. Early south-east land grant concession for the British in 1846. The Asian cities of pre-colonial times were built around American Concession, established in 1848, merged the palace of the ruler, surrounded by aristocratic with the British Concession in 1863 to form the compounds, commercial quarters and settlements International Settlement, a newly formed district clustered around those compounds. As a result that was much larger than the French Concession of external influences, the morphology of cities established in 1849. As a result, two urban forms evolved thanks to the transformation of the older emerged, creating distinctions between the indi­ fine-grained street grids and canal systems, which genous Chinese city and the foreign concessions, were replaced by a less permeable structure of inscribing divisions whose traces continue to influstreet blocks, creating tensions between the indi­ ence today’s urban organisation. Originally located genous spatial order and the freestanding pattern on agricultural land and swamps in the north of the of large-scale urban intensification, redefining city, the concessions extended several times to the point of surpassing the Chinese neighbourhoods movement, uses and edge conditions. both in population and in land area around 1910.

The first radical urban transformation was pro- In these new urban developments, streets were duced during the nineteenth century, when the widened, canals were filled, their banks were upgrowth of international trade and investment and graded and infrastructure (water, gas, electricity) the consolidation of the colonial system provided was installed. These districts then became the true opportunities for industrial revolution through heart of the city, while the fortified town, whose transport technology (steamships, railways, elec- wall was razed in 1912, was marginalised.5 tric tramways and motor vehicles).

Hong Kong grew from a fishing village to become By the nineteen twenties, towards the end of colo- one of the major port cities of the Asian region. The nial rule, the European enclaves of the main cities in urban development of Hong Kong began in 1841, south-east Asia were comparable to contemporary when Hong Kong Island was ceded to the British Western cities of the period, characterised by the government. At that time, Britain was one of the International Style and an urban and economic first nations to introduce a town planning system organisation around a central business district with urban legislation in its colonies. The process of dominated by European firms.3 urbanisation was continuous until 1941 and ended The Westernisation of Bangkok began during the reign of King Rama IV (1851) and was completed during that of King Rama VI (1925) with the implementation of a modernisation policy under ­European influence. The shift from primarily water-­ based transportation to land-based systems constituted the most radical change. From 1868 to 1910,

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with the Japanese invasion of Hong Kong Island in World War Two. The initial settlement was located in the northern part of the island, planned as a grid along the shoreline.6 It was followed by expansion along the waterfront up towards the foothills of Victoria Peak. In 1861, the ceding of Kowloon Peninsula to the British government promoted urban

development mainly along the costal strips around the harbour area through a progressive process of land reclamation. Hong Kong’s urban fabric forms a fragmented pattern in which the layout of roads and street grids in different reclaimed lands over the course of its history has provided each territory with a specific identity.7 Political changes, first against colonial domination and later between communists and non-commun­ ists, were the main transformation factors of the late colonial and postcolonial south-east Asian city in its urban, social and economic conditions.

The decline of colonial rule made cities porous to rural-urban migration. Urban populations increased due to the densification of city centres and the filling up of peripheral areas. During the nineteen fifties and sixties, these cities gradually became over-populated and suffered from urban degradation due to overloaded infrastructure, congestion, social disparity and pollution. Despite such huge problems, south-east Asian cities have continued to function and sustain a remarkable rate of industrialisation and economic growth.

Since the nineteen seventies, industrialisation has been the driving force behind the rapid urbanisation of south-east Asia, radically transforming urban forms, land use and peripheries in cities and territories that are now widely participating in major international flows and hosting new global command centres. Thus, the region has seen the development of genuine megalopolises, vast agglomerations exceeding 10 million inhabitants that have shaped Asia and exercised an extensive influence. The new urban systems that have emerged include Hong Kong, a megalopolis with world influence and one of the main Asian financial centres integrated in the industrial zone of the River Pearl Delta; Shanghai, the economic capital of China that is experi­encing an exceptional development in all sectors as the first industrial region of the country, the first world port and an increasingly influential financial centre; and Bangkok, the hyperactive megacity and capital of Thailand, located in the central plain of the country that reorganises twenty-six provinces and is the strategic driving force of the national economy and international exchanges, besides being a main industrial centre on the east coast.

While a number of similarities can be identified in world metropolises, one of the particularities of Asian megalopolises is the rapid urbanisation undergone by compressed regions and exceeded by a galloping growth, often bypassing certain stages of urban development in Western cities. Over the last fifty years, a number of Asian countries have reached levels of urbanisation which other developed countries have taken more than a century to achieve.

The intense competition between metropolises, their power of attraction and capacity of concentration has led to the formation of megacities.

Among them, Hong Kong, Bangkok and Shanghai followed the pattern defined by Saskia Sassen as a centralisation of global command functions in a few urban centres known as world cities.8 The rapid integration of east and south-east Asia in the world economy – a process known as global­ isation – has transformed the condition of cities and urban peripheries, redefining their scales and limits.

The pressure on existing central organisations triggered the creation of large-scale suburban developments and new independent towns. Cities and their immediate regions adapt and respond quickly to pressures, bringing new opportunities and challenges that emerge from globalising influences. Megacities that spread to larger territories became Extended Metropolitan Regions (EMR), integrating their rural hinterlands. In the Asian context, the EMR spread to urban fringe areas where land-use controls are less strict, development opportunities are more open and population growth and physical changes accelerate faster.

The Bangkok Metropolitan Region exemplifies a pervasive suburbanisation process, where the increasing replacement of fields and swamps with lands destined to other uses, and the development and integration of the five provinces of Nakhon Pathom, Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi, Samut Prakan

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and Samut Sakhon, gradually led to the formation of a gigantic urban sprawl over a total area of 7,762 sq. km.9 This form of urban development has also begun to appear in large Chinese cities.

Shanghai initiated its satellite-town policies in the nineteen sixties, which were followed by the formation of Greater Shanghai. The city now covers more than 6,000 sq. km and has reached the level of a mega-urban region development, an extensive growth of core metropolitan regions beyond administrative boundaries and hinterlands.

In 1973, Hong Kong initiated a New Town Develop­ ment programme to build nine towns in order to compensate the urban pressure on its existing central organisation. This programme was followed

by New Development Areas policy in the New Territories.10 Over the past ten years, Hong Kong City has also developed a new land supply strategy reclaiming land for the expansion of its centre.

Within the next decade, the population of Shanghai will exceed 30 million. The number of inhabitants of the River Yangtze Delta Megalopolis will be close to 90 million, while the number of residents of the River Pearl Delta’s massive extended metropolitan region, including Hong Kong, will increase to 80 million.

Reinforcing this galloping urban extension, Inter­ national Development corridors are being implemented through spatial and economic transform­ ation of extended territories. Since 2018, a new high-speed train service connects Hong Kong to Shanghai in eight hours via China’s major cities, including Hangzhou, Nanchang, Changsha, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. On a larger scale, the trans-­ regional corridor of south-east Asia – a motor­way linking the South China Sea to the Indian Ocean – is boosted by the opening of a new bridge between Thailand and Myanmar. The corridor through Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and Myanmar is destined to reshape the supply chains of the Mekong region, including Cambodia, providing access to the Indian market.

Globalisation doesn’t only raise key questions in the fields of urban development and spatial planning, but also in the relations between the State and civil society, in environmental sustainability concerns and in issues related to economic growth and social equity.

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The impact of the main challenges and stresses of Asian megalopolises occurs in an emerging space system that, while globalising, is localised in its daily aspects, triggering specific paradigms. This makes these cities unique in certain aspects yet simultaneously places them on a global level, facing universal issues.

Asian Megalopolises and their Paradigms Off-System While the economic prosperity and population of these megalopolises are immense, they are also marked by strong socio-spatial segregation. So if this economic growth is unprecedented, how should we reconsider the current urban oppositional processes: formal vs. informal sector, ­public actors vs. private agents, and government vs. citizens?

Where can we carry out collective actions for liveable and resilient cities?

How can we turn local communities into effective political agents?

Are governments and political parties the vehicles of collective projects? Or should liveability traject­ ories be based on less conventional institutional instruments such as social entities, communities or non-governmental organisations (NGOs)?

Social cleavage and collective action must be readdressed. In this local-global process, new forces are emerging: the rise of civil society and the return of urban spaces to the logic of global accumulation.

The rise of civil society is manifested among other things by an increasing pressure for more liveable cities that provide spaces for everyday forms of social engagement away from the control of the State and lobbies.

In this context of complexity, urban adaptation and pluralism, the rebalanced coexistence between flexible and adaptable systems and more static

components is necessary so that the different parties can reinforce each other.

Transnationalisation A transnational phenomenon leads to a shift in the unit of analysis of individual states towards a global system. The contemporary international economy is fundamentally different from that of the Fordist era. Key differences include the explosive transnationalisation of capital currently operating through international circuits of finance, product­ ion and commerce. In global competition, a city must participate in transnational flows of capital and information and become an appropriate site for corporate command centres.

‘Urban-oriented investments in production for world markets, global intra-firm commodity trade within transnational corporate networks, and the hyper-circulation of finance capital are fundamental features of what has been summarized as the “local-global” context of development.’

Mike Douglass 11

For Henri Lefebvre,the production of space is integrally linked to the economic development and social relations that led to capitalism and are also its consequence.12 Cities and civil society are impacted by the global business economy.

The complicity of the State is expressed by neo-­ liberal political and economic reforms that support the globalisation of all circuits of capital, including the commodification of social relations thanks to the transition from civic space to private commercial space.

This new form of economy and development has neglected the essential role of urban space and city investments capable of generating social capital through a cooperative commitment to make communities liveable.

Relations between globalisation and territories seem contradictory, at once denying and reinforcing both. Widespread competition between all world territories thanks to increased ease for the movement of goods, capital and information places them all on the same level but it also strengthens territoriality, through the new demand for local identity.

Territory then becomes a commodity, used either for local consumption or at a distance.

The production of territory is an intrinsic dimension of human activity that can be either explicit and organised, at the service of a social project, or implicit, a simple inevitable by-product of activities that have other purposes: to produce, to circulate, to inhabit, get distracted, and so on.

However, territory isn’t only the support of human activity, it’s also a social construction in which all inhabitants participate on a daily basis, capable of creating new spatial dynamics. Therefore human activities should be the factor determining the particular physiognomy of each territory in order to resituate it in the context of globalisation.

The assimilation of these paradigms into a logic of the dynamics of urban development will enable the implementation of synergistic actions to ensure the local integrates the global and the global impacts the local, thereby responding to the environmental and social tensions of megalopolises.

Bangkok, Hong Kong and Shanghai case studies could contribute to the more global reflection in the context of today’s increased and globalised awareness of the environmental and social emergency.

Deterritorialisation Anthropologists use the term deterritorialised to denote a weakening of the links between culture and place, where the physical territory remains a point of reference.

In times of globalisation, deterritorialisation is identified in terms of the weakening of territorial identities, which, in turn, leads to an increased social demand for the local.13

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Reclaiming Sustainability for an Ecological Age

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To understand sustainability, we must study its etymology. The word dates back to the aftermath of World War Two, when the postwar reconstruction of Europe and Japan and the economic boom in the United States led to a surge in industrial development and urban growth that exacerbated the risks to natural systems. The threat was no longer localised; chemicals used in agriculture, for instance, damaged ecosystems and human health a long way from where farming was carried out. The impacts of the industrial economy were highlighted in two seminal books, Silent Spring (1962) and The Limits to Growth (1972).14 These views coalesced into a movement that called for restraints on those human actions that irreversibly altered planetary systems.

Two decades later, against a backdrop of globalisation and neo-liberal economic policies, the discussion shifted from how to protect nature to what nature was able to withstand. The idea of limits led to the pursuit of eco-efficiency: the rational­isation of a belief that natural capital could be consumed, albeit at a pace at which nature could replenish itself.15 By the end of the nineteen nineties, the discussion had turned to profitable sustainability, on the assumption that a ‘market-based system of consumption and production (was) not incompatible with significant environmental reforms, and (did) not automatically lead to more environmental devastation’.16 In other words, the world economy could continue to grow, as long as stakeholders did less harm. This assertion was appealing, in part because it set a low bar for action. Governments left corporations to decide which measures were tenable or necessary. Developers could choose from a checklist that was unapologetically anthropo­ centric. The goals of sustainable development were to improve the bottom line of investors and increase the well-being of humans. Nature was not a part of the calculation.

As a result of this, a checklist approach was embraced by the building sector. Many architects and urbanists tweaked twentieth-century precepts, adding eco-labels to what was known and done. The process would begin with best practice norms, such as passive design strategies, which were already common, but could make develop-

ment seem more sustainable. To these, designers would add bolt-on solutions: vegetated roofs, solar canopies, electric cars, blue-green patches, waste management systems, etc., each targeting the performance of a subsystem but never really questioning the whole.

Repeated attempts at building an eco-city reveal the pitfalls of this approach. As a case in point, Tianjin Eco-city, approximately 40 km from Tianjin, China, has critics adopt a dismissive tone. It’s like every ‘other new (city) in China, although the solar panels and wind turbines scattered throughout its neighbourhoods provide a superficial reminder of its “eco” status’.17 Projects like this, purporting to be sustainable, highlight the absence of a framework. Few practitioners, particularly in fast-­growing Asia, understand ecological loss and climate change, or how to address them.

A Crisis of Planetary Proportions

Since the nineteen nineties, Asian cities have been witnessing an unprecedented growth in population that has resulted in a rapid increase in metropolitan footprints and a boom in construction activity.

Of the twenty cities that have grown the fastest worldwide, twelve are in China. Of the remaining eight, only one is outside Asia.

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China used more concrete between 2011 and 2014 than the United States throughout the entire twentieth century.19 This upward trend is predicted to continue, with countries like India jumping on the fast track. By 2050, about two thirds of Asians will be city dwellers, up from around 50% in 2020. 20 Life in cities is a struggle for millions. This is partly a consequence of how density is distributed and, partly, infrastructure is failing to keep up with the numbers. Indian cities like Kolkata and Mumbai have somewhere between 20,000 and 30,000 people/sq. km, a number up to five times higher than most European cities.21 Informal settlements

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in these metropolises can be packed with as much as 100,000 people/sq. km. Here, many do not have access to running water or toilet facilities.

Asia must cope on a daily basis with rifts between social and economic systems that precipitate conflicts over land use. Several binaries dominate the narrative: urban vs. rural, rich vs. poor, private vs. public, formal vs. informal. Unresolved and festering, these binaries induce destabilising tension amongst parts within a whole, triggering systemic fragmentation.

The conflict is visible as an outright struggle in which one group or species thrives at the expense of others, and appears in turbulent boundaries, or edge conditions, where skirmishes flare up. In some places, neighbourhoods become enclaves with hardened edges where space becomes exclusive to certain groups. In most cities, this is accompanied by a loss of ecosystem services where natural systems such as rivers are degraded to the point that they are unable to support life.

In Bandung, Indonesia, urban and suburban precincts within the Upper Citarum Basin, where the city is located, tripled in size between 1983 and 2002. Industrial areas surged almost one hundred fold. This period of change also saw forest cover halved from 85,138 to 39,150 ha.22 Of the 2,500 factories in the basin, most discharge untreated waste water directly into the river and its tributaries.23 A recent study found faecal coliform levels in the River Citarum up to 5,000 times the mandatory limit. 24 Pesticides have contaminated nearby groundwater that serves farming communities, posing a public health hazard.25 The population of the Mumbai Metropolitan ­Region (MMR) is less than 2% of India’s total and yet it accounts for 5% of the country’s national gross domestic product and 33% of its income tax.26 Following the liberalisation of the Indian economy in the early nineteen nineties, Mumbai witnessed an influx of migrant labour. Population

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in the metropolitan region increased almost 60% in just two decades, from 14.8 million in 1991 to 23.5 million in 2011. 27 Growth has not been equitable. In 2001, Greater Mumbai had 6.25 million people living in slums, approximately 54% of the total population; by 2017, this figure was nine million or 62%.28 As the city grew, 36% of its forests and green cover were lost, water bodies shrank by 12%, wetlands by 31% and open spaces and croplands by 40%.29 The degradation of ecosystems came sharply into focus in 2005, when a devastating flood paralysed the city and caused the death of over 1,000 people.30 These cities illustrate how the production of financial capital is often at the expense of natural capital, and how this, in turn, affects social capital.

Eventually, the two loop back to undercut financial capital. The Mumbai flood, for instance, damaged 200,000 homes, 40,000 commercial buildings and 30,000 vehicles.

Capitals are inextricably linked; focus on one is at the expense of others. How can designers address this level of complexity?

‘What Kind of Problem the City Is’ The first challenge facing the design community is cognitive dissonance. We are desensitised to contradictions around us; consequently, we continue as we have always done, with impunity. Let’s consider Mumbai again again: despite its problems, it’s been called the greenest city in India because it has the largest number of green buildings, many of which were built at a time when the city’s systems were being degraded. 31 The term green here refers to compliance with a checklist that stipulates what a development should do within site-and-shell. The resulting dichotomy of scales, architectural vs. urban, allows us to celebrate the success of one and ignore the failure of the other.

This tendency to compartmentalise can be traced back to our framing of the problem.

Author Jane Jacobs, in her book The Death and Life of Great American Cities (1961), famously asked ‘(what) kind of problem the city is’.32

In science, there are several problem types that apply to the built environment; each must be tackled with the appropriate ‘methods of analysis and discovery (and) strategies for thinking.’ Otherwise, solutions may be meaningless and could even exacerbate the situation.

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The city, Jacobs reckoned, is a problem in complexity, for which there are two subtypes. Disorganised complexity seems random by virtue of the vast number of interacting variables. A metropolis comprises thousands of buildings, hundreds of thousands of air conditioners and lights, and millions of inhabitants. The energy behaviour of the city as a whole cannot be predicted from the efficiency of its parts – there are just too many interactions, each contingent on several others. The whole, however, can be estimated with tools of statistical analysis that map the relationship of one system to another. A problem of organised complexity (e.g., a neighbourhood) operates with fewer variables and yet, paradoxically, is harder to generalise. The number of variables is not substantial enough to be probed statistically; the interactions, too many to model independently. Confounding the situation is human behaviour that can cause the whole to act in unpredictable, non-linear ways.

The working definition of green today does not contemplate complexity. Instead, a green building is presented as a sum of simple and complicated problems, governed by laws of physical science and open to cause-effect analyses. Each element – say, envelopes, cooling systems, lights – is evaluated, quantified and optimised. The performance of the whole is the sum of its parts; one plus one equals two, always. When simple and complicated ­p roblem-solving techniques are applied to complex problems, the outcomes can be, at best, ineffective.

Donella Meadows, pioneering American environmental scientist, posited that the way to tackle real-world complexity is to frame it as multiple interacting systems.34 A system is an agglomeration of elements and connectors within a boundary

condition, and whose collective behaviour cannot be deduced from that of its subsystems.

‘Systems can change, adapt, respond to events, seek goals, mend injuries, and attend to their own survival in lifelike ways, although they may contain or consist of non-living things. Systems can be self-organizing, and often are self-repairing over at least some range of disruptions. They are resilient, and many of them are evolutionary.

Out of one system other completely new, never-­ before imagined systems could arise.’

Donella Meadows 35

A network of spatial connectors – say, sidewalks – is a system with characteristics that set it apart from others with the same elements and inter­ connections, i.e., every sidewalk is different, depending on its combination of residents and visitors. They have an organic and spontaneous order, wherein ‘the parts generate the whole . . . while the whole organises the parts’. 36 There are several takeaways from this part-whole hypothesis. Firstly, the parts must be context­ ualised against a whole and vice versa. A system cannot exist in isolation. This is, in effect, a position on scale, for instance how a building is embedded within a neighbourhood or a neighbourhood within a city. Here, design moves from arranging objects to crafting relationships, focusing on edge conditions and connectors that regulate flows and exchanges. Secondly, systems adapt and change in unpredictable ways. It is impossible to conceptualise the end state of a city, thirty to forty years from now, therefore the goal must be to formulate a framework for change: mechanisms for growth, feedback loops and cycles. Thirdly, the proposition allows us to conceptualise the links between human-made and natural. Cities operate within ecosystems and since both tap into similar resource flows, designers can target pathways and seek out partnerships.

Systems are inherently difficult to visualise. To operationalise the thinking for the drawing board, architect and design-theorist Christopher ­Alexander postulated that systems have forms that give rise to patterns.37

21

PROLOG UE

NIRMAL KI S HNANI

A pattern is both spatial and behavioural, emerging from interactions between people and their environment. An act of design, therefore, is contingent on finding good forms and patterns in the real world, and adapting them to a new context.

French urbanist Serge Salat referenced the writings of Alexander on urban form, for a study of Paris.38 The Haussmann plan, implemented in the nineteenth century, was compared with Le Corbusier’s 1922 proposal, which was never executed.39 The latter was described as tree-like, hierarchical and with more categories of large-to-small roads. The former, leaf-like, had fewer categories and showed a polycentric arrangement of connectors.

Salat discovered an explicit correlation between form and performance. Buildings in the ­Haussmann model had lower energy demand and more daylight access. Neighbourhoods did better on three counts: access and connectivity, as seen from a pedestrian viewpoint; adaptability, which is the ease of replacing a part without disrupting the whole; and social and commercial exchange, a reference to street life. Salat went on to summarise the morphological assets of eco-urbanism. To a list that began with density, functional and social mix, he added the metrics of complexity – node connections, frontage, courtyards – and the presence of nature, i.e., water and greenery. What is significant about his findings is that the leaf-like configuration does better than the tree-like on all counts: environmental, social and experiential. He did not, however, make a case for nature, nor did he challenge the anthropocentric priorities at the heart of both models.

Changing Worldviews Anthropocentricism places human beings at the centre of all decisions. We are set apart from nature; standing outside, looking in. Our approach to natural systems, if not exploitative, is custodial at best.

22

Experts argue that this humancentric position is an impediment to meeting the challenges of the twenty-first century. We must return to an earlier proposition, harmony between human beings and nature, which is more pressing today than ever before, as we face an existential threat of ecosystem collapse.

The narratives of politics, economy and society which once dominated the theory of urbanism must now be aligned with new ecological exigencies and timelines. To attempt to improve the city without explicitly addressing current crises is equivalent to rearranging deckchairs on the Titanic.

In Asia, very few cities adopt a nature-centric ­approach to urbanism and planning. Singapore is a noteworthy example.

Singapore has done much to elevate the role of natural systems in planning. Green cover on the island has increased steadily over the last few decades, despite a parallel increase in population.

By 2018, it was equivalent to half of the surface area of its territory.40 The Garden City vision that had guided development for over four decades was reframed in 2012 as City in a Garden, a shift in policy aiming to enhance the coherence and accessibility of blue-green systems.

In 2015, the National Parks Board (NParks) ­unveiled the Nature Conservation Masterplan (NCMP), addressing the city’s natural assets for the first time.41 The NCMP maps out what is left and in need of protection, and seeks to integrate nature reserves with urban elements. The latter includes, for instance, a Park Connector Network (PCN) that links green patches with pedestrian and cycling tracks across the island, and doubles up as paths for the movement of species. Initi­ ated in 1995, the PCN had a cumulative length of 330 km by 2017, and is expected to reach 700 km by 2030.42 Also part of the masterplan are nature ways: roads that, through selective planting, mimic the structure of a forest and bridge areas

of high biodiversity. In 2018, these covered some 80 km, and by 2020 should extend to 260 km.43 At the building scale, the planning authorities in Singapore stipulate the use of the Green Plot Ratio (GnPR), a metric with which designers can declare the quantum of vegetation in a project.

The GnPR is on the checklist of the Green Mark, Singapore’s green building standard, which since 2008 is mandatory for all new constructions. In addition to this imperative, the Skyrise Greening Incentive Scheme promotes green roofs and walls by offering subsidies and guidance to developers. The aim is to have 200 ha of vertical landscapes by 2030.44 In 2017, NParks attempted to steer the conversation towards ecology, issuing guidelines on how to attract biodiversity to roof gardens. 45 Singapore applies systems thinking in planning by targeting multiple layers and scales at once. But what is the Singapore model pursuing, besides a better life for its citizens? Can an anthropocentric approach also benefit nature? Some would say no.

In the ‘Ecomodernist Manifesto’ published in 2015, eighteen global experts argued that the urban and natural cannot be harmonised; if we are to survive, we must surrender the countryside to nature. 46 Human beings may reside in cities, aided by technologies that produce and recycle what is required.

Famed biologist Edward O. Wilson adopted a similar position in his book, Half-Earth: Our Planet’s Fight for Life, in which he contends that half the planet ought to be set aside for biodiversity.47 Emerging technologies – biology, nanotechnology, robotics – will transform cities, making us smarter and more efficient. Both views are predicated on the goal of autarky: the metropolis producing what it needs, within its boundaries.

As a species, it is unlikely that we will leave nature untouched; the tension between urban and rural will persist. The case for segregation will fail, just as coexistence, advocated since the late nineteenth century, failed. 48 This is because neither addresses the underlying worldview, a cognitive framework that affects how we see the world collectively and act in consequence. The pervasive worldview is mechanistic, describing a macrocosm of independent elements with linear flows. ­Human beings, their buildings and settlements, are

This essay features excerpts from the 2019 book, Ecopuncture: Transforming Architecture and Urbanism in Asia, by Dr Nirmal Kishnani.

deemed separate from nature. The counterpoint to mechanistic is ecological: the world as a set of connected and inter­dependent systems, bound by circular flows and with the capacity to regenerate and self-organise.

In the epilogue, the future city will be analysed through four prisms. The first, circularity, stipulates the need for looped resource flows as a way of accelerating production within metropolitan boundaries. The second, partnership with nature, requires that we protect existing ecosystems and construct hybrid ones in and around cities. The third, three-dimensional planning, is linked to the imperative of urbanisation: can the city grow vertically, thereby limiting horizontal expansion? And the fourth, regeneration, seeks a reversal of losses in systems that are degraded or fragmented so that the city, as it evolves, begins to self-heal, inside out.

23

PROLOG UE

Asma Khawatmi

Context and Pedagogy

Bangkok, Hong Kong and Shanghai are chosen as case studies to identify the context and the paradigms of Asian megalopolises and to propose synergies of actions for more sustainable and liveable urban developments. These three cities don’t sum up the complexity of all Asian megalopolises, but the challenges they represent are universal: surging populations coupled with social and environmental problems that compromise liveability and ecology.

Climate change vs. ecological and social resilience, the Bangkok case study Asian cities are the most vulnerable to climate change. One third of the world’s natural disasters over the past three decades occurred in Asia, where densely populated and low-lying coastal plains are exposed to storm surges, coastal erosion, flooding and rising sea levels.49

Density vs. liveability, the Hong Kong case study Asian cities have seen densities soar in recent decades, reaching peaks in excess of 100,000 people/ sq. km. Is this liveable? With increasing densities many city dwellers have less access to greenery, social space, air and light. Even cities that have moderate density struggle to manage quality of life for their populations.

Economic development vs. social and environmental conditions, the Shanghai Baoshan case study After two decades of fast economic growth, China has proved hugely successful in growing its economy and generating wealth for its citizens. This success, however, has come at an outsized cost and the resulting deterioration of natural and social environments are unprecedented.

24

The Pedagogical Context: A Collaborative and Integrated Approach For three years, the semester dedicated to urban design in the Master of Science in Integrated Sustainable Design (MSc ISD) degree at the National University of Singapore (NUS) was devoted to a specific city.

The purpose of this academic module set out to merge the concerns of sustainability, often quantit­ ative and scientific, with the method of urban design, more intuitive and qualitative. In a studio lasting ten weeks, students were asked to negotiate potential outcomes – energy and liveability, resilience and ecosystem services – each elaborated with a set of metrics.

Students travelled to the city in question for a week to map five chosen sites (1×1 km). In the following weeks they redesigned each site bearing in mind a predicted density increase and quality improvement, striving to make the site net zero in terms of energy and water. Their designs had to deliver on multiple counts, to show how their urban projects could reduce energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and simultaneously improve the quality of life of citizens.

Financial support and academic collaboration with EDF have made possible the different trips in the three cities along with the integration of energy data and energy equation from the beginning of the urban design process.

The 3D City Platform, the EDF tool for energy calibration, was introduced early on in the design process so that it could influence design strategies, as the project moved across scales. The collaboration between EDF and NUS / SDE in the MSc ISD urban design studio supported three important goals that were set up by the NUS professors.

Systems Thinking Students were encouraged to deepen their understanding of the integrated design approach. This related in particular the extent to which energy, urban design, ecology and liveability are inter­ dependent layers. The 3D City Platform shed light on some of these connections.

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PROLOG UE

AS MA KHAWATMI

Multidisciplinarity The studio sought to foster a productive dialogue between architects, town planners, urban designers, experts in landscape and ecology, and mechanical and electrical engineers, a discussion that is essential for forging inclusivity and integrative system thinking. The EDF team played the role of industry energy experts.

Iterative Process: From Pedagogy, to Research to Practice This multidisciplinary collaboration combines pedagogy, research and practice in a new and efficient way. The MSc ISD approach to urban design and the 3D City Platform were both enhanced through exchanges at multiple levels.

Furthermore, collaboration with local uni­versities and experts in each city provided extensive know­ ledge of the context as well as a valuable data collection in the development of the analysis and urban design. In addition, a transversal study linked to the Master of Landscape Architecture degree and the contribution of an expert in ecology and biomimicry in the Shanghai case study allowed us to deepen our ecosystem approach applied to urban design.

The Protocol: The Sampling In each city, five 1×1 km sites are chosen as ­samples that represent the variety of the city/territory.

These parts of a system are either interrelated or independent. In both cases, the five sites analysed and developed into five master plans are placed in relation with larger scale infrastructure, grids and networks.

A middle-sized neighbourhood measuring 1 sq. km. is a relevant scale to grasp the interactions and synergies and to develop globally positive solutions rather than solutions that might be positive on one level but negative as a general result.

In this synergetic context, the five master plans of the five samples do not only demonstrate the performance of the proposal as the addition of isolated and specialised performances, but as a

26

holistic and multi-scalar ecology bound by complex relations, negotiations and compensations between its different elements.

What is important isn’t so much the performance of each element by itself, as the globally virtuous system that they form together.

Strategies are developed to articulate and re­ articulate the architectural, the urban and landscape in a vision that attaches as much importance to the detail and materiality of everyday situations as it does to strategic planning issues.

Design integrates performance, density metrics and quality of life visioning. The master plan demonstrates how energy, water, density and liveability are negotiated in a mixed-use development.

The urban projects take into account what exists on the site and its value to the future of the city.

New developments are inserted that strive for densities that are no more than the average for that city, the five 1×1 km master plans are instruments for developing the interactivity between building typology and urban morphology, with specific impacts on energy, water systems, ecosystem services and social cohesion.

The lessons learned from Bangkok, Hong Kong and Shanghai could be adapted to many other rapidly expanding Asian cities.

the city samples in their context as well as to qualify and quantify locally developed strategies that have a global impact.

The multi-scalar ecology articulates four scales under respective conditions: Metropolitan Scale – the context –, City Scale – the organisation –, District Scale – the interactions –, and Block Scale – the mixing.

Urban parameters are set to understand the site condition and to elaborate integrated strategies.

Sustainability concerns the ecologic, the economic and the social, parameters that vary completely according to the geographic, climatic, economic and cultural conditions of each region or city.

Urban layers are developed as tools for represent­ ing and understanding the analysis and the development of strategies. Urban design, beyond a formal exercise, becomes a complex process of progressive identification, decomposition and recomposition of layered information and strategies.

System thinking is implemented for the develop­ ment of synergetic strategies structuring an integrated and sustainable urban design process.

Outcomes assess the quantitative approach of the design impact. Resilience, liveability, energy and ecosystem services are evaluated in each urban proposal.

The Method: A Multidimensional Approach Two major phases structure the integrated and sustainable urban design process. The first phase is that of understanding situations by accurately analysing the site and its territory, and the second phase is that of developing synergetic strategies and quantitatively assessing their impacts.

Understanding situations in order to take efficient action towards a sustainable and context-specific urban development.

In order to analyse and act on 1×1 km sites, a multi­ dimensional approach is developed to articulate

27

City Identities PROLOG UE

AS MA KHAWATMI

Bangkok: Bangkok combines two types of city characteristics. On the one hand, sectorisation, mega-blocks, high-rise buildings and mono-use developments on a monumental scale assert Bangkok’s identity as emblematic of globalisation. On the other hand, informal and adaptive dynamics provide responses to changing needs and temporary requirements at the scale of street blocks, through a complex layering of mixed-use and spatial interpenetrations. In this situation, the uniqueness of the place is a combination of both systems and develops an urban dynamics in which the city is shaped by commonalities and interdependencies through interesting forms of solidarities that produce an intense range of citizenoriented services. Bangkok provides a temporal dimension where the transition between formal and spontaneous uses activates the street throughout the day. The urban and social dimensions of Bangkok can be defined by its immediacy of reaction, as well as its rapid adaptation to physical urban transformations and to the severe effects of climate change. The mutation from an aquatic to a terrestrial city has produced an impact on the urban environment and its ability to mitigate extreme weather conditions, as well as on the lives of its citizens. New informalities and forms of resilience emerge in the transition from ‘living on water’ to ‘living under water’.

A parallel universe of formal and spontaneous networks 28

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City Identities PROLOG UE

AS MA KHAWATMI

Hong Kong: In response to development pressure in the nineteen sixties, the flexible land-use zoning and successive amendments to the buildings ordinance have produced an impact on the physical transformation of Hong Kong, making it one of the most high-rise and compact cities. This process has modified the urban fabric from the development of early three-storey shophouses into six to eight-storey blocks, redeveloped into multi-­ storey buildings and subsequently into even taller skyscrapers. Such urban transformations have produced economic and cultural changes, superimposing new and different values on long-established models.

Hong Kong’s compact organisation proposes a vertical stratification of commercial and community uses in the older part of the city, and new network connections in the high-rise contemporary city. Hong Kong was developed on a steep, rugged terrain where the missing connection to natural ground led to it being reinvented as ‘a city without ground.’ 1 Density, topography and urban morphology erase the figure-ground pattern to redefine public and private relationships in a three-dimensional network. To counter high-rise and compact developments, natural reserves introduced in the master plan rebalance such severe urban situations with more nature-oriented conditions. Furthermore, robust town-planning strategies for a large territory provide incentives for the management of externalities induced by the hyper-density of the city.

A high-rise and compact city, a market-driven development 30

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City Identities PROLOG UE

AS MA KHAWATMI

Shanghai Baoshan: Shanghai has grown rapidly, experiencing drastic spatial restructuring over the last four decades. Since the economic reform began, the celerity and considerable scope of Baoshan’s spatial reconfiguration have proved radical and are still in transition. This alluvial plain has undergone m ­ ultiple transformations due to intensive industrial and port exploitation, and large areas of rural land have been absorbed by the expansion of metropolitan areas. In 2001, the Shanghai government decided to implement the One City, Nine Towns programme. Located in west Baoshan, Luodian is one of those theme park-like developments that face the risk of abandonment and neglect suffered by similar unsuccessful privatised new towns. In contrast to this exclusive urban development, Qilian, located in east Baoshan, is implementing an urban village resettlement project building repetitive and generic residential towers to become a vertical hyper-dense neighbourhood. To compensate for the ecological damage of such radical transformations, the local council has developed Gucun Park in south-west Baoshan as one of the cores of Shanghai’s green policy. In a transitional phase, the port will soon become the world’s third largest cruise port and its industrial area is destined to become a new district of original parks for promoting international arts, scientific innovation and entrepreneurship, imposing new constraints on the district with aboveground projects and economies.

A district lost in urban transitions 32

33

INTRODUCTI ON

In order to act on urban transformations and develop sustainable urban design strategies, the first stage of the design process is to analyse territories for a precise understanding of situations. Cities are complex, and 1×1 km sampling allows for a global comprehension of metropolises according to specific situations. In each of the three metropolitan contexts, Bangkok, Hong Kong and Shanghai Baoshan, five sites representing contrasted environments have been chosen to illustrate urban identity. Cities present different situations that can be antagonistic: from historical centres to post-industrial areas, from local to global urban contexts, from active commercial districts

1

to territories in mutation. Analyses of these diverse urban environments must be interconnected and extended to broader contexts.

The sites at a 1×1 km scale associated with wider territories and scales enhance the understanding of multi-scalar ecologies. These samples are analysed through a grid of urban parameters represented by a set of fifteen layers. The representation mode is an integral part of the urban design process, an integrated method that fosters interaction between site analysis and project development. The idea is to understand situations in order to take efficient action towards sustainable and context-­specific urban development.

Understanding Situations A Multidimensional Approach 34

35

A Multi-Scalar Ecology

UNDER STANDING S IT UATI ON S

1

A sustainable approach to urbanism has to deal with issues on both the micro-scale, i.e., precisely localised situations, and the macro-­ scale, i.e., systems, networks, grids, urban policies and building regulations. A detailed condition observed in local situations can be related to the overall infrastructure, grid and networks. The multi-scalar approach is a highly interactive and dynamic method that fosters the simultaneous understanding of systems and processes at multiple scales. A multi-spatial scale approach to human settlements doesn’t only deal with boundaries, sizes and groups, but also with the relations between centre and periphery, compact and diffuse organisations, urban and rural territories, mobility and services, population and resources, social and economic dynamics.

It is therefore essential to examine and understand how localised situations and everyday ways of life interact with larger-scale ­urban systems in order to identify priorities for action. Multi-scalar eco­ logy is intrinsic to urban analysis and project methods. Five scales help understand the selected project sites at the 1×1 km level and develop sustainable urban design strategies: the metropolitan scale, that contextualises large-scale project sites, the city scale, that identifies organisations, the district scale, that establishes interactions, and the block scale, that outlines mixed models.

36

37

A

MULTI- SCAL AR EC OLOGY

Four scales Bangkok

Metropolitan Scale

110 × 110 km

City Scale

10 × 10 km

District Scale

5 × 5 km

Block Scale

500 × 500 m

The Context UNDER STANDING S IT UATI ON S

1

The Organisation

The Interaction

The Mix

38

Hong Kong

Shanghai Baoshan

This scale helps understand the relationship between the urban footprint and its territory: urban sprawl, compactness, urban limits and densities.

It presents the qualities of urban contexts according to their geographical and climatic conditions, movements, economy, and resource flows in the production, distribution and consumption of energy, water, food and waste.

The city scale describes urban morpho­ logies according to the evolution of urban development and transformation.

Structural parameters such as roads, green and blue networks produce an impact on urban configurations. Planning and zoning help understand land uses and urban dynamics. At this scale, balance between density and liveability is apprehended.

Interactions between land use, programmes, density, distance and urban dynamics adopt several forms: hyper-proximity for community-life, short circuits for food, social and economic services. A synergy of integrated water, energy, food and waste networks can include district cooling, local power generation systems, urban agriculture, waste and water management infrastructure.

The block scale allows for arrangements and synergies between different parameters: density, building type, mixed-use programmes, energy and water demand, construction materials and costs. Hybrid architecture and programmes can be integrated at this scale, that also allows for implementation of passive design in terms of urban porosity to air and light, implying lower energy demand.

39

A

MULTI- SCAL AR EC OLOGY

Bangkok

Metropolitan Scale⁄Five Project Sites

0 1

5

10

20 km

1 N

UNDER STANDING S IT UATI ON S

1

1⁄ Pak Klong Talat 2⁄ Sam Yan 3⁄ Sukhumvit 4⁄ Khlong Toei Port 5⁄ Lat Krabang

1 2 4

40

3

5

41

A

MULTI- SCAL AR EC OLOGY

BANG KOK

Five Project Sites⁄Three Scales

0

The Bangkok Metropolitan Area (BMA) is a special province with a specific administrative area and an elected governor.

It represents the local government of Bangkok, made up of fifty districts that cover 1,568 square kilometre with a population of 5.7 million. 10% of the Thai population live on 3% of the country’s territory and produce 29% of Thailand’s Gross National Product.1 Bangkok is located in the centre of the country along the River Chao Praya and is a gateway for national and international trade.

The five chosen sites represent Bangkok’s evolution in both form and function: Pak Klong Talat, the historical centre; Sam Yan, the traditional business district; Sukhumvit, the global commercial area, Khlong Toei Port, a declining infrastructure, and Lat Krabang, a sub-centre.

UNDER STANDING S IT UATI ON S

1

5

10

20

40

80 km

Bangkok Metropolitan Administration

1 2 3 4

5

1 N

1 Pak Klong Talat

2 Sam Yan

3 Sukhumvit

4 Khlong Toei Port

5 Lat Krabang

5 × 5 km District scale

1 × 1 km Site scale

42

43

A

MULTI- SCAL AR EC OLOGY

Hong Kong

Regional Scale⁄Five Project Sites

0 1

5

10

20 km

1 N

UNDER STANDING S IT UATI ON S

1

1⁄ Tai Po 2⁄ Sham Shui Po 3⁄ Stanley 4⁄ Central 5⁄ Wan Chai

1

2 4 5 3

44

45

A

MULTI- SCAL AR EC OLOGY

HONG KONG

Five Project Sites⁄Three Scales

0

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) is an administrative division at the provincial level of China directly under the Central People’s Government with the highest degree of autonomy. This area is geographically divided into three territories: Kowloon, Hong Kong Island, and the new territories, accommodating 7.4 million people in 1,104 square kilometres. With 6,300 people per square kilometre, it has the fourth highest population density of countries in the world.

The five sites have been selected to represent five contrasted urban situations: Tai Po, the new town in new territory; Sham Shui Po, an overcrowded popular neighbourhood; Stanley, an exclusive seaside town; Central, a global business district; and Wan Chai, a traditional active centre.

UNDER STANDING S IT UATI ON S

1

5

10

20

40

80 km

Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China

1

2 4 5 3 1 N

1 Tai Po

2 Sham Shui Po

3 Stanley

4 Central

5 Wan Chai

5 × 5 km District scale

1 × 1 km Site scale

46

47

A

MULTI- SCAL AR EC OLOGY

Shanghai

Baoshan district. Metropolitan Scale⁄ Five Project Sites

UNDER STANDING S IT UATI ON S

1

0 1

5 1⁄ Gucun Park 2⁄ Qilian 3⁄ First Steel Plant 4⁄ Youyi Road 5⁄ Lake Meilan

48

5

10

20 km

1 N

4 1

3

2

49

A

MULTI- SCAL AR EC OLOGY

S HANG HAI

Five Project Sites⁄Three Scales

0

Located on the southern estuary of the River Yangtze, Shanghai is one of the four municipalities of the People’s Republic of China. With a population of 24.2 million in a 424.58 square kilometre territory, this metropolis is the most populous urban area in the country and the second most populated city in the world. Situated north of Shanghai, Baoshan is a suburban district with an area of 424.58 square kilometres and a population of 2,030,500 inhabitants.

The five sites are selected to illustrate the variety of the urban condition in this vast territory in mutation: Gucun Park, a suburban town; Qilian, a sensitive area; First Steel Plant, a post-industrial area; Youyi Road, an administrative centre; and Lake Meilan, a European theme city.

UNDER STANDING S IT UATI ON S

1

5

10

20

40

80 km

Baoshan district. Metropolitan scale

5 1 2

4 3

1 N

1 Gucun Park

2 Qilian

3 First Steel Plant

4 Youyi Road

5 Lake Meilan

5 × 5 km District scale

1 × 1 km Site scale

50

51

B Urban Parameters

UNDER STANDING S IT UATI ON S

1

A sustainable approach to urban design cannot be purely technical, normative, green, systemic, economic or social; it has to be all these things combined in a new way. Architecture and urban developments involve contradictory issues: density vs. access to natural light, compactness vs. generosity of spaces and landscapes, energy efficiency vs. construction costs, etc. Sustainable urban design cannot mean the same thing everywhere but must relate to the specific conditions of each different place. Sustainability encompasses the ecologic, the economic and the social, parameters that vary entirely according to the geographic, climatic, economic and cultural conditions of each region or city. In his Manuals, published in 1975, Yona Friedman illustrates the condition of the inhabited territories representing ‘territories where people live’ as ‘islands’, each island creating is own specific condition: geographic, physical, social, economic and cultural.2 Territories must be considered with regard to the combinations of multiple specific characters. These urban parameters have to be analysed according to a multi-scalar approach to apprehend systems at multiple scales simultaneously.

To understand and respond to the 1×1 km project sites, a series of fifteen urban layers is set to analyse the condition of each site according to different parameters.

52

53

B

URBAN PAR AME TER S

Geography and Climate Geography explains a territory through its human and natural complexities, and can therefore be classified in two main groups: human geography and physical geography. Human geography is the study of people and their communities, cultures, economies and interactions with their environment, their relations with and across space (demography, density, etc.), while physical geography is the study of the physical characteristics of the Earth and the atmosphere.

All cities are strongly determined by their geographic and climatic conditions (which influence their urban morpho­ logies, processes and patterns) and their natural environment (atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, i.e., flora and fauna, and climate). Climate describes natural environmental conditions and seasonality: sunlight, wind, air temperature and rainfall. Microclimates are directly influenced by built environments (wind and solar orientation, compactness and heights, materiality, etc.) that affect human health and well-being. Climate and microclimate are therefore important parameters that determine liveability and energy requirements. Hong Kong, Bangkok and Shanghai are port cities. Whether located directly on the sea like Hong Kong, or in estuaries like Bangkok and Shanghai Baoshan, these cities are highly vulnerable to climate change belonging as they do to the coastal mega-cities most exposed to extreme flooding caused by typhoons and coastal storms, in combination with high tides.

UNDER STANDING S IT UATI ON S

1

54

55

B

URBAN PAR AME TER S

G EOG R APHY AND CLIMATE

Bangkok

From a Water System to a Land-Based Urbanisation: The Sinking City The hydrological condition of the River Chao Phraya has changed considerably over the last five decades due to the construction of artificial structures: embankments, multi-purpose dams, storage reservoirs and barrages. Bangkok, located about 1.5m above sea level, has transformed its urban morphology ­under the pressure of fast and intense urban growth. The decline in canals and green coverage in favour of asphalt and impervious surfaces has made the city vulnerable to climate change, further degrading its environmental quality due to the urban heat islands (UHI) effect, CO2 and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The great floods of 2011 gave rise to a large-scale flood prevention programme in Thailand and yet, according to the World Bank, in less than fifteen years time Bangkok will end up under water due to severe land subsidence, future floods and rising sea levels.

Building coverage ratio

A sinking city

UNDER STANDING S IT UATI ON S

1

Land surface temperature

< 30ºC 30ºC - 35ºC

35ºC - 40ºC > 40ºC

ND < 0.1 0.1-0.2 0.2-0.3

Water network depletion

0.3-0.4 0.4-0.5 0.5-0.6

0.6-0.7 0.7-0.8

0.8-0.9 0.9-1.0

Projected sea level rise, 2030

Current land subsidence (cm) 0.00 to -3.75 -3.75 to -7.5 -7.5 to -11.25 -11.25 to -15.0

-15.0 to -18.75 -18.75 to -22.5 -22.5 to -26.25 -26.25 to -30.0

Permanently underwater

Industrial areas Agriculture

Flood protection. Bangkok Metropolitan Area. Existing / Proposed

1935

1955

1975

Current

Canal Building footprint

River edge condition

FERRY STATION

COMMERCIAL

Farm Mangroves BANG KACHAO

Industrial

RIVER CHAO PHRAYA

56

Low-rise built landscape

Skyline edge

RIVER CHAO PHRAYA

Private green wildscape

Industrial edge

ABANDONED GREEN

Soft edge

King’s Dyke River embankment

Drainage tunnels Flood path system

Pump station Sluice gate

57

B

URBAN PAR AME TER S

UHI and street canyon effect

Hong Kong Typology: Residential sites (400 sq. m)

HK Central

1

The Microclimate of a Compact City on a Steep Island This region consists of a vast land mass with numerous islands, including Lantau Island, Hong Kong Island and Lamma Island. Hong Kong’s topography evolves from sandy beaches and rocky foreshores to heights of almost 1,000 metres, and comprises woodlands and mountain ranges covered by open grassland. In urbanised central areas, the restrictions imposed by natural geographic conditions dictate vertical developments. Hong Kong’s steep territory and scarcity of soil led to land reclamation, high-rise constructions, compactness and hyper-density in urban centres, where remote or exclusive develop­ ment was less dense and maximised greening. Density, compactness and verticality in Hong Kong have a strong impact on the urban atmospheric environment and microclimate, creating urban canyon effects that affect air quality, urban heat island (UHI) effects, CO2 and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Urban footprint and conserved areas

Population and built-up density

Green and blue: 5-10% Built-up: 75-80% Asphalt: 10-20% Building height: 15-50m

Reduced heat load with sufficient ventilation Minor ventilation in a smaller heat load Reduced ventilation and reduced land and sea breeze Good ventilation with no heat load, land and sea breeze

Wan Chai

UHI (max.) weak ventilation UHI heat load and reduced ventilation UHI with some ventilation Heat load but reduced thermal stress (ventilated)

UNDER STANDING S IT UATI ON S

G EOG R APHY AND CLIMATE

58

Green and blue: 5-10% Built-up: 70-80% Asphalt: 10-20% Building height: 15-50m

(m) 924

Sham Shui Po Green and blue: 5-10% Built-up: 70-75% Asphalt: 10-20% Building height: 15-50m

1 Conserved areas Urban footprint

Seasonal wind speed

(p/sq. km) Not built-up < 1,000 < 10,000 < 50,000 > 50,000

Urban heat Island effect

Tai Po Green and blue: 60-65% Built-up: 15-20% Asphalt: 15-20% Building height: 15-50m

Stanley

Areas with low wind speed Summer wind direction Spring wind direction Winter and autumn wind direction

Urban heat island index Urban areas Low 1.35 High 7.55

Green and blue: 80-85% Built-up: 10-20% Asphalt: 5-10% Building height: 15-20m

59

B

URBAN PAR AME TER S

G EOG R APHY AND CLIMATE

Shanghai Baoshan

Urban Mutations of an Overexploited Estuary Baoshan district is located in northern Shanghai and is divided into two parts: the land and the islands.

Developed at the intersection of the River Huangpu and the River Yangtze, Baoshan is known as the water­ way of Shanghai. The East China Sea connects over four hundred ports in one hundred and sixty-four countries and regions. Taking advantage of its coastal qualities and alluvial plains, this rich and fertile natural and agricultural territory turned to transport and fishing. The district’s strategic geographical location has encouraged the development of its coast and plains excessively exploiting its potential.

The industrial port is destined to become a future mega cruise port terminal. Intensive industrialisation and expansive urbanisation have damaged the territory’s geography and microclimate.

Shanghai: Hydrological transformation impacts on the natural environment

UNDER STANDING S IT UATI ON S

1

Since the construction of the Three Gorges Dam in 2003, the Yangtze subaqueous delta is experiencing overall (net) erosion leading to loss of land and submergence.

Delta recession

Hydrographic network

Waterbodies Man-made canals

Baoshan district: Industrialisation impacts on the microclimate

(kg CO2 · a-1) 0-749 750-1,192 1,193-1,482 1,483-1,674 1,675-1,964 1,965-2,407 2,408-3,080 3,081-4,104 4,105-5,662 5,663-8,033

60

Annual mean temperature

The maximum annual average wind speed is 3.7 m/s in Chongming, and the minimum wind speed is 2.8 m/s in the Downtown.

Temperature in the Downtown is the highest at 16.2 ºC, and the difference from the minimum temperature is 0.8 ºC.

Urban Heat Island (UHI)

Yangtze River

(m) -57~-40 -40~-30 -30~-20 -20~-10 -10~-5 -5~-2 -2~0 0-1

CO2 emissions

Annual mean wind speed

Air pollution

SO2

Land surface temperature

NO2

(mg/cu. m) >0.1 0.09 0.08 0.07 CO2 0.06

ºC 16.2 15.3

High UHI effect directly corelated to urbanisation Extreme high temperature High temperature Sub-high temperature Medium temperature Sub-medium temperature Sub-low temperature Low temperature

NO

PM10

Winter

Summer

ºC 5.5 - 10.70 10.71 - 11.40 11.41 - 12.30 12.31 - 13.50

61

B

URBAN PAR AME TER S

Natural Resources Cities consume the natural world, either absorbing it i­nto an expanding urban footprint or transforming it into peri-­ urban zones for industrial and agricultural use. The growing separation of human beings from nature came at a cost to natural and human capital, damaging ecological systems and the well-being of city dwellers. However, cities also offer opportunities to improve resource efficiency and reduce the environmental impact of society and urban developments. The economies of cities rely on the extraction, transportation, transformation, distribution and consumption of natural resources. They depend on their hinterlands for the supply of materials, water and energy, which are inefficiently used. Cities may be vulnerable by imposing stresses on local resource supplies affecting the natural environment during resource extraction and waste disposal. The impact of urbanisation on land use with the depletion of green and blue coverage directly affects local climate and the level of groundwater. Urban areas consume most of the global energy and entail serious environmental problems related to the degradation of ecosystems by air, water and soil pollution. The issue here is to restructure the use of natural resources in urban developments, considering cities as urban ecosystems that foster transversal relationships between the natural environment and human and economic activities.

UNDER STANDING S IT UATI ON S

1

62

63

B

URBAN PAR AME TER S

NAT UR AL RESOURCES

Bangkok

Hydrological infrastructure

Shrinking Nature⁄Expanding City In the Bangkok Metropolitan Area (BMA), green coverage and water networks that are essential to flood resilience and ecology have been dramatically reduced. In the nineteen sixties, the first national policy on economic development led to deforestation, depleting tropical rain forests to increase agricultural production. Later, under economic pressure, the transformation of farmland into semi-industrial landscapes in urban peripheries has intensified ecological damage. In the city centre, the replacement of the historical canal system with road networks has transformed an aquatic city into a land-based develop­ ment. While its centre has become denser, the development of its periphery has expanded. Halfway between shrinking nature and the expanding city, Bangkok is facing chronic problems such as extreme weather conditions, poor air quality and difficult access to water and energy.

Urban nature

UNDER STANDING S IT UATI ON S

1

Natural vs. man-made edges of the River Chao Phraya

River Lakes Major canal Minor canal Wetlands Public space 5×5 km of site Commercial nodes Boat piers

Hydraulic Infrastructure

Biodiversity hotspot Foraging radius of 400 m Rural and agriculture conservation zone Natural flood path conservation zone

1920

Present

Communities Mangroves

Water retention and flood prevention Natural conservation of flood paths Coastal environmental conservation and restoration Drainage tunnel Dykes Detention areas WWTP WWTP (future) Collection system

64

Public green Private green Accessibility of public green (10 min walking distance) Informal settlements High-rise condominium

Mangrove edge Integration Farming community on a flood plain Floods beneficial for agricultural fields

Urbanisation Dykes

Man-made edge Segregation Large-scale urbanisation Flood liability

65

B

URBAN PAR AME TER S

NAT UR AL RESOURCES

Hong Kong

Hong Kong region, urbanisation and natural resources

In Hong Kong, landscape and open spaces range from playing fields to highly maintained environments, relatively natural environments and protected parks. Hong Kong presents a strong urban context where density and compactness challenge liveability. Although Hong Kong is one of the densest metropolitan areas in the world, about three quarters of the island are countryside, amounting to 1,108 square kilo­ metres and including twenty-four country parks designated for nature conservation, rural recreation and outdoor education.3 Wetlands and marine parks, along with policies for the conservation of flora and fauna, aim to preserve biodiversity. In intense urban contexts, green spaces and natural environments enhance liveability and climate change resilience while reducing urban heat islands (UHI) effect, CO2 and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions which, in turn, affect energy demand.

1 UNDER STANDING S IT UATI ON S

Protected Nature Reserves as a Condition for Dense Development

Urban green and public space 1887

1975

Present

Urban sprawl Water reservoirs Existing green

Blue and green networks: 1×1 km sites City harbour front

Green area per person 5 sq. m/p

Central

Green area per person 1.5 sq. m/p

Neighbourhood park

Sham Sui Po

Waterfront

Green area per person 32 sq. m/p

Green area per person 28 sq. m/p

Tai Po

66

Stanley

Street park

Public space

67

B

URBAN PAR AME TER S

NAT UR AL RESOURCES

Shanghai Baoshan

Natural resources contamination Soil pollution

Water pollution

Air pollution

An Exhausted and Contaminated Alluvial Plain The southern part of Baoshan is one of the largest Chinese steel production bases, a container port and producer of energy resources, water and staple foods. In the early nineteen sixties, the industrial sector supplanted farming as the most powerful driver of the regional economy. The rapid and radical transformation of an agricultural terrain into a super-active port and industrial area has produced a great impact on the natural and human environment. In addition, the development of rural and farmland into large populated areas and new towns has affected the environmental and social condition of the territory of Baoshan. The massive exploitation of natural resources through intensive activities, infrastructure and urban development has contributed to the impoverishment and pollution of the ecological system.

UNDER STANDING S IT UATI ON S

1

(mg/cu. m) > 0.1 0.09 0.08 0.07 < 0.06

(mg/cu. m) > 0.1 0.09 0.08 0.07 < 0.06

Green space distribution

(mg/cu. m) 0.07 0.06 0.05 0.04 < 0.03

Ecosystem services

Commercial area

Demolished villages

Occupied village

Flora and wildlife corridor Important bird flyway

Flora species pool Species

Ecological corridor Large park Waterfront corridor

68

Green extension Waterway Outer ring road (green belt)

Waterway Soil pollution

Resettlement

Wetland Public park Residential green space Agriculture Attached green Golf course and sports fields

Habitat

Wetland Public parks Residential gardens East Asian Australasian flyway Possible flyway in Shanghai

69

B

URBAN PAR AME TER S

Mobility The continuous development and growth of large metro­ polises have increased pressure on urban transportation systems. Mobility is one of the most critical components of urban liveability. Cities are made to accommodate peoples’ activities and movements, as well as their economic and cultural exchanges. How a city manages mobility will affect its quality of life and carbon footprint, and comes down to the question of infrastructure and networks of people-moving systems that provide accessibility. City centres are charac­ terised by their density of traffic and interconnection of transport modes. From the local to the metropolitan to the regional, cities are multi-scale networks. Each given situation has to be studied from both a very local perspective and at a large scale. Mobility consists of a chain, from public to private, from walking to high-speed rail, from long range to last kilometre solutions, from carbon to decarbonised solutions. It implies public transport affordability, availability, efficiency, convenience, and ecological sustainability as critical aspects of cities’ overall transportation systems.

Mobility has a direct effect on the urban quality of life and economic performance, besides energy equations, CO2 and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that determine air quality, walkability and health, further influencing liveability.

UNDER STANDING S IT UATI ON S

1

70

71

B

URBAN PAR AME TER S

Bangkok

MOB ILIT Y

Zoning and urban density

Congestion and Disruption

Bangkok inner-city public transport system

The destruction of the urban waterways system began at the end of the World War Two, when canals and channels were buried under avenues, and streets were widened when bordering shade trees were uprooted. The network of waterways and their function as transportation were dismembered although they weren’t converted into roadways. Since the nineteen sixties, the city’s development has been car-­ oriented. Bangkok, the fastest growing area in Thailand in terms of human population and of the number of cars, has been unable to cope with the enormous demand put on its existing roads. Furthermore, public transport is limited and concentrated mainly in the central districts, with low interconnectivity between the different transport modes, as a result of which the city ranks as one of the most congested and polluted of metropolises.

From Khlongs to stacked infrastructure

UNDER STANDING S IT UATI ON S

1 (p/sq. km) High density: > 12,000 Medium density: 9,000-12,000 Low density: 6,000-9,000 Very low density: < 6,000

Commercial Institutional Industrial Agricultural

Bangkok Mass Transit System (BTS) Mass Rapid Transport (MRT) State Railway of Thailand (SRT)

Airport link Express boat Long-tailed boat

Khlongs / Canals

Thanons / Roads

Major avenue

Elevated toll motorway

Skytrain

Metro / MRT

Bangkok Metropolitan Area: Public and private transport network Public transport network

BTS MRT

Road network

SRT Airport link

Express boat Long-tailed boat

Motorway Ring road

Major road Minor road and SDI

Historical centre: From canal system to road network

PRIVATE HOUSE

WAT ARUN

Public spaces along the River Chao Phraya (temple, promenade and boat pier)

72

URBAN GREEN

RIVER CHAO PHRAYA

Major water transport activity by express boats and long-tailed boats

BOAT PIER

SHOPHOUSES

Soi condition along the shophouses

SOI / ALLEY

MAJOR AVENUE

WAT PHO

Wat Pho as a major tourist destination

MAJOR AVENUE

Cars parked on the Major Avenue

ADMINISTRATIVE BUILDING

Institutional buildings dominating the area

CANAL

Sluice gate to adjust water level on the canal

SHOPHOUSES

Old complex of shophouses

73

B

URBAN PAR AME TER S

MOB ILIT Y

Hong Kong

Density and proximity of Mass Transit Railway (MTR)

40%

Residential development within 500 m of MTR Station

A Continuous Integrated and Multi-Modal Network While Hong Kong is one of the metropolises suffering from greater traffic congestion, continuous multi-­ storey connections between buildings and city levels through lifts, escalators, stairways and moving walkways enable fluid pedestrian movement. Furthermore, an efficient chain of mobility that includes taxis, water transport systems, buses, trams, mass transit railway (MTR), suburban trains and express trains links centres and peripheries. Multi- and inter-modality transport systems organise local and global flows. Over the last twenty years, Hong Kong has quadrupled its metro length and plans to further extend its railway network by 25 per cent.4 In addition, Hong Kong MTR applies a Rail plus Property (R+P) financing model that follows transit-oriented development (TOD) principles with land development around metro stations, allowing the city to achieve top levels of metro coverage at affordable tariffs without subsidies.

Arterial roads Secondary roads Tertiary roads

1 UNDER STANDING S IT UATI ON S

Key development and redevelopment areas Existing MTR route MTR expansion 2020 MTR exchange Residential density (p/sq. km) > 50,000 25,000 - 50,000 10,000 - 25,000 4,000 - 10,000 < 4,000

Quality of travel: Sham Shui Po from Wai Chan Global exchanges: Point of entry

610,300

Daily commuters from mainland China

Flows and multi-modality

Low multi-modality ↓ High multi-modality

Points of entry Sea port

Pedestrian flow Vehicular flow E-W vehicular flow

Ferry terminal Railway border-crossing Road border-crossing Border-crossing routes Border-crossing ferry Guangzhou motorway Shenzen metro Kowloon-canton railway corridor Shipping channel

Variation in street character: Sham Shui Po

Street park used by residents and visitors alike

74

Hawker zone: entire street used by shoppers

Part of the street used for parking

75

B

URBAN PAR AME TER S

Shanghai Baoshan

MOB ILIT Y

Shanghai: Urban organisation and traffic congestion Centralities

Highly centralised

Congested network during peak hours

A Condition of Periphery This district is determined by its peripheral condition. Its connections to the city centre through major road infrastructure are congested by intense use of two-wheeled vehicles, cars and buses. Located in Baoshan, the Shanghai Bashi Public Transportation depot is one of the city’s largest bus terminals.

While some metro lines connect the city centre to suburban centralities, the remaining areas are poorly covered by the network. Transport efficiency, air quality and liveability all suffer the consequences of this fact. By 2020, the Baoshan district plans to replace all the traditional vehicles in its public transport system with electric vehicles. In addition, the Chinese government is developing specific infrastructure projects and introducing free licence plates to reinforce its electric vehicle policies for two-wheeled vehicles and cars.

UNDER STANDING S IT UATI ON S

1 Commercial centres Leisure centres

Metro network

Routes Congestion zones

Baoshan district: Flows and connections Locations with influx of people during festivals

Public space ⁄ Amenities

Public space connectivity

Public space ⁄ Amenities

Hierarchy of roads

Ring road Arterial road Minor arterial road

Baoshan district: Local and global network Water transport routes

Canals Waterways

76

Congestion zones during peak hours

Routes Congestion zones

Public and private transport modes

Port Train Major road

City road Local road Metro

Road infrastructure

Intercity motorway or ring road

Minor arterial road

Arterial road

Branch road

77

B

URBAN PAR AME TER S

Urban Quality Urban quality addresses issues of urban diversity, activities and amenities, creating an urban ‘climate’ in the sense of ‘how one feels in a certain place’ and ‘what one feels from it’ (political climate, social climate, cultural climate…).

‘Socrates, we have strong evidence that we and the city pleased you; for you would never have stayed in it more than all other Athenians if you had not been better pleased with it than they.’ Plato, Crito The most attractive cities in the world are never those that apply similar criteria to achieve a uniform average quality in issues of security, health, etc. The tensions and contra­ dictions of contrasted situations are key elements that ensure the economic and cultural success of urban systems.

Cites are also projected as places in which dreams, potent­ ialities and personal happiness can be fulfilled. ­Descartes, writing about seventeenth-century Amsterdam, said that a great city should be an inventory of the possible. The satisfaction of the needs of city dwellers contributes to individual well-being and enhances the quality of urban life. The mixed populations, the heterogeneity of the urban fabric and the rapid adaptability of Asian megalopolises to different pressures give them a distinctive urban quality.

UNDER STANDING S IT UATI ON S

1

78

79

URBAN PAR AME TER S

URBAN QUALIT Y

Bangkok

Temporality of formal and informal spaces

Bangkok is a heterogeneous city that combines skyscrapers in business districts with residential developments and slums, merging extremely diverse social classes and lifestyles. Between the ‘planned city’ and the ‘practised city’, the sociocultural uses of urban space organise alternative orders. Bangkok is characterised by the emergence of urbanity at different scales related to the ways in which urban informality, morphologies, activities and temporality work in relation to sociality and spatiality. Informal solutions regarding mobility, housing, trade and public events gradually shape the urban fabric. Two forms of the city coexist: the mega commercial block and the traditional street and canal network, and this duality questions the quality of urban life: how does street culture resist shopping-centre culture, raising the issue of local vs. global?

Public space types

1

Historical centre / Night-time

Temple (Wat Arun) Religious ground

Historical centre (Pak Klong Talat)

80

Market alley Market street

Soi Pavement

Formal Informal

Shopping centre Religious ground

Urban Mix (Samyarn)

Air-conditioned food court (Chamchuri Square shopping centre food court) Interior dining area

Shopping centre (MBK Center) First-floor shopping area

The Emquartier

Commercial shrines

Rama IV Road

Yod Piman market

Flower market

River Yod Piman walk

Influence of globalisation

Open-air commercial market (Rod Fai Market)

Banjasiri Garden

Sukhumvit / Night-time

Shophouses along Soi Empire

Sukhumvit / Daytime

Open-air food street (Sukhumvit Soi 38)

FYI Center

Historical centre / Daytime

River Chao Phraya

UNDER STANDING S IT UATI ON S

A Formal City with an Informal Organisation

Samyarn MRT

B

Commercial (Em District)

81

B

URBAN PAR AME TER S

Hong Kong

URBAN QUALIT Y

Urban typology Tai Po

The Negotiation between Density, Connectivity and Public Space Public space is a structuring element in all cities and becomes essential in a compact and dense situation where high density and high land prices make public space expensive to provide, hence reducing it in favour of commercial space. To mitigate the decrease of public space, Hong Kong has introduced a privately owned public space (POPS) policy to promote the integration between public and private sectors and encourage connections between new buildings in communal space. A strong interaction between public and private initiatives has promoted the development of three-dimensional spaces, while footbridges, plazas, atriums and underground galleries built by different parties at different times serve varying immediate needs and have progressively formed an extensive and continuous public space network.

Sham Shui Po

Shophouses Public housing

Hong Kong skyline evolution

Podium Tower

1890

Multi-podium Tower

Public housing

1920 Tai Po

Stanley

Central

Private residential area

1960

SoHo

Stanley

Shophouses and market

Private condominium

2015

Wan Chai Central Central Plaza Henessy Road

Lockhardt Road

Gloucester Road

HK Convention Center

Mixed use

Southhorn Playground

Lee Tung Avenue

Wan Chai cross-section

Star Street

UNDER STANDING S IT UATI ON S

1

Mega tower Public space Semi-public space Private space

82

83

B

URBAN PAR AME TER S

Shanghai Baoshan

URBAN QUALIT Y

A Disrupted District in Mutation

Shanghai urban organisation North North-west

North-east

West

East

South-west

1 UNDER STANDING S IT UATI ON S

Centralised expansion

Poly-centres

Double centres with sub-centres

South-east

2000-2005 2005-2010

as economic hub

Socialist housing

Socialist housing

Expanding city centre Peri-urban

Inner city

Inner city

Suburbs

Inner City

Inner City

Village settlements City centre

Spatial restructuring under socialism

South

From villages to generic towers

Village settlements

The fast and accelerated urban transition affecting Shanghai has impacted Baoshan territory. Under economic pressure, the urban transformation suffered by the district has fragmented its territory with over-sectorised and specialised industrial enclaves, gated communities and disconnected new urban developments that have replaced semi-rural and semi-industrial areas. Moreover, its neglected administrative centre is facing a local economic decline and an impoverishment of its quality of life. To deal with this urban and economic degradation a large-scale international cruise-terminal project will be developed over the course of 2020. Between the new towns’ European theme cities, urban villages resettlements in repetitive generic tower enclaves, global projects and brownfield reconversions, this district is facing severe degradation of its identity, as well as its human and ecological environment.

Resettlement towns

Inner city

1949 Middle class

1970 Professional class

1990 New-rich class

Transformation of villages. Shift in typology Native village

Lilong housing

Work-unit compound

High-rise housing

Urban villages

Generic buildings

1840—1949 Housing during the colonial period

1966—76 Maoist regime typology

1978 Chinese Revolution

1985 Rural enclave in an urban sprawl

2001 Monofunctional enclave

Embryonic urban village

Growing urban village

Mature urban village

Before 1960

1960—1980

600

1,950

People ⁄ ha

People ⁄ ha

Redeveloped area

1980—Present

7,200

People ⁄ ha

Housing evolution

84

Growing communities

Decreasing commercial areas and services

Reduction of private outdoor spaces

Increasing verticality

85

B

URBAN PAR AME TER S

Energy Situation A city’s energy profile can be understood in one of several ways. ‘Flow’ describes the sourcing, distribution and consumption of power. In most cities, this is linear and fossil fuel-based, with sizeable losses due to the distance between elements and overall size of networks. ‘Centricity’ speaks of configuration and spatial pattern. Cities are typically monocentric, relying on a few large centres of production that serve a dispersed constellation of consumers. At present there is an emerging shift towards polycentricism, in which energy is produced at the neighbourhood scale and transmitted over short distances. The question of centricity also applies to consumer organisation. Energy in buildings is currently consumed by a multitude of small equipment and plug loads. More efficient neighbourhood-scale systems such as district cooling are now increasingly being implemented.

Last but not least, ‘renewables’ refers to on-site energy production with alternative technologies such as wind, hydroelectricity and geothermal power. Most cities have the potential for solar power. Here, the shape of buildings and the morphology of neighbourhoods have a significant impact on the place and the size of its solar installations.

UNDER STANDING S IT UATI ON S

1

86

87

B

URBAN PAR AME TER S

ENERGY S IT UATI ON

Energy Sankey diagram

Over 70% of the total energy consumption in Bangkok is attributed to urban mobility. Land use and urban density distribution have led Bangkok to a monocentric system: data suggests that shortage of public transportation infrastructure and long travelling distances are its main problems. In building uses, the highest consumption comes from heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) and lighting, accounting for approximately 65% of the total energy use; this amount is followed by appliances (15%), lifts and escalators (8%) and ancillary loads (12%).

By 2030, the Bangkok municipal council intends to curb energy consumption by more than 30%.

In terms of renewable energy potential, rooftops and façade surfaces in Bangkok’s dense urban city centre could be used for energy generation with solar photovoltaic (PV) systems.

1 UNDER STANDING S IT UATI ON S

Bangkok Pak Klong Talat (Historical centre)

Energy consumption. Building-type efficiency Shophouse

Detached house

Office tower

Mid-rise hotel

Sam Yan (Urban mix)

Sumkhuvit (Commercial)

Khlong Toei Port (Post-industrial)

Latkrabang (Peri-urban)

(GWh) > 10.0 5.0-10.0 1.0-5.0 0.5-1.0 0.2-0.5 0.1-0.2 0.05-0.1 0.02-0.05 0.01-0.02 0-0.01

88

89

B

URBAN PAR AME TER S

ENERGY S IT UATI ON

Hong Kong

Energy Sankey diagram

Hong Kong has a high dependency on Mainland China that leads to multiple issues, such as energy losses due to a large and sprawling network. Electrical power is generated by two power companies that meet the needs of the city. The Sankey diagram here shows flows from production to consumption.

Examining the different sites, it is plain to see that population density, architectural programming and building typology have a direct impact on energy consumption. The more compact an area is, the more efficient is its energy usage. Not ­surprisingly, about 40% of the total energy consumption in Hong Kong is used for transportation. The urban morphology and mixed typology of each site also creates different solar potential as it relates to the deployment of photovoltaic power.

UNDER STANDING S IT UATI ON S

1

Tai Po

Sham Shui Po

Stanley

Central

Wan Chai

Energy consumption. Building-type efficiency

Public housing - Harmony

Public housing - H Slab

Shophouse

Floors: 12 Residents: 1,800 Water consumption: 220 l/capita Energy consumption: 146 kWh/sq. m/yr

Floors: 6 Residents: 680 Water consumption: 220 l/capita Energy consumption: 146 kWh/sq. m/yr

Floors: 6-10 Residents: Not identified Water consumption: 220 l/capita Energy consumption: 110 kWh/sq. m/yr

Private housing

Commercial (Shopping centre)

G/IC

Floors: 12-36 Residents: 264 Water consumption: 220 l/capita Energy consumption: 110 kWh/sq. m/yr

Floors: 9 Residents: NA Water consumption: 150 l/capita Energy consumption: 424 kWh/sq. m/yr

Floors: 9-16 Residents: NA Water consumption: 50 l/capita Energy consumption: 250 kWh/sq. m/yr

90

(GWh) > 300 150-300 100-150 60-100 40-60 20-40 15-20 10-15 5-10 2.5-5 1-2.5 <1

91

B

URBAN PAR AME TER S

ENERGY S IT UATI ON

Shanghai Baoshan

Energy Sankey diagram

Chinese cities are struggling to meet growing demands for energy, and simultaneously reduce reliance on coal as its primary source. The country has made forays into the renewables market (solar, wind, hydropower) with installed capacities far greater than those of the European Union, the United States or Japan. Nevertheless, it is still the world's leading producer of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as the building and urban sectors in its cities are large consumers and emitters. Shanghai, for instance, has committed on paper to energy efficiency codes and policies. The development of Shanghai as a low-carbon city was supposed to foster widespread replication and yet the impact of these initiatives on Shanghai Baoshan, along with other precincts in the city, is still not evident.

UNDER STANDING S IT UATI ON S

1

Residential

Office

Educational

Total energy consumption: 226 GWh/yr

Total energy consumption: 21 GWh/yr

Residential: 73% Commercial: 2% Hospital: 2% Industrial: 21% Education: 1%

Commercial: 100%

Lake Meilan

Hospital

Industrial Healthcare Commercial

92

Residential: 77% Commercial: 9% Hospital: 2% Industrial: 13%

Shopping centre

Youyi Road

Hotel

Total energy consumption: 131 GWh/yr

First Steel Plant

Qilian sensitive area

Energy consumption. Building-type efficiency

Gucun Park

Total energy consumption: 442 GWh/yr

Total energy consumption: 131 GWh/yr

Residential: 61% Commercial: 28% Hospital: 1% Industrial: 4% Education: 6%

Residential: 87% Commercial: 11% Hospital: 1% Education: 2%

Residential Education

93

C Urban Layers

UNDER STANDING S IT UATI ON S

1

Urban analysis is a complex process that can be organised through the progressive integration of layered information or urban para­ meters. 1×1 km sites are analysed though a series of fifteen layers that foster a way of understanding the complexities of urban spaces and spatial systems. Zooming in on 1×1 km samples of each territory allows for a deeper comprehension of urban systems at the micro-scale and of their interactions. Urban layering is a mapping method that typifies urban conditions into distinct systems: geography, environment, ecology, social, mobility, morphology, etc., representing each system as a stratum. It emphasises the dynamic interrelation between physical and invisible attributes.

Cities are facing different and contradictory dynamics, and urban layers display formal and informal diversities of urban situations.

Each situation forms a part of a larger system. Detailed analyses of micro-situations are considered in relation to larger scales. This multi-scalar approach enables to rearrange the 1×1 km samples into larger territories, broader systems and networks. Site analysis through samples decomposed into urban layers thus provides direct interactions with the implementation of urban design strategies. This integrated sustainable design method aims to articulate analysis and project into an iterative process.

94

95

C

URBAN L AYER S

Bangkok: Pak Klong Talat

UNDER STANDING S IT UATI ON S

1

Topography

Satellite map

Public space network

Building footprint 96

Networks Nodes

Road network

Building programme

Contour range: 1.0–13.0 m Contour level.

Difference between lines: 0.5 m

Major road Secondary road Soi/Alley

Institutional Commercial Temple Residential

Floodprone areas

Moderate risk flooding (12-50 cm) Low risk flooding (10-12 cm)

Asphalt map

Green network

Modes of transport

Asphalt

Bus route Future MRT line Express boat Ferry boat Bus stop Pier

Building height

Energy consumption

(m)

(GWh/yr) <

9

14

18

24

>

Blue network

Urban green Private green

River Khlong Drainage flows

Flows of movement

High traffic Medium traffic High pedestrian flow Low pedestrian flow

UHI map (ºC)

<

0.1

0.5

1

3

>

20º

40º

97

C

URBAN L AYER S

Hong Kong: Wan Chai

UNDER STANDING S IT UATI ON S

1

Satellite map

Topography

Reclamation land

1968–present 1925–1968 Up to 1925

Green network

Neighbourhood parks Street parks Playground Private gardens Street scape

Natural reserve Parks

98

Public space

Road network

Building footprint

Building programme Green belt CDA Other specified uses Open space

Major road Secondary road

Residential (Group A) Residential (Group B) Residential (Group C) Commercial GIC

Asphalt map

Modes of transport

Asphalt

Building height

Bus route Future MRT line Express boat Ferry boat Bus stop Pier

Energy consumption

(m)

(GWh/yr) <

7.5

15

50

>

<

1

2.5

5

10

15

20

40

60 100 150 300 >

Blue network

Sea Blue space (pool, fountain)

Flows of movement

People flow Vehicular flow

UHI map

(ºC)

UHI (máx.) weak ventilation UHI heat load UHI + some ventilation

Heat load but reduced thermal stress Reduced heat load Minor ventilation Reduced ventilation Good ventilation

99

C

URBAN L AYER S

Shanghai Baoshan: Youyi Road

UNDER STANDING S IT UATI ON S

1

Topography

Satellite map

Public space network

Building footprint 100

Public space (plaza) Green as public space Active networks

Road network

Contour spacing: 1.0 m

Intercity motorway Major axis Secondary road Internal road

Building programme Health/Community Education Commercial

Mixed use Residential Industrial

Pollution (db)

<

50

Asphalt map

70

>

Green network

Modes of transport

Asphalt

Park Urban green Urban verges School grounds

Building height

Energy consumption

(m)

(GWh/yr) <

9

24

>

<

0.1

Canal Drainage flows

Flows of movement

Bus route Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line

3

Blue network

High traffic Medium traffic High pedestrian flow Low pedestrian flow

UHI map 3

>

33.3º

33.5º

33.7º

101

B

City Challenges

URBAN PAR AME TER S

G EOG R APHY AND CLIMATE

Bangkok: Its attractiveness and location make Bangkok one of the first migration destinations from across the world, neighbouring countries and Thai provinces. It is almost forty times bigger than the next largest city in the country, and also has the second worst traffic congestion in the world after Mexico City.1 Located in the central region of Thailand, on the low-lying plains of the River Chao Phraya, the so-called ‘Venice of the East’ is only about 1.5m above sea level and experiences severe flooding episodes. The metropolitan area, built on what was once marshland, rests on a layer of highly compressible clay. Besides the natural land subsidence, decades of excessive groundwater pumping and rapid development have put more pressure on the foundations. Nearly five thousand tall buildings, nine million vehicles, roads and railway systems have contributed to the problem.

Climate change, population growth, fast urban development and land transformation have made Bangkok residents, who have learned to live in extreme conditions, civically resilient. Between mega-scale develop­ ment and traditional urban pattern, Bangkok is reinventing new urban conditions, synchronising different scales, uses and functions through the co-production of formal and informal dynamics.

UNDER STANDING S IT UATI ON S

1

Resilience through the co-production of formal and informal dynamics for a more inclusive city 102

103

B

City Challenges

URBAN PAR AME TER S

G EOG R APHY AND CLIMATE

Hong Kong: The compact and hyper-dense urban form defining Hong Kong is a signifi­ cant development pattern characteristic of many Asian cities. It implies high density, intensification and mixed use, and exemplifies an alternative to low-density, mono-use urban sprawl. The compact city represents the potential for achieving sustainability. In its positive aspect, it enables conservation of the countryside, reduction of car dependence, decrease of fuel consumption and pollution, support of public transport, development of pedestrian and cycling networks, improved access to services, efficient utility and infrastructure provisions and the regeneration and revitalisation of urban areas. However, it can also entail poor environmental quality and social acceptability, overcrowding, a lack of urban greenery, open spaces and privacy, and the deterioration of ecology, wildlife and natural resources. In Hong Kong’s diverse and stimulating urban environments, new developments form a sharp contrast with traditional streets creating a series of interleaving spaces with different uses. Its urban form, however, affects ecological and microclimatic conditions and leads to overcrowding, consequently provoking social tensions and issues of equity and liveability. Amidst the dynamism of a compact vertical organisation and these specific social and environmental conditions, the balance of urban quality remains a major issue for Hong Kong.

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1

Hyper-density and urban compactness vs. liveability 104

105

B

City Challenges

URBAN PAR AME TER S

G EOG R APHY AND CLIMATE

Shanghai Baoshan: Over the past two decades, Shanghai’s traditional industrial sector has experienced a decline, leaving polluted brownfields filled with remains of the industrial era. The mutation of urban expansion patterns and land use has strengthened the relationship between economic development and social and environmental conditions. Baoshan, located in north-eastern Shanghai, has rapidly developed from extensive farmland into a major industrial district. In order to integrate a growing population of Chinese migrants and newcomers and propose a model of advanced society, the Chinese government has developed a series of policies for decentralisation and suburban development: urban village settlements, peri-urban centre developments and new towns. Nowadays, Baoshan is an old industrial area dominated by a huge state-owned enterprise, steel mills and several shipbuilding industries, new suburban ghost towns and repetitive enclaves of modern generic towers for urban village settlements. It struggles to achieve both economic efficiency and environmental sustainability. The district is presently awaiting reconversion, while its ecosystem and social organisation have been drastically damaged. Mega-projects and governmental green policies have been implemented to change the conditions of this polluted area, simultaneously raising issues of identity, globalisation and social equity.

UNDER STANDING S IT UATI ON S

1

Economic development vs. social and environmental conditions 106

107

INTRODUCTI ON

In order to develop the five master plans in the five chosen sites in each of the three cities, a series of urban transformation tools have been implemented. At city scale, major concepts define structural urban transformations; at district scale, a Guide Plan organises hierarchical orientations; the 1×1 km Master Plan develops integrated strategies into a set of actions. The master plan is structured in two major parts: the ‘urban armature’ and the ‘urban apparatus’. In this urban design method, the urban armature represents structural supporting strate­ gies such as roads, mobility, public space, green and blue, energy and water networks. The urban apparatus designates strategies imple­

2

mented at the scale of the built environment, the programme and the economy. This device allows for the development of clear and realistic recombining strategies, aiming to create unique projects. The systemic approach reticulates spatial, human, ecological, physical, economic and technological urban design strategies as a whole rather than as a collection of parts. This system dynamics allows for synergies between different actions for an efficient and integrated design. Along with this qualitative approach, a quantitative discipline assesses the results of the performance of each master plan in terms of ecology, resilience, liveability and energy equations.

Concept, Strategies, Urban Design Guidelines, Master Plan and Outcomes An Integrated Approach 108

109

Bangkok

0

Five Sites⁄Five Master Plans

5

10

20

40 km

80 km

Bangkok Metropolitan Administration

Towards a rehabilitation of the water system and former agrarian infrastructure, an integr­ ated urban development driven by an efficient transportation system and more cohesive public space and social setting.

The design proposals in Bangkok’s five 1×1 km sites develop tools that meet the challenges of building resilience to shock and stresses.

Urban design guidelines are provided so that mixed-use developments can accommodate increasing population density coupled with sustainable issues in order to create liveable and lovable neighbourhoods that offer opportunities to everyone and reduce risks. The objective is to develop sustainable urban strategies that address new morpho­logies, programmes and infrastructure, thereby supporting the resilience of a community, its inhabitants and their livelihoods; to anticipate and prevent the effects of climate change and restore the initial condition of the urban milieu. The proposals regenerate urban and agrarian systems as a rehabilitated civic structure, enhancing human and natural environments.

1 Pak Klong Talat

C ONCEP T, STR ATEG IES …

2

2 Sam Yan

1 2 3 4

5

1 N

3 Sukhumvit

4 Khlong Toei Port

5 Lat Krabang

1 × 1 km Sites

1 × 1 km

Master Plans

110

111

1 Pak Klong Talat

BANG KOK

Historical Centre: Between Resistance and Gentrification

The Living City

To recreate inclusiveness in this popular tourist and historic district, the project develops sustainable and integrated networks that combine connected public spaces, restructured canals, bioswales and green continuities with increasing extensions of permeable street surface. The planted urban boulevards contribute to the decarbonisation of the transport sector, thanks to fast and slow-speed vehicles such as tramways, shared electric cars and spaces reserved for bikes, electric scooters and pedestrians. The entire district is accessible at a ten-minute walking distance from mass transit stations and has centralised car parks. The hybrid architecture of buildings and monuments, the living heritage of the district, are protected and enhanced, adaptively re-used to preserve the district’s historic character and promote social participation through collaborative programmes, innovative urban typologies that integrate energy and water consumption into centralised cooling systems, rainwater harvesting and the recycling of grey water.

Pak Klong Talat market is located in the Old Town, also known as Rattanakosin Island, surrounded by the River Chao Phraya to the west and by a series of canals to the east – the ancient moats of the fortified city. A place of symbolic value for Bangkokians and internationally frequented, this traditional market sells flowers, fruit and vegetables.

While its various uses activate public space, it is constrained by prevailing local activities and the invasion of its networks by global tourism. Like many historic centres, Pak Klong Talat presents the double phenomenon of the interurban scale directly linked to the rise in service-based economies and to the shifting functions of central cities. At the crossroads between globalisation and local tradition, the city that adapts to the constraints of economic pressure remains resilient yet becomes increasingly exclusive.

Old conservative buildings

Fragmented green space

2

Accessible edge

Monofunctional buildings

Wetland park Green storm-water Infrastructure

Surface transformation Urban park

New development Mixed-use activity area Green corridor Tramway

C ONCEP T, STR ATEG IES …

Dynamic urban boulevard with bioswale

New development Transport hub

Low-rise development

Inefficient transport network

New typology Passive shophouse design

Express boat + ferry pier

New development Silo box Park & Ride

Building-integrated greenery Sky gardens Inaccessible edge

112

E XI STING

Retrofitted buildings

PROP O S ED

113

BANG KOK

Urban armature

1

PAK KLONG TAL AT

Master plan process Urban apparatus

Decomposed strategies Green and blue Green corridor Urban park Street planting Urban boulevard Pocket gardens Green connector Building-integrated green Existing greenery Wetland Proposed waterbody Bioswale Existing waterbody

Public space Public space in new typology Major links Minor links Existing public space

Master plan Living heritage Development Redevelopment Retrofit Existing building

C ONCEP T, STR ATEG IES …

2

Mobility

Chain of mobility

Tramway Mass Rapid Transport (MRT) line (Proposed) Water transport Proposed piers Bicycle network Bicycle pods Transport hub Silo parking system Transport nodes

Tramway Mass Rapid Transport (MRT) line (proposed) Water transport Proposed piers Bicycle network Bicycle pods Green and blue city Green corridor Urban park Street planting Urban boulevard Pocket gardens Green connector Building-integrated green Existing greenery Recreating inclusivity

114

Building Retrofit Transport hub Mixed-use building New shophouse typology Silo parking system Commercial and institutions Existing buildings

E XI STING C ONDITI ON S

PROP O S ED STR ATEG IES

115

1

BANG KOK

Public infrastructure

PAK KLONG TAL AT

Systems

Transport hub

Promenade

Major element of public space with new architecture providing rapid connections and accessibility

Accessible and connected network of diverse outdoor spaces and attractive urban structure

Building scale strategies Preserving cultural heritage Retaining the characteristics of the façade Basic retrofitting of the existing typology with energy-efficient technology Relocation of government buildings

Redeveloping the edge of the urban boulevard Introducing passive design typology Reducing dependency on active cooling Improving natural lighting Enhancing fenestration and overhangs Rainwater harvesting

Introducing mixed-uses in sites Mixed-use lifestyle culture Transport hub Markets Plaza Parks Silobox Silobox

Refurbished shopping centre

Transport hub

Night-time

Integrated design Historic public space

Hydrokinetic turbine

Temples as the main identifying feature of this historical site will be preserved, while the surrounding networks will be enhanced to attract visitors

Two types of hydrokinetic turbines are used to generate energy on the River Chao Phraya: the hydrokinetic power barge, located on the river surface, and the hydrokinetic Flumill, located on the riverbed

Daytime

Rainwater harvesting Captured rainwater from buildings and surrounding drainage will be channelled into storm-water plants and used for irrigating public greeneries

New building typology for shophouses

Grey-water reuse Grey water in the new developments will be treated and reused for flushing and irrigation purposes to reduce potable water demand

C ONCEP T, STR ATEG IES …

2

Mixed-use activity area

Silobox

Retrofitted shophouses

Urban boulevard

Accessible centralised parking area with a park-and-ride system to promote more sustainable transport modes and reduce the urban heat island (UHI) effect caused by too many parking surfaces

Shophouses with preserved façades will be retrofitted by using energy-­ efficient appliances, generating energy through photovoltaic panels

Redeveloping the urban edge with planted avenues, bicycle and pedestrian networks Passive shophouse design Self-sufficient supplies of non-potable water (reuse of grey water) Natural daylight Passive cooling Energy efficient appliances Renewable energy generation

Park and Ride

Wat Pho Green connector Green fingers act as connectors along the alley/soi from the major avenue with street planting to the riverside promenade

Storm-water infrastructure Heritage shophouses

Centralised cooling

PV panels

Heat rejection system New developments will have one centralised cooling plant to reduce and optimise energy consumption at peak hours

Photovoltaic panels on the new mixed-use developments and a passive shophouse design aim to reduce solar heat gain and generate energy

Wat Arun

Existing street planting

The Tien Shophouses, built during the reign of King Rama V, have been preserved for their historic value Riverside promenade

HYDRO­ TURBINE TEMPLE

PROMENADE

Shareable and walkable networks will accommodate people’s movements to obtain a multimodal transport system

116

HYDRO­ TURBINE RIVER CHAO PHRAYA

URBAN BOULEVARD BOAT PIER

HERITAGE SHOPHOUSES

Street planting and bioswales to enhance green networks and create a more liveable neighbourhood

MUSEUM

MAJOR AVENUE

SILOBOX

TRANSPORT HUB

Grey-water reuse, rainwater harvesting and water treatment systems to improve the resiliency of the site

CANAL

RETROFIT SHOPHOUSES

PASSIVE SHOPHOUSE DESIGN

Renewable energy initiatives to optimise energy demand and offset and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions

117

BANG KOK

2 Sam Yan Mixed-Use District Awaiting Mutation

A Learning and Interactive District

Sam Yan is famous for being one of the busiest mixed-business areas in the city, ranging from sport facilities to street food and Siang Gong (spare car parts). Since the early twenty-first century, the Chula­long­ korn University Property Management Office has gradually been renovating the area, as exemplified by the relocation of Sam Yan market, constructed over fifty years ago. Sam Yan is the name of an intersection of Rama IV Road with Phraya Thai Road to the north and Si Phraya Road to the south, major axes in a district served by the Sam Yan mass rapid transport (MRT) station. Today, the university enclave separates the different functions of the district, while busy markets and local restaurants provide a sustainable economy that must be preserved by the redevelopment of the area.

Chulalongkorn Universtity (CU) stadium and sports complex Shophouses to be redeveloped

by Chulalongkorn University

SoHo Mixed-use development with connection to stadium Academic buildings University facilities

C ONCEP T, STR ATEG IES …

2

Chamchuri Park IM park and shopping centre

The Sam Yan redevelopment project recommends connecting the district through ecological and landscape continuities defined as an eco-spine, and major public spaces linking the various forms of existing architecture and proposed programmes. The campus is thus integrated in the site and participates in the redevelopment of the district. Rama IV Road is converted into a planted urban boulevard, combining tramways, bicycle lanes and wide pavements. The restructuring of qualitative buildings and the retrofitting of obsolete buildings transform urban space. This sustainable architecture integrates efficient technologies of energy, water and waste management, and supports innovative programmes such as a start-up incubator, small office/home office (SoHo), commercial streets and establishments, hotels and housing for a learning and interactive district.

Energy hub District cooling system Waste-to-energy plant and wetland park Roof greening Introducing green roofs in existing buildings

SoHo Development with elevated footway, tram and Bangkok Rapid Transit (BRT) station

Start-up hub Bridging commercial activity

Ideo Q Chula Landmark condominium tower

Chamchuri Square MRT station

Wat Hua Lam Phong Temple with informal commercial activity

118

Mixed-use development Currently under construction

E XI STING

Roof PV Introducing solar PV in existing buildings

New shophouse typology surrounded by wetland park

Rama IV Plaza Recreational centre

PROP O S ED

Mixed-use Shopping centre and office building

Major transport hub Bangkok Rapid Transit and Mass Rapid Transport (BRT and MRT) station

119

BANG KOK

Urban armature

2

SAM YAN

Master plan process Urban apparatus

Decomposed strategies Green and blue Urban green Green roof Waterbody Existing green

Public space Proposed public space Existing public space

Master plan Enhancing mobility Tramway Mass Rapid Transport (MRT) line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Electric bus Bicycle network

C ONCEP T, STR ATEG IES …

2

Mobility Tramway Mass Rapid Transport (MRT) line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Electric bus Bicycle network

Reconnecting green and blue Urban green Green roof Waterbody Bridging communities Proposed public space Introducing mixed-use programme Energy hub Small office/Home office (SoHo) Integrated transport hub Start-up hub

120

Building Energy hub Small office/Home office (SoHo) Integrated transport hub Start-up hub Commercial + institutions Existing buildings

E XI STING C ONDITI ON S

PROP O S ED STR ATEG IES

121

2

BANG KOK

SAM YAN

Systems

Synergetic actions

New-Zero energy innovation campus

Chain of mobility

Localised loop system to organise various public modes of transport

Thailand is embracing innovation and becoming a digital economy to stay ahead as a golbal economy. In year 2012, the deputy governor (Bangkok), outlined his vision to transform Bangkok into a smart, sustainable city for the future. Chualongkorn University (CU), being the top university in the country, can be the catalyst for this embracement of innovation by transforming itself into an innovation centre, leveraging on the latest technology to enhance resilience, energy and liveability.

Inclusive learning environment

To retrofit and develop buildings with pedestrianised thoroughfares and collaborative social spaces on ground and roof levels, filled with educational and learning programmes

‹Exclusive and gated campus

Public zone Private zone

Private zone

Private zone Public zone

Inclusive learning campus

Centralised and decentralised energy systems Changing from a centralised to a decentralised system will help minimise transmission losses Centralised energy system

Decentralised energy system

SoHo development

1. Energy source: From a centralised distribution or power grids to a decentralised source of power such as solar, photovoltaic (PV) or waste-to-energy (WtE) 2. Energy reduction: From a unitary air-conditioning system to a centralised distributed control system (DXS) network

Integrated strategies

Energy hub

Transport hub

Solar PV Reduce solar heat gain and support energy demand

NEW TYPOLOGY SHOPHOUSE

WETLAND PARK

Dense tree canopy cover Helps to slow rainwater, reduce the urban heat island (UHI) effect and reduce ambient temperature

122

URBAN BOULEVARD

FORECOURT

Accessibility Multiple transport modes include bus rapid transit (BRT), mass rapid transport (MRT), electrical forms of transport, buses and bicycles

SOHO

Active open public space Recreational amenities improve health and well-being

COURTYARD

Urban boulevard Improved landscape promotes cycling and walking, reducing motorised journeys

Vertical shading Helps thermal control and saves energy

SOHO

Grey-water management Recycling grey water and using it for flushing and irrigation purposes to reduce water demand

COURTYARD

SOHO

COURTYARD

Natural ventilation Helps supply fresh air and convert cooling

SOHO

FORECOURT

ENERGY HUB AND WETLAND PARK

District cooling Helps eliminate the need for separate systems in individual buildings, making energy management more efficient

URBAN BOULEVARD

Green roofs Green roofs reduce stormwater run-off while providing pleasant exterior spaces

SECONDARY BOULEVARD

C ONCEP T, STR ATEG IES …

2

SHOPPING CENTRE

Wetland Flood control, water purification and groundwater replenishment

123

BANG KOK

3 Sukhumvit Super-Block: When ‘Form follows 1 Finance’

An Integrated and Connected Neighbourhood

To compensate pressures in the development of the central city, the Bangkok Comprehensive Plan (3rd edition, 2013) has designated Sukhumvit district as a commercial and administrative extension of the old Central Business District. Due to the economic pressure of private development and the phenomenon of globalisation, the Emporial Mall (EM) District adopts vertical forms and mega-projects with super-blocks housing international business, trade centres, office towers, luxury shopping centres, hotels and high-end residential condominiums. The district is efficiently connected to the city by means of the Bangkok Mass Transit System (BTS) Sukhumvit Line and the Mass Rapid Transport (MRT) Blue Line. However, the scale of the super-blocks and the interruptions in the Soi network worsen connections and increase traffic congestion. Furthermore, the mega-scale of commercial developments doesn’t consider environmental quality issues.

Benjasiri Park Centralised green space

High asphalt Hardscape

Green connector Cycling track + integrated bioswale network

Tramway Green corridor PV roof

Bangkok Mass Transit system (BTS) Line and Sukhumvit Centralised road system

Discontinuous Green network

C ONCEP T, STR ATEG IES …

2

The EmQuartier Exclusive semi-public space

In order to meet the site’s constraints, the first strategy developed in this project is the resizing of the block providing new accessibilities and internal layouts. An integrated green and blue public space network is designed to introduce porosity and connections, reinforcing the ecological and the social value of the site by means of green corridors, pocket gardens, tree alignments, an increase in permeable surfaces, bioswales, canals, water bodies and plazas.

Planted boulevards with dedicated electric bus and two-wheeled vehicles lanes connected to a mass transport system re-articulate the site in its surroundings. Obsolete buildings are transformed into new urban typologies integrating passive design, energy and water management to organise new densities and mixed-use programmes for a more diverse, sustainable and inclusive district.

Sky garden Public space

Transportation hub Tram-Bangkok Mass Transit System (BTS) interchange Silo car park

Urban boulevard Bangkok Mass Transit System (BTS) Line Solar panels over BTS line Street planting and integrated bioswale network

New typology Podium Tower and courtyard Energy hub

New typology Fine grain tower

Elevated footway Public space New typology Podium tower

Water detention and public plaza

124

E XI STING

PROP O S ED

125

BANG KOK

Urban armature

3

S UKHUMVIT

Master plan process Urban apparatus

Decomposed strategies Green and blue Urban park Pocket gardens Urban boulevard Green connector Bioswale network and water catchment

Public space Existing public space Proposed public space Network

Master plan Reconnecting the ecological fabric

2 C ONCEP T, STR ATEG IES …

Green corridor Urban green Pocket garden Existing garden Urban boulevard Green connector Street planting Water bodies Bioswale Canal Existing blue

Mobility Tramway Bicycle network Bicycle pods Car pods Bangkok Mass Transit System (BTS) skytrain Transport nodes Major road

Redefining the super-block Tramway Highway Major road Secondary road Bangkok Mass Transit System (BTS) skytrain Bicycle network Shared electric car silo Shared bicycle rack Transit hub Injecting mixed-uses Commercial + residential Commercial + office Existing buildings

126

Building Commercial + residential Retail + office Office + amenity Residential + amenity Commercial spine

E XI STING C ONDITI ON S

PROP O S ED STR ATEG IES

127

3

BANG KOK

S UKHUMVIT

Systems

Integrated strategies Access to shared transit

Public space

Redefining the ground level New developments improve lateral movement Before

Ground imporvement Drain tube Aggregate

Bioswale Public space Semi-public space

Rainwater collection Rooftop rainwater collection and surface run-off increases water independence

Permeable paving Rainwater is collected from the pavement and channelled to a central cistern for use in the District Cooling System (DCS)

Photovoltaic (PV) energy generation Increase energy independence through: PV panels on rooftops (80% coverage) PV canopy over Bangkok Mass Transit System (BTS) network PV canopy on tram shelters and bicycle racks increase energy independence

Permeable surface Streetscape improvements increase pervious surfaces to reduce storm-water run-off and increase groundwater infiltration

Noon sun

C ONCEP T, STR ATEG IES …

Building orientation

Public open space Providing recreational areas improves health, well-being and the microclimate

PV angle

2

Pedestrian streets Reducing the use of private vehicles improves health and well-being and increases street activity

Lateral shortcuts

Passive ventilation

District Cooling System (DCS) Collecting purified storm-water it reduces electricity consumption in all the buildings in the networks

Mixed-use district Residential, commercial, offices and amenities within walking distance

Electricity District Cooling System (DCS) cold water District Cooling System (DCS) recycled water Hot water Rainwater

SHOPHOUSES

128

BOULEVARD

MAJOR PROGRAMME

TRAMWAY/ PEDESTRIAN

GREEN CONNECTOR

After

Retrofit existing buildings Energy-efficient appliances, double glazing and solar water heaters reduce energy consumption

Cycle network Providing private recreational space reduces the cooling load and improves the microclimate

Noon sun angle = 90o latitude Bangkok Latitude: 13.5N

Passive building design Fine-grained building footprint Cross-ventilation North-south orientation Reduces electiricity consumption

URBAN PARK

ENERGY HUB

BOULEVARD

MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENT

Permeable ground floor Enabling short-cuts through new developments reduces travel time, improving the quality of pedestrian movement, increasing the amount of privately owned public space and integrating residents in the community

GREEN CONNECTOR

129

4 Khlong Toei Port

BANG KOK

A Post-Industrial Port Infrastructure

Located in the peri-urban south-east of Bangkok, the district of Khlong Toe is bordered by the River Chao Phraya and by Sukhumvit Road. Predominantly occupied by Bangkok port or Khlong Toeit, bounded by the railway and the river, this part of the territory owned by the Port Authority of Thailand (PAT) includes the port infrastructure, industrial disposal zones and the largest informal settlement or shanty town in Bangkok. The government of Bangkok Metropolis plans to turn this area into a world-class trading centre boasting smart community residences, a smart port and a water-transport centre, retail, commerce, hotels, offices, warehouses and a sports complex. However, this transformation into a modern logistics and cargo distribution centre with a new automated system will entail the shrinking of the port’s activities. 2

Bang Kachao

River Chao Phraya

Shophouse

C ONCEP T, STR ATEG IES …

2

A Productive Eco-District

This intensive industrial and polluted site is located opposite Bang Kachao, an artificial island where three natural ecosystems – mangroves, freshwater swamp forests and tropical rainforests – converge.

The project proposes a regenerative landscape for on-site water and soil remediation to reinforce the territory’s ecological value. In order to reduce the use of private vehicles, a multimodal transport system has been conceived in which new networks of tramway and electric shuttles have been added to existing mass rapid transit (MRT) systems to accommodate fast-speed transportation. Spaces designed for bicycles and pedestrians scattered across the district improve the quality of mobility, connecting newly developed areas. Active public space supports continuous programmes and major facilities.

Compact open blocks allow for porosity, connectivity and density along with mixed-use development in passive design architecture.

Major architecture

Warehouses

Solar PV

Landfill Temple Industrial zone

Green roof District Cooling System (DCS) Waste-Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) Hydrological park

Informal settlement

Tramway

Institutional area

Major programme Multimodal transport hub

La

nd

fil

l/O

pe

n

Sp

ac

e

Ur

ba

n

In

te

rs

tic

es

Ci

ty

Ed

ge

Residential area

130

E XI STING

PROP O S ED

131

BANG KOK

Urban armature

4

KHLONG TOEI P OR T

Master plan process Urban apparatus

Decomposed strategies Green and blue Green corridor Urban park Pocket gardens Street planting Existing greenery Mangrove edge Community farming Planted plaza River and canal Wetland Waterbody Wetland grid

Public space Existing formal social space Existing informal community space Proposed public space

Master plan Clean-tech development Major programme Major architecture/ Facilities Major infrastructure Retrofit and redevelopment

C ONCEP T, STR ATEG IES …

2

Mobility Tramway Mass Rapid Transport (MRT) (Proposed) Electric bus Bicycle network Bicycle pods Electric bus stop Proposed piers Pier to upgrade Transport hub Silo parking system Interchange

Transformation Edge to central Tramway Mass Rapid Transport (MRT) (Proposed) Electric bus Bicycle network Bicycle pods Electric bus stop Proposed piers Pier to upgrade Transport hub Silo parking system Interchange Conserve, enhance and integrate Ecologies, green and blue Mangroves Park Urban green Private green Wildscape River Canal Wetland Green corridor Urban park Existing greenery

Building Major programme Major architecture/ Facilities Retrofit and redevelopment

Reconnecting through public space Accessible and inclusive

132

E XI STING C ONDITI ON S

PROP O S ED STR ATEG IES

133

4

BANG KOK

KHLONG TOEI P OR T

Redevelopment and tranformation

Systems

Integrated chain of mobility

Open block

Green initiatives. Passive design Basic upgradation. Clustering for de-densification Increase opens space and utilities

Clean-tech development

New programme Mixed-use, SoHo, start-up, innovation hub, condominium

Major programme Major infrastructures and facilities

Multimodal transport hubs Waste-Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) Waste-to-Energy (WtE) District Cooling System (DCS) Convention centre

Retrofit. Existing buildings Convention centre

Solar PV on roof

Shophouses/ Rowhouse

Retrofiting - Exterior façade maintained and improved - Passive strategies (natural ventilation): operable windows - AC setpoint range (25ºC-26ºC) - Tick 4 appliances: energy-efficient appliances

Solar photovoltaic (PV) panels Key plan Pavement

Cycling

Tramway

Car

Pavement

Wasteto-energy (WtE)

Redevelop. New typology and informal settlements cluster Green roof Solar PV

Biophilic elements Water-resource management

Proposed situation.

Street-led approach Planted plazas Major programmes

Existing situation

Photovoltaic (PV) cells Photovoltaic cells reduce solar heat gain and support energy demand

C ONCEP T, STR ATEG IES …

2

HIGH-RISE CONDO

134

CANAL

Waste-water treatment (WWT) Treating waste water to obtain clean water Rainwater harvesting system Collecting rainwater for irrigation, washing and drinking purposes Grey-water recycling Reducing potable water use by separating grey water for flushing and irrigation use

RESEARCH WWTP

INNOVATION HUB

BIOSWALE

Active open public space Recreational amenites to improve health and well-being

Secondary green spine Green corridor Rooftop green

MIXED USE

District cooling plant Connection to building

Economic development Job creation strengthens new development’s economy

START-UP

Public spines

Recreational/ public space District Cooling System (DCS) plant

Green corridor Dense tree canopy to help slow rainwater, reduce the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect and ambient temperature by 2-3 degrees Celsius

PLAZA

MIXED USE

START-UP

RAIN GARDEN

Chilled-water supply and return pipes Heat/District Cooling System (DCS) recycled water Consumption reduction using the DCS system

DCS

Green roofs Reduce storm-water run-offs while providing pleasant exterior space

ECO INDUSTRIAL

135

BANG KOK

5 Lat Krabang A Fragmented Sub-Centre

Eco-Cell Villages

Located next to Suvarnabhumi Airport, this suburban territory alternates rice fields, cultivated lands, villages and industrial enclaves lacking in quality. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) master plan indicates four land-use categories: industrial, low-­density residential, medium-density residential and commercial. The future development of this fragmented and chaotic site is described in the BMA Sub-Center Program, 3 which prescribes an ‘environmentally friendly suburban sub-center’ and ‘making a flood-free city’, mentioning the need to ‘preserve and activate the Thai traditional urban atmosphere’, ‘creation of a model for sub­ urban development in Bangkok Metropolis’. The site is served by the airport air link and the Sirat motorway that connects Bangkok to the airport and its periphery. As a result of the economic pressure exerted by private constructors, this territory is currently suffering an anarchic and mediocre development.

In order to restore the natural environment affected by industrial pollution and to cope with flooding, a transformative landscape of wetland parks has been developed upstream of the site that also allows the implementation of permaculture and aquaculture. The village is restructured through major public spaces connecting its entrance to the temple and to the banks of the canal, supporting the new educational, health and cultural facilities. Tramways, electric shuttles, water taxis, networks for two-wheeled vehicles and planted paths connected to existing mobility systems reinforce environmental quality and liveability by adapting movements to different speeds.

Landform and adaptive architecture address climate change. New residential and mixed-use passive design typologies are developed two metres above the existing ground-line.

New resilient development Elevated two metres above the existing ground level

Airport link/ Super Rapid Train (SRT) station Existing wetland

Silo parking Transforming asphalt parking surfaces

Multimodal interchange 1 Existing link between airport and Super Rapid Train (SRT), combined with electric bus and cycle pods

Ecological corridor Along the canal edge, to promote biodiversity movement and integrated public spaces

C ONCEP T, STR ATEG IES …

2

Existing school

Existing public building and temple complex

Existing Prawet Burirorm Canal

Proposed new programme Public food courts Plaza spaces

136

E XI STING

Wetland park A resilient, transformative landscape integrating public spaces

Proposed new programme Educational care centre New canal network Forming a part of the entire wetland machine

Multimodal interchange 2 Tramway Electric bus Bicycles Transport link Ferry terminal

Solar canopy Over the elevated motorway to achieve self-sufficiency

Planted streets For improved street edges Proposed park connector With multiple functions, including a fish farm

PROP O S ED

137

BANG KOK

Urban armature

5

L AT KR ABANG

Master plan process Urban apparatus

Decomposed strategies Green and blue Green corridor Community garden Urban park Pocket garden Existing greenery Street planting Spontaneous green Proposed canal Existing canal Proposed wetland Existing wetland

Public space New public space Major links Existing public space

Master plan Resiliency in development Residential development Mixed-use redevelopment Major facilities development Existing building

C ONCEP T, STR ATEG IES …

2

Mobility Tramway Electric bus State Railway of Thailand (SRT) Airport link Ferry transport Bicycle network Train station Proposed piers Bicycle pods

Public spaces for all Major links Multimodal transport system Tramway Electric bus State Railway of Thailand (SRT) Airport link Ferry transport Bicycle network Train station Proposed piers Bicycle pods Transformative landscape Green corridor Community garden Urban park Pocket garden Existing greenery Street planting Spontaneous green Proposed canal Existing canal Proposed wetland Existing wetland

138

Building Proposed development Redevelopment Existing building Commercial + institutional

E XI STING C ONDITI ON S

PROP O S ED STR ATEG IES

139

5

BANG KOK

L AT KR ABANG

Systems

Existing Canal edge development Prawet Burirom Canal is used as an ecological corridor to connect two major rivers. Improved biodiversity enriches public space

Underground channels form a systematic grid

Public plaza Public plaza, as part of the park connector to the wetland park

Aquaculture The rearing of aquatic animals in a segregated space enables residents to practice fish farming

Improved edges In developed areas, street edges are improved thanks to better pavements that enhance the cycling experience

Urban park Activity spaces such as jogging tracks and playgrounds enhance the urban park

Bioswales Bioswales integrated in public areas increase water permeability, removing pollutants and converting these into active spaces

Planted avenues Shade trees planted in avenues embellish the path to the wetland park Water network Adding underground water channels, canals and green networks improve water permeability and reduce the impact of floods

Mixed-use area An educational care centre is integrated here in public space

Existing photovoltaic (PV) solar infrastructure

Increased level 1 m level Existing level

Pocket gardens Fruit and vegetables planted in pocket gardens encourage residents to produce food in their own backyards

Increased level 1 m level Existing level

140

PLANTED STREET

Solar power Photovoltaic (PV) solar panels are introduced in newly developed programmes to increase energy production

PROPOSED PROGRAMME Educational Care Centre

URBAN PARK

Biomass Farmlands, wetlands and other possible dry organic waste are used to produce biomass energy

PROPOSED CANAL

BIOSWALE

EXISTING DEVELOPMENT

ROAD

EXISTING DEVELOPMENT

ROAD

EXISTING DEVELOPMENT

PLANTED STREET

URBAN PARK

PUBLIC PLAZA

PROPOSED CANAL

Retrofitting Existing developments retrofitted with efficient lighting and other appliances decrease energy consumption

FISH FARM

BIOSWALE

PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT

ROAD

PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT

HOME GARDEN

PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT

Passive cooling New residential developments based on passive design principles help reduce energy consumption

URBAN PARK

C ONCEP T, STR ATEG IES …

Proposed

Plant species

Blue grid

Resiliency Building new residential houses two metres above ground level ensures maximum protection from ten-year floods

2

Road

Internal roads

A wetland park is a natural system for cleansing and recharging groundwater and increasing the capacity of water retention during floods

The new permeable green surface under the motorway becomes a part of the ecological corridor, bringing nature back to the city

Grid line

Organisation of development into a grid structure Providing community farming for the residents Elevating the ground level by 2 m to be more resilient to floods

Tranformative landscape

Internal roads

Under motorway surface change

Grid line

Adaptive development Community farming

Integrated design

141

BANG KOK

City Master Plan Ecological network

C ONCEP T, STR ATEG IES …

2

Biodiversity hotspots

New CBD

Existing biodiversity Hotspots Existing nature reserve Existing greenery Existing planted area Existing wetland Existing waterbody King’s Dyke

142

Proposed ecological corridor Proposed green corridor Proposed urban green Proposed clean-tech development Proposed street planting Proposed wetland Proposed waterbody Proposed grid system

143

BANG KOK

City Master Plan Major public space network

C ONCEP T, STR ATEG IES …

2

Existing public space Proposed public space Existing waterbody

144

145

BANG KOK

City Master Plan Mobility network

C ONCEP T, STR ATEG IES …

2

Tramway Mass Rapid Transport (MRT) Proposed MRT State Railway of Thailand (SRT) Bangkok Mass Transit System (BTS) skytrain Airport Link Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Water transport Proposed piers Existing piers

146

Electric bus Bycicle network Railway station Parks Ring road Major road Minor road Interchange

147

BANG KOK

Outcomes: Pak Klong Talat

Resilience

Liveability

Flood risk mitigation

Public space con­ nector and mobility infrastructure

Permeability (Existing ⁄ Proposed)

UN Sustainability Goal 11: Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable UN Sustainability Goal 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

23

Chain of mobility

Recreating inclusivity

%

INCREASE

Public blue and green

15

%

Green surface

Waterbodies

Pervious surface

Impervious surface

Water demand and supply flow chart

24%

Permeable

C ONCEP T, STR ATEG IES …

2

12

29%

196,000 sq. m INCREASE

38 Network scale. Natural water treatment

Blue and green space

Building scale. Rainwater harvesting and grey-water reuse

DECREASE

30’→ 18’

Access to shared transport. Before ⁄ After

Proposed

202%

5%

INCR.

Storm-water retention tank

483,500 sq. m 148

40 Existing

Water retention

Proposed

Served by public transport

(Time-Distance)

INCREASE

Wetland

INCREASE

Walkability

Proposed

% 3

Access to public space. Before ⁄ After

%

383,100 sq. m

95%

INCREASE

%

Proposed

41

Proposed public space along the canal

Served by public space

SemiNonpermeable permeable

%

Proposed

%

INCREASE

Permeable surface 47%

374,100 sq. m

Total public space

1. Waste-water treatment plant 2. Non-potable water storage tank 3. Centralised storm-water treatment plant

205,600 sq. m Proposed

149

BANG KOK

OU TC OMES

PAK KLONG TAL AT

Energy urban transformation scenarios were developed with regard to site conditions: the use of canal water for cooling systems, the greening of street and roof surfaces and the use of photovoltaic power (PV) for electricity generation were brought together in scenarios calibrated and calculated by the EDF 3D city platform to optimise energy consumption and generation.

Energy

Business-as-Usual (BAU) scenario

Temple 5.50 GWh/yr

Private housing 10.24 GWh/yr

Shophouse 106.43 GWh/yr

Passive shophouse design 102.70 GWh/yr [-4%]

DECREASE

Proposed scenarios building scale

Energy demand

-4 -6

Gigawatt hours (GWh) per year

Centralised cooling

Gigawatt hours (GWh) per year

Heat rejection

38

Shopping centre 5.30 GWh/yr

Refurbished shopping centre 4.66 GWh/yr [-12%]

Mid-rise 16.24 GWh/yr

Transport hub (mixed use) 24.33 GWh/yr [+49%]

Energy strategy (Building scale ⁄ Networks)

Programme nodes

Building programmes

BMA guidelines

Potential for urban development

Solar potential

UHI

Energy consumption / programme

Building height

Potential for renewable energy

Scenario 1: 10.01% Demand offset

Scenario 2: 20.02% Demand offset

Scenario 3: 20.02% Demand offset

Decrease in energy consumption by 20,000 kilowatt-hour (kWh) per year (0.01%) Energy generation is 1,362,230 kilowatthour (kWh) per year (10%)

Decrease in energy consumption by 32,300 kilowatt-hour (kWh) per year (0.02%) Decrease in cooling load by 140,849 kilowatt-hour (kWh) per year (10%) Energy generation is 1,362,230 kilowatthour (kWh) per year (10%)

Decrease in energy consumption by 32,300 kilowatt-hour (kWh) per year (0.02%) Decrease in cooling load by 140,849 kilowatt-hour (kWh) per year (20%) Energy generation is 1,658,370 kilowatthour (kWh) per year (12%)

%

INCREASE

Energy generation Gigawatt hours (GWh) per year

Existing conditions ⁄ Network scale

Solar PV on roof

47%

DECREASE

Business-as-Usual (BAU) scenario Existing building

Refurbished building

Covered PV network

Hydrokinetic plant

Retrofit building

New energy building

Hydrokinetic turbine

Centralised cooling

Energy consumption

Energy self-sufficiency

Water Chiller Heat Exchanger

2%

Centralised/Decentralised

High greenhouse gas (GHG) emissionss over the years High urban heat island (UHI) effect and high temperature on the site Low-intensity street lighting

Proposed scenarios network scale

DECREASE

Greenhouse gas (GHG) (Buildings)

% 66

Energy generation

Public space

Asphalt

Flows of movement

Green and blue

Hardscape and permeability

UHI

Noise pollution

Air pollution

Light intensity

Microclimatic impact

Urban condition

+47

Energy condition

C ONCEP T, STR ATEG IES …

2

Old buildings with low energyefficient appliances Monofunctional and decentral­ ised air conditioning systems with a high dependency on active cooling Environmental policies impose restrictions on modern technology

Building age - Typology

Urban condition

9%

Existing conditions ⁄ Building scale

Building typology ⁄ Energy consumption

Energy condition

Energy Optimisation and Resource Use Efficiency

Scenario 1: 0.6% Demand offset

Scenario 2: 2.1% Demand offset

Scenario 3: 7% Demand offset

Decrease in energy consumption by 47,200 kilowatt-hour (kWh) per year (0.1%) Decrease in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 185 tons CO2 per year (0.6%) Energy generation is 69,158.5 kilowatthour (kWh) per year (0.5%)

Decrease in energy consumption by 47,200 kilowatt-hour (kWh) per year (0.1%) Decrease in GHG emissions by 185 tons CO2 per year (0.6%) Energy generation is 207,476 kilowatthour (kWh) per year (0.5%)

Decrease in energy consumption by 186,100 kilowatt-hour (kWh) per year (2%) Decrease in GHG emissions by 302 tons CO2 per year (1%) Energy generation is 691,585 kilowatthour (kWh) per year (5%)

DECREASE

Transport energy

2.2 Megajoule (MJ) per km → 0.7 MJ per km

150

151

Hong Kong

0

5 sites⁄5 master plans

5

10

20

40

80 km

Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China

Towards integrated infrastructure and systems coping with density and liveability The design proposals of five 1×1 km sites in Hong Kong demonstrate the negotiation between quantitative and qualitative attributes.

Quantitative attributes are density, intensity, mixed use, scale, grain, permeability, energy and water issues. Qualitative attributes are diversity, liveability, vitality and viability. Strategies are developed to mitigate stresses caused by density and take advantage of the opportunities it creates. What are the trade-offs between density, liveability and net zero targets for energy and water? In some cases, densification as a strategy for sustainable urbanism unlocks the potential of public infrastructure such as transit systems and utility grids, making them compact, accessible and profitable. In other situations, de-densification and public space development help to enhance liveability and social equity.

1

2 4 5 3 1 N

1 Tai Po

C ONCEP T, STR ATEG IES …

2

2 Sham Shui Po

3 Stanley

4 Central

5 Wan Chai

1 × 1 km Sites

1 × 1 km

Master plans

152

153

HONG KONG

1 Tai Po New Town and Identity

Urban Confluence

Since the implementation of its New Town Development programme in 1973, Hong Kong has constructed nine new towns in former rural farmlands, all of which accommodate public and private housing supported by essential infrastructure and community facilities.

External transport connections were established by rail to the urban area and roads were extended to adjacent districts. The high-rise new towns were typically built on sites characterised by existing towns and villages where rivers, agriculture and nature were predominant. Tai Po was a traditional market town. The New Town covers a develop­ment area of around 3,006 hectares for a planned population of 307,000 people. The current population of Tai Po is approximately 278,000 inhabitants.4

Connected to Tai Po metro station, bridges and cycle lanes link the original commercial town to the high-rise estates that surround it. Amidst the typical vernacular urban structures and the generic ­towers, identity and coherence remain major issues. To strengthen urban consistency, the project proposes the articulation of programmes and architecture by creating continuity of structuring public space.

Furthermore, an integrated ecological green and blue network will reconnect the site to its natural surroundings. In order to improve liveability and attractiveness, mixed-use programmes added to the existing transportation system are reactivating the local economy.

Energy and water management is integrated at building and network scale, using the site’s natural resources for renewable energy and the production of potable water.

Introducing a mixed-use development programme To achieve self-sufficient spaces in which to work, live and study Development of a major public spine To connect the new Tai Po area with Kwong Fuk Square, a new SoHo development with the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) network

Transforming the edge of the river To make it a part of an ecosystem

C ONCEP T, STR ATEG IES …

2

Photovoltaic (PV) panels For maximum efficiency in capturing solar energy bearing in mind the overshading factors

Disconnection Between the River Tai Po and the urban environment Green space Sufficient yet inefficient in Tai Po

154

E XI STING

PROP O S ED

155

HONG KONG

Urban armature

1

TAI P O

Master plan process Urban apparatus

Decomposed strategies Green and blue Natural reserve Park Neighbourhood park Street parks Playground Private garden/Green Detention tank Drainage system River Water cooling system Living machine

Public space New public space Major links Existing public space

Master plan River People flow Podium level connectivity Hilltop greenery Road network Living machine Green pavement Urban farming New development

C ONCEP T, STR ATEG IES …

2

Mobility Railway Highway Major road Secondary road Cycle path Footpath Greenlink Heavy traffic flows Least traffic flow

Building Proposed development Redevelopment Existing

156

E XI STING C ONDITI ON S

PROP O S ED STR ATEG IES

157

HONG KONG

Hybrid district

1

TAI P O

Systems Active landscape

Eco-energy hub

Building efficiency 16,509,024 to 14,362,851 kWh 13%

Residential Commercial and retail podium Sports facilities Educational facilities

Energy from waste 85 T 1% Solar energy 3,167,964 kWh 1% Water consumption 92% self-sufficiency

Car park

Integrated waste and energy

Facilities

Retail area

Mixed-use area

SoHo development Residential tower Office block Commercial/Retail areas on podium Facilities (schools/hospitals) Basement car park

Green / Water / Energy

Energy from waste 7,723 T 7,723,000 kWh 3% Solar energy 6,918,508 kWh 3%

2 C ONCEP T, STR ATEG IES …

Building efficiency 278,825,754 to 242,578,406 kWh 13%

Water consumption 103% self-sufficiency

Facilities 24%

Commercial area 12%

Office buildings 32% Residential area 32%

Integrated design

158

159

HONG KONG

2 Sham Shui Po An Overpopulated Ghetto

A Liveable and Low-Impact Community Neighbourhood

This inner-city district is situated on the western coast of Kowloon Peninsula, at the heart of a rapidly urbanised territory. A busy and popular commercial area for the inhabitants of Hong Kong, Sham Shui Po surrounds the central station of the city’s railway network that connects Hong Kong to Shenzhen in mainland China. However, the high-density of underprivileged residents of these deprived neighbourhoods is immobile and they have limited experience of urban life in a postwar built environment and deteriorated architectures. This low-skilled migrant resident district integrating new Chinese, South Asian and African populations is one of the poorest neighbourhoods in Hong Kong, raising the issues of over populated ghettos.5

New typology Transport hub

Dragon shopping centre

2 C ONCEP T, STR ATEG IES …

To meet the challenges of the urban and social transformation of this site, the project develops an ‘urban stitch’ strategy that consists in the de-densification and rejuvenation of the built environment. It also introduces public spaces that enhance transverse connectivity to improve porosity and accessibility in this overcrowded neighbourhood.

Planted boulevards, urban green coverage, tree alignments, pervious surfaces, urban parks, pocket gardens, bioswales and waterbodies provide ecological and social linkage. An efficient chain of mobility favouring walkability and decarbonised transportation reinforce the fluidity of flows and the connection with surrounding areas.

Mixed-use urban typologies integrating energy, waste and water management promote a low impact, self-sufficient sustainable and liveable neighbourhood.

Lai Kok public housing

Nam Cheong Rainwater Park

Pholtovoltaic (PV)

H-Slab public housing

Rooftop park Activity zone

New typology Hub Rooftop park Activity zone

Sham Shui Po Park

Pedestrainised hawker centre

Namcheong Street Park

Back-alley spine

Water detention pocket garden

160

E XI STING

PROP O S ED

161

HONG KONG

Urban armature

2

S HAM S HUI P O

Master plan process Urban apparatus

Decomposed strategies Green and blue Back-alley spine Expanded network Pocket garden Urban park Playgrounds Bioswale Detention pond/ Water body Nam Cheong Rainwater Park Water recycle zone

Public space Public space Major links Existing public space

Master plan De-densification and urban renewal

2 C ONCEP T, STR ATEG IES …

Innovative typology Redeveloped buildings Altered buildings Existing buildings

Mobility MTR MTR Line Bus route Bus stops Light bus stop Light bus route Integrative LRT loop Bicycle lane Silo parking: Electric share car Pedestrianised zone: Full-time Part-time MTR exit

Chain of mobility New mobility system Light Rail Transport (LRT) route LTR station Bicycle route Mass Transit Railway (MTR) Exit De-congesting conflictive zone Pedestrianised hawker centre Part-time pedestrian area Full-time pedestrian area Roads Urban stitch Green network Parks Playgrounds Bioswales Diagonal connector Previous pavement Bioswale connection Urban park connector Low-impact neighbourhood Photovoltaic (PV)

Building Proposed development Redevelopment Existing Residential mixed use Residential Institutional Commercial

Waste-to-Energy (WtE) Community kitchen Restaurant collection Shopping centre collection Grey-water recycling Water remediation garden Water recycle zone

162

E XI STING C ONDITI ON S

PROP O S ED STR ATEG IES

163

S HAM S HUI P O

Rainwater

Residents

Vegetables

Community kitchen

Free meals

Green roof Urban boulevard LRT route

New typology

Solar PV canopy on LRT

Rainwater detention

Rainwater collection for recreation and reuse in urban farming

Rainwater detention

Green-blue network

Ecological transport hub

Urban boulevard

Active blue

Solar PV canopy Permeable pavement

Productive green

Elevated walkway

Systems Rooftop solar heaters Green roof

2

HONG KONG

Community farms

Infiltration Underground storage

New typology New typology

Unconsumed food

Food waste

Decentralised composting facilities

Organic waste treatment facilities

Compost

Electricity

Yard waste

Wetland cells

MTR exit LTR station Electric car / Silo parking

Bioswales

Reclaimed water

Rooftop activities

Slow: Removing landscape curbing to add softscape that allows water to permeate the ground

Spread: A storage tank circulates water back to urban roof farms and domestic consumption

Soak: A rainwater garden detains stormwater for recreation while infiltrating soil

Rainwater detention

Rainwater detention

74%

60%

38%

25%

Public space 4,350 sq. m

Green space 1,315 sq. m

Residential space 157,550 sq. m

Commercial/Office space 15,800 sq. m

46%

20%

49%

9%

Residential towers

Bioswale

Nam Cheong Rainwater garden

Rainwater detention

Bicycle lane

C ONCEP T, STR ATEG IES …

Commercial/Office space 202,500 sq. m

New typology

2 North to south urban boulevard

Waste-to-Energy (WtE)

Interactive block

Green axis with façade revitalisation

1. Urban boulevard 2. Rainwater garden 3. Green back alleys

Residential space 106,140 sq. m

Educational and productive typology

Pocket garden

New green back-alley network

Green space 0 sq. m

New typology

Grey-water recycling

Urban farming Green landscape Potential expansion for roof farming Gardening

Urban stitch

Public space 20,000 sq. m

Pocket garden Rainwater detention

Residential towers

Bioswale Rainwater garden

Grey water

Rainwater detention

Food waste collection and separation

Section

Connecting green

Mixed-use typology

Rainwater garden

Porosity in new development

Extension of the rainwater garden into the neighbourhood

Existing condition (isolated)

Edible food waste generated by on-site supermarkets is used in community kitchens while non-edible waste is used to make compost and produce energy

Introducing green in retrofitted buildings

Proposed network

Productive rooftop

Photovoltaic (PV) Urban farms

164

165

HONG KONG

3 Stanley Area A Sectorised Neighbourhood

Bio-Interface

Located on a peninsula of Hong Kong island, Stanley is a costal town and a tourist attraction. When Hong Kong was ceded to Britain in 1842, Stanley was its largest community and one of the area’s main fishing villages. Due to its steep geography, it consisted of two major settlements: ‘Man Hang Village’ developed on the hillside as a residential area with exclusive developments on one flank, and 10 hectares of a social rehousing complex on the other, whereas ‘Stanley Village’ is a seaside development that has a commercial and tourist centrality with a market, a temple, plazas and a public promenade along the embankment. While this dichotomy of urban organisation adapts to the peace and quiet of an exclusive lifestyle, it also constrains accessibility and overspecialised spaces.

In order to bring greater transversality to this enclave, the project proposes integrating the territory through an ecological network that will reconnect the urban environment to natural reserves. The introduction of major public spaces enlivens historic monuments, facilities and commercial activities with new programmes while fostering spatial continuity. The development of a shared de­carbonised transport network reduces car dependence and promotes connect­ ivity. To strengthen social cohesion, innovative principles of passive design architecture are applied to the cross-programming of cultural, educational and health facilities, integrating energy and water management. The obsolete social housing complex is redeveloped according to the biophilic design principles. These new programmes supported by sustainable infrastructure favour alternative forms of hybridisation and integration.

Weak connection between human activity and nature

Nature trails and bioswales

Densifying public housing

Cycling and shared car network

C ONCEP T, STR ATEG IES …

2

Multimodal hub Stanley Beach

Educational and cultural hub

Stanley Promenade

Medical and Nature Interpretation Centre Exclusive situation

166

E XI STING

PROP O S ED

Renovation of Stanley Market

167

HONG KONG

Urban armature

3

STANLE Y ARE A

Master plan process Urban apparatus

Decomposed strategies Green and blue Existing green network Rainwater catchment Natural reserve Underground tanks Green belts Streetscape pocket parks Bioswales

Public space Public space Major links Existing public space Public housing Stanley Beach Stanley Market Stanley Beach promenade Cycling and sports kiosk

Master plan Enhancing the connection between human activity and nature

2 C ONCEP T, STR ATEG IES …

Pocket parks Nature trails Bioswales Footway by the sea Urban parks Conserved country parks

Mobility Electric bus Major axes Bicycle network Bicycle pods

Centre redevelopment New programmes Redevelopment Renovation Public spaces Supporting facilities Net-Zero Energy Building (NZEB) Photovoltaic (PV) Retention ponds Underground water storage

168

Building Redevelopment Development Existing Religious/Heritage Existing facilities Educational Prison

E XI STING C ONDITI ON S

PROP O S ED STR ATEG IES

169

HONG KONG

3

Ecological connections

STANLE Y ARE A

Systems

Neighbourhood facilities

Connectivity and continuity

Public housing densification

Public housing

Urban farming

Solar canopy Urban farming

Urban farming Solar canopy

Bioswale

Cape Road

Bioswale

Carmel Road Grey-water recycling

Before After

Porous ground level with commercial

Nature decks Detention ponds

Green Energy Red

Production

Blue

Consumption

Medical and Nature Interpretation Centre

Medical and Nature Interpretation Centre

Bioswale

Centre redevelopment

Nature and cultural trail link

Green roof

Stanley Plaza

Bicycle track Before After

Restoration

Public infrastructure New programme

MULTIMODAL HUB

Nature trail link

STANLEY MARKET

Rainwater collection tank

Grey-water recycling

Carmel Road

Mall

Green Energy Red

Production

Blue

Consumption

STANLEY PROMENADE

Housing redevelopment Redevelopment

C ONCEP T, STR ATEG IES …

2

STANLEY BEACH

Solar canopy

Green roof

Nature trail

Solar canopy

Enhancing the connection between human activity and nature

Storm-water detention pond Rainwater collection tank

PUBLIC HOUSING

170

MURRAY HOUSE

BLAKE PIER

STANLEY PROMENADE

171

HONG KONG

4 Central Vertical Hyper-Density

Urban Synergy

Located in the central and western districts north of Hong Kong Island, Central is the international central business district of the metropolis. In 1841, during the early days of British rule, due to the proximity to Victoria Harbour the area was devoted to trade and financial activities. Under the pressure of accelerated growth in a restricted territory, Central has suffered intensive high-rise development, thereby becoming one of the most compact and high-density metropolises in the world. Although this is positive at certain levels of urban efficiency, it may also damage the human and natural environment as a result of tensions created by noise, air pollution, overcrowdedness, and scarcity of space, not to mention the street canyon and urban heat island (UHI) effects and the emissions of greenhouse gas (GHG) and CO2 .

To address major environmental issues, the project develops a ‘low carbon model’ coupled with an ‘ecological nexus’. The strategy concerning the transformation of built space is based on replacing obsolete architecture with retrofit actions, reducing the negative impact of demolition. It also fosters the replacement of degraded and inefficient buildings with sustainable urban typologies that incorporate renewable energy technologies for a net zero performance. These new programmes and architecture are supported by an active landscape, improving permeability, green connections and storm-water management in order to reduce the impact of floods, the urban heat island (UHI) effect, CO2 and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The implementation of a public space network strengthens inclusivity and connections throughout the district, while a soft mobility network is designed to improve movability in this hilly area.

Ecological spines Ecological services and cascading water filter

Topographical barrier leading to weak north to south connection The mass use of vehicles and motorways creates physical and psychological barriers to the waterfront

2

Porous residential development and urban farming Better cooperation between public and private

Highly exclusive situation Gated communites and huge retaining walls

C ONCEP T, STR ATEG IES …

Dense and compact urban fabric Fragmented green and public spaces

North to south connectivity Escalator and elevated pedestrian passageway

Urban boulevard A high-carbon model with high energy consumption and poor environment quality

Alternate modes of transport Bicycle track

Ecological spines Ecological services and cascading water filter

Unstructured development Addresses the problem of density

A high-carbon model High energy consumption and poor environment quality

Urban boulevard Connaught Place Retrofitted buildings All middle-aged commercial developments along Connaught Road will be retrofitted

Terminal bus interchange

Waterfront development Contiguous cycling tracks, paths and recreational areas

172

E XI STING

Waterbody Cleansing biotope and recreational areas

PROP O S ED

Energy plant [Water treatment, waste-to-energy, combined heat and power (CHP) and solar photovoltaic (PV)] Education Exhibition Shops/Retail Leisure amenities

173

HONG KONG

Urban armature

4

CENTR AL

Master plan process Urban apparatus

Decomposed strategies Green and blue Existing green network Urban boulevard Ecological spines (bioswales) Water retention basins Farming on retaining walls Underground rainwater storage tanks Existing greenery

Public space Mass gatherings in open spaces Public spaces in new typology Supporting facilities Major links Minor/Internal links Underground retail link Elevated footway

Master plan Revitalising the urban typology Introducing an integrated mixed development

2 C ONCEP T, STR ATEG IES …

Existing buildings New typology Redeveloped buildings Altered buildings

Mobility Proposed Central Wanchai underground bypass Mass Transit Railway (MTR) network MTR stops Tram network Tram stations Recent drive escalator Bus route Bicycle route Bicycle stops

Interlacing transit network Chain of mobility Escalator Bicycle route Roads Previous pavement Ecological nexus Ecological spines and urban boulevard Boulevard Parks Farming on retaining walls Existing greenery Water-retention basins Waterbodies Bioswales Reimagining inclusivity Better cooperation between public and private activities Urban farming Redeveloped buildings Low-carbon model Integrated hub of clean energy and renewables Ecological buildings Retrofitted buildings Solar photovoltaic (PV)

174

Building New development Redevelopment Retrofitted development Demolished buildings Supporting facilities

E XI STING C ONDITI ON S

PROP O S ED STR ATEG IES

175

4

HONG KONG

CENTR AL

Inclusive neighbourhood

Systems Transport hub + bridge + public space

Integrated transit system

Shueng Wan municipal services building Commercial building supported by District Cooling System (DCS)

Ecological tower North to south motorway connection PV panels on top

Photovoltaic (PV) panels on top

Hub and District Cooling System (DCS)

Hub roof

Western Market

Connaught Road

Bridge

Revitalising urban typology

Ecological nexus

Underground retail connection

Connaught Road ecological towers

Integrated hub

Shueng Wan MTR

Eco-building + park + escalator Centralised A/C system Regenerative escalator

Elevated footway

Ecological tower

Office space

Commercial area

Residential space

Public spaces

2 C ONCEP T, STR ATEG IES …

Bonham St.

Building performance system

Solar photovoltaic (PV) panels

Shun Tak Centre

WingLok St.

Porous ground level Waterfront promenade

Storm-water retaining systems

Public spaces

Building performance system

Integrated development

CONTIGUOUS WATERFRONT DEVELOPMENT

WATER HARVESTING PARK INTEGRATED ECO-HUB

176

URBAN BOULEVARD

ELEVATED CONNECTION

NEW TYPOLOGY

REINTRODUCING GREENERY

PHOTOVOLTAIC (PV) PANELS ON ELEVATED FOOTWAYS AND ESCALATOR

HYDROPOWER PIPES

REGENERATIVE ESCALATOR

COMMUNITY FARMING

COMMUNITY FARMING

177

5 Wan Chai

HONG KONG

An Exhausted Compact and Mixed-Use District

Urban Equilibrium

In order to introduce urban renewal strategies respectful of the urban milieu, this project proposes sustainable actions to improve the natural and social environment: the introduction of new urban armature with public spaces for improving walkability and shared uses thanks to a landscape structure of parks, public gardens and plantations that provide comfort and ecological value. The actions that address built space include the renovation of qualitative structures, the retrofit of aging architecture and the redevelopment of deteriorated buildings.

Passive design, energy, water and waste management are integrated in this transformation process. Interventions to ensure improved air quality and mobility include the development of urban boulevards with tramways and electric buses, and networks for pedestrians and two-wheeled vehicles.

Located on the northern shore of Hong Kong Island, this district is situated between Central and Causeway Bay, with Victoria Harbour to the north and the mountain to the south. Wan Chai is one of the busiest commercial areas in Hong Kong, with small and medium businesses, major landmarks and skyscrapers. It covers an area of around 134.15 hectares and accommodates 1,167,146 residents.6 Being one of the first areas developed in the city, the district is densely populated and has a distinctive character in which old and new, local and global are harmoniously combined. However, part of its aging urban texture is deteriorated and residential developments are facing urban decay. To address this degradation, in recent years the government has undertaken several urban renewal projects.

Wan Chai transport hub Energy hub development Living alleys

Conserved area Urban boulevard

Elevated footways Ageing typologies

C ONCEP T, STR ATEG IES …

2

Low public space connectivity

High-carbon emission urban pattern

Predominance of hardscape

Topographical barrier

178

E XI STING

PROP O S ED

179

HONG KONG

Urban armature

5

WAN CHAI

Master plan process Urban apparatus

Decomposed strategies Green and blue Living alley Urban boulevard Bioswale Elevated planted street Natural reserve Parks Neighbourhood parks Street parks Playground Private gardens

Public space Elevated footway Tramway green Living alleys Existing greenery Proposed new greenery Social hubs and nodes Street level redevelopment Building-integrated greenery and social space Roadside greenery

Master plan Elevated footway Urban boulevard Living alleys Existing greenery Proposed new greenery Roadside greenery Street level redevelopment Proposed new hubs (to be redeveloped) Redeveloped hubs/Nodes Bicycle route Electric bus route Buildings to be redeveloped

C ONCEP T, STR ATEG IES …

2

Mobility Transport hub Electric bus line Electric bus stops Bicycle route Bicycle route (elevated) Shared bicycle racks Part-time road Pedestrianised and semi-pedestrianised roads

Building Existing buildings Conservation areas Redevelopment areas Density redistribution areas Proposed densification Proposed redevelopment

180

E XI STING C ONDITI ON S

PROP O S ED STR ATEG IES

181

HONG KONG

5

WAN CHAI

Systems

Redistributing density

Energy hub Conservation

Redevelopment

Redistributing density

Residential space District Cooling System (DSC) pipe Waste

Applying the densification plan of the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) by conserving the particular area, while at the same time shifting the densification to the Gloucester Road area. Three development model schemes: Conservation

Redevelopment

Sewage Flush water Energy generated by waste-to energy (WtE) plant

Office space

Elevated footway Public square Energy hub

Redistributing density To DCS

To other buildings

Public space integration Walking promenade

Heritage building

New programme

Density increase

C ONCEP T, STR ATEG IES …

Conservation areas Redevelopment areas Density redistribution areas Proposed densification Proposed redevelopment

Design GFA

Current density

Current GFA

Conserved area (in acres)

Existing conservation

Mixed-used development

(in acres)

Design density

Proposed conservation

Bicycle lane

Residential GFA

(people in hundreds per sq. km)

2

Food and restaurant area

Design case

Composting plant

Bioswale

To urban farm

Street market

Food production

Energy consumption (in GW/yr)

Existing

Integrated development

Transport hub development Energy hub development

Hong Kong Convention Centre

STP

MTR tunnel

LIVING ALLEYS

182

HUB

ELEVATED FOOTWAYS

Covered drive

HUB

183

HONG KONG

Outcomes: Stanley

Resilience

Liveability

Bio-interface

Active water network

Liveability

65

20

80%

40

%

Sewage water strategy flow Sewage treatment plant

Water retention Underground water tanks

40%

Bioswales Storm-water lines Grey-water lines

500m

Strategies

Existing 2%

80% Supply

3.5:2:2

500m

Pumped to mains

Water storage Energy hub

Distillation and disinfection Potable water

Water treatment

Residential area Commercial area Institutional area Commercial and residential areas

3:2:1

Rainwater strategy flow

Rainwater run-off potential

C ONCEP T, STR ATEG IES …

INCREASE

Mixed-uses and accessibility to public space

70

Sufficiency from the dewatering of sewage sludge for the demand of fresh water for flushing

DECREASE

%

%

100%

Live+Learn+Play

Reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions

Sufficiency from rainwater for potable demand

Sufficiency from grey-water treatment for nonpotable demand

49%

%

Liveability/ Accessibility

2

Existing

Grey-water tank

Dewatered treatment

20

%

4.5%

2% 0.7%

9,196 ppl./sq. m

90.8%

LIVE

LEARN

PLAY

Public housing with urban farms on rooftops and buildings raised off the ground on stilts to allow people to move around

Educational and cultural hub located on the public corridor

Sports hub along the beach for water sports

Proposed

69%

Live+Learn+Play

Liveability: live, learn, play

49% 9,196

69% people per square metre (ppl./sq. m)

Existing

12,985

people per square metre (ppl./sq. m)

Proposed

Proposed Rainwater

2%

4.5%

3%

1%

Grey water Flushing

184

Supply to building

Rainwater tank

Grey-water tank

12,985 ppl./sq. m

89.5%

185

HONG KONG

OU TC OMES

STANLE Y

The integrated energy strategy in the urban design process combines actions to reduce energy consumption and in situ electricity generation through renewable sources such as waste-to-energy (WtE) plants and photovoltaic power (PV). The EDF 3D city platform contributed to the calibration of these scenarios.

Energy Energy Optimisation and Resource Use Efficiency

17

Energy

Energy typologies

DECREASE

Type 3: Institutional

Stanley Market

International Montessori School (IMS)

No. of floors: 13 Residents: 3,000 No of blocks: 5 Water consumption: 46.8 cu. m/year Electric consumption: 59,459 Gigajoules per year (GJ/yr)

No. of floors: 11 Water consumption: 13.68 cu. m/year Electric consumption: 119,965 Gigajoules per year (GJ/yr)

No. of floors: 5 Water consumption: 7.2 cu. m/year Electric consumption: 12,544 Gigajoules per year (GJ/yr)

35

Self-sufficiency thanks to the application of photovoltaic (PV) panels

25

%

Self-sufficiency thanks to organic waste-to-energy (WtE)

33

Restaurant and hotel No. of floors: 6 Water consumption: 13.68 cu. m/year Electric consumption: 119,965 Gigajoules per year (GJ/yr)

Private housing

%

C ONCEP T, STR ATEG IES …

Type 2: Commercial

Public housing: Ma Hang Estate

%

Electricity consumption

2

Type 1: Residential

Photovoltaic (PV) roof New programmes

Energy strategy

Waste collection centres Redeveloped buildings Existing facilities

Type 4: Religious

Stanley Knoll No. of floors: 13 Residents: 100 No of blocks: 11 Water consumption: 46.8 cu. m/year Electric consumption: 59,459 Gigajoules per year (GJ/yr)

Tin Hau Temple

No. of floors: 7 Water consumption: 13.68 cu. m/year Electric consumption: 119,965 Gigajoules per year (GJ/yr)

Waste-to-Energy (WtE) strategy

110

%

Energy self-sufficiency 186

Composting

Biodegradable waste

New and existing buildings

Sewage

%

Self-sufficiency attained from bio­ degradable wastto-energy (WtE)

No. of floors: 4 Water consumption: 7.2 cu. m/year Electric consumption: 12,544 Gigajoules per year (GJ/yr)

Stanley Plaza

Electricity

Gasification Sewage treatment plant

Energy treatment Photovoltaic (PV) solar panel

Sludge Grid Dewatered

Photovoltaic (PV) Energy hub canopy

Supply chain from solar panel

Converter Grid

Flywheel storage

187

HONG KONG

OU TC OMES

STANLE Y

Nature

Environmental quality Active green network

26

Energy

84

%

%

INCREASE

Public housing with urban farms on roofs and ground raised on stilts to encourage people’s movement

Happiness index

Total accessible greenery

4

Live

Play Sports hub along the beach for water sports

sq. m Access to green and blue

INCREASE

Learn Educational and cultural hub located on the public corridor

Greenery per person

11

%

C ONCEP T, STR ATEG IES …

2

Recreational and social spaces

INCREASE

Total accessible roof greenery

21

%

Natural reserve New greenery

Green

1

DECREASE

Roof greenery

Natural reserve New greenery

Parks Nature trail

An urban settlement integrated into nature that enhances the experience between human beings and their natural surroundings

Natural reserve Green belt 300mm spread for biodiverity Existing nature trail Proposed connections

Introducing green spaces in new typologies and public spaces

Connecting the nature reserve, green space and parks

Urban farms on the roofs of public housing.

Porosity in the building typology to encourage people’s movement and favour accessibility to the new green spaces

Green roofs and terraced green space reduce heat load and provide more public space

Terrace farming

Introducing nature trails to connect the natural and new greenery with the public spaces to enrich human nature experience and to promote walkability on the site without any barriers

Public housing roof

Intermediate level

Green belt

Chain of eco-friendly mobility

New eco-friendly links for an accessible and connected Stanley, conserving and linking for improves environmental quality Introducing footways to improve connectivity and soften the edges to allow freedom of movements from coast to coast

Terrace greenery

Pocket parks Introducing bicycle lanes to encourage eco-friendly means of transport, reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and improve environmental quality

188

Pedestrian connectivity Bicycle lane

Accessible green

Public spaces Nature reserves

Green belts Public space

Urban + Nature + Human

Terraces

Vegetable sufficiency in urban farming

ºC

Green belts Urban farm

Solar panels Power for general lighting and lifts Residents can choose from energy-saving appliances Rooftop greenery Provides both energy and heat relief

Waterbodies

Collected rainwater stored in tanks at void decks to supply water for cleaning

Recycling bins are placed on every block, linked to refuge collection systems that collect rubbish and recycled refuse at different times

189

Shanghai Baoshan

0

Five Sites⁄Five Master Plans

5

10

20

40

80 km

Metropolitan scale, Baoshan district

Towards a comprehensive regeneration through interrelated redevelopment projects based on the valuation and intensification of local potent­ ials and resources.

5

The five 1×1 km sites selected in the Baoshan district demonstrate strategies and master plans responding to contrasted situations. In former industrial enclaves, successful post-industrial reconversion steers landscape design towards ecological sustainability and resilient development. In large decentralised urban areas, new dynamics, urban patterns and types are proposed to enhance economic and social cohesion and diversification. Centrality at the district scale is implemented through densification and redevelopment, supported by continuous public space and integrated ecological networks.

Moreover, the design proposals illustrate how urban development combined with landscape and ecological corridors can lead to the creation of new forms, patterns, functions and systems, maximising the requalification effects at the territorial scale.

1 2

4 3

1 N

1 Gucun Park

C ONCEP T, STR ATEG IES …

2

2 Qilian

3 First Steel Plant

4 Youyi Road

5 Lake Meilan

1 × 1 km Sites

1 × 1 km

Master plans

190

191

S HANG HAI BAO S HAN

1 Gucun Park A Suburban Town

The Inhabited Park

Faced with excessive concentration in metropolitan areas, the construction of large-scale suburban residential districts and towns has relieved the demographic stress of central cities. Connected to city centres by public transport, these urban developments also comprise important large-scale amenities. Gucun Town, located in the mid-west of the Baoshan district, provides the largest country park in Shanghai and counterbalances the severe challenges of industrial exploitation in its surrounding areas. These 434 hectares of public green amenities are one of the cores of Shanghai’s green policy and the most important of the special ecological projects in the Baoshan district. The disconnection between this major attraction and local urban developments emphasises the monotony of the suburban area.

Hospital

High-rise residential buildings

Inclusive school area School and transgenerational amenities

Existing residential areas

Educational area

Productive healing machine

Mixed-use area Commercial, office and residential developments

Hybrid amenities Community centre and water treatment facility Clean Tech Park Eco-friendly business facilities

Existing industrial areas

C ONCEP T, STR ATEG IES …

2

Civic and community facilities

This project proposes a range of innovative strategies that combine ecological, educational and health resources with hybrid architecture to compensate for the monofunctional sectorisation and monotonous environment of this suburban town.This urban renewal project also implements a park-oriented city development which in turn positively ‘contaminates’ the city with integrated natural resources networks: renewable energy, storm-water management, bioswales, ecological corridors, public gardens, planted boulevards and a perma­culture belt. For an inclusive community-oriented develop­m ent, multi-­ purpose facilities are introduced in large communal spaces. Thanks to an efficient decarbonisation of mobility, the town is connected to its surroundings in new ways, from public/collective to shared/ individual.

Shopping centre

Gucun Park Commercially accessible

Semi-detached houses

192

E XI STING

Lower precinct Connects the shopping centre with community areas

Arts centre Cafeteria, art galleries, public library and open-air theatre Lower precinct Connects the shopping centre with community areas

PROP O S ED

193

S HANG HAI BAO S HAN

Urban armature

1

G UCUN PARK

Master plan process Urban apparatus

Decomposed strategies Green and blue Urban park Pocket green Recreation field Planted avenue Bioswale Natural stream

Public space Public plaza Green as public space Flows of people Planted avenue Urban boulevard along tramway

Master plan Hybrid architecture Commercial Mixed-use: Commercial + residential Mixed-use: Retail + office Health-care centre Cultural centre

C ONCEP T, STR ATEG IES …

2

Mobility Tramway Cycle lane and proposed cycle pod Bus stops Asphalt

Efficient chain of mobility Tramway Cycle lane and proposed cycle pod Bus stops Asphalt Service spine Green as public space Flows of people Ecological infrastructure Urban park Pocket green Recreation field Planted avenue Bioswale Natural stream

194

Building Residential Commercial Mixed-use: Commercial + residential Mixed-use: Retail + office Health-care centre Cultural centre

E XI STING C ONDITI ON S

PROP O S ED STR ATEG IES

195

1

S HANG HAI BAO S HAN

G UCUN PARK

Ecological infrastructure

Systems Integrated chain of mobility

Public space connections

Open block

Solar roof canopy

Solar roof canopy

Solar canopy over public spaces Porous urban space

Accessible green roof

Enhancing biodiveristy by opening the park, extending the forest area by developing eco-corridors and linear parks.

Developing a tramway integrated in existing collective transport modes including bus and Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) systems.

Storm-water management transforms the existing lake into a reservoir and restores the present canal network currently used for sewage disposal.

Providing new alternate shared modes of transport that include cycle pods and shared electric cars.

Public space armature

Improving connectivity through efficient interconnection hubs.

Accessible green roof

Developing nodes and hubs to enhance interchange.

2

Developing a service spine and redeveloping existing amenities into new hybrid programmes, diverse architectural forms and connections to public space.

Community farming on canal edges

Transformative public space

Porous architecture

Connecting several major entrances to the park and to Shanghai University.

Developing an urban boulevard with a tramway system.

Redeveloping the edge of the park introducing educational and cultural amenities.

Reinforcing the existing secondary network to connect facilities and amenities and enhance walkability.

Integrated design Riverside promenade Drainage and run-off filtration

Multimodal transport hub

Permeable pavements

Pedestrian-friendly

Bioswale

Promotes equity of access

CANAL FRONT

HOSPITAL

PLAZA

ROAD

Improved air quality

BIOSWALE

Cycling network

TRAMWAY

CORRIDOR

SHAPU CANAL

BIOSWALE

BIOSWALE

BIOSWALE RESIDENCE

PROMENADE

ROAD

PROMENADE

BIOSWALE

Reduces carbon emissions

CANAL

Irrigating street greenery

196

Enhances liveability Expands travel choices

Storm-water retention tank

SECONDARY SCHOOL

Green corridor

Energy generation

Storm-water run-off

BIOSWALE

C ONCEP T, STR ATEG IES …

Permaculture belt

GUCUN PARK

197

S HANG HAI BAO S HAN

2 Qilian Ecological and Social Disruption

Integrated Vertical Villages

Massive domestic migration in China has made an important contribution to the country’s economic achievement, yet the influx of such a large number of floating population represents major challenges for mega-cities like Shanghai that are struggling to provide social services, stability and housing. Given the emergence of ‘urban ­villages’ as the prime source of housing for migrant workers, the Chinese government has developed resettlement programmes to transform them into formal urban neighbourhoods. The ‘Qilian sensitive area site’, located south-west of the Baoshan district, is undergoing a radical urban transformation. This semi-rural and semi-industrial area has been mostly demolished replacing the urban villages and former factories by repetitive enclaves of modern and generic towers.

This site is experiencing a radical mutation that leads to urban disruption and loss of identity. The strategies proposed aim to restore the ecological and the human environment through regenerative landscape design, social cohesion and innovative habitats. The new urban typology – the Qilian vertical village – is transforming former mega-blocks into compact mixed-use islands organised by the openblock system. The different villages are structured by the ecological and social armature developed in communal space, plazas, urban boulevards, public parks and green corridors. New decarbonised transport systems such as the extension of metro Line 15, along with the introduction of new tramway lines and shared electrical individual vehicles, connect the site to its surroundings cleanly and efficiently.

Resettlement generic towers

Obsolete technologies

Local gardens

Tramway

Polluted water edge Social armature

Photovoltaic (PV) panels on roofs Public park

Silo

Disappearing industries

2 C ONCEP T, STR ATEG IES …

Monofunctional buildings Fragmented greenery

Public plazas

Green roofs Unconnected patches of protected land regarded as assets

Bioswale Polluted soil

Public squares

Protected greenery

Urban forest

Disappearing settlements

198

Water edge

E XI STING

Urban boulevard

Regenerative landscape

PROP O S ED

Wetland

199

S HANG HAI BAO S HAN

Urban armature

2

QILIAN

Master plan process Urban apparatus

Decomposed strategies Green and blue Public park Phyto-remediation Scrub Planted avenues Boulevard Wetland Private green

Public space Public green Public plazas Urban boulevard Major axis Street and lane network

Master plan Enhancing quality of movement

C ONCEP T, STR ATEG IES …

2 15

Mobility infrastructure Ring road Major axis Secondary road Internal roads Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Line 15 Bus route

Mobility

Integrated mobility network Tram Tram and urban boulevard Tram, urban boulevard and integrated public space Bicycle network Pedestrian network Silo parking system

15

Ring road Major axis Secondary road Internal roads MRT Line 15 Bus route Tram Tram and urban bvrd.

Tram, urban bvrd. and integrated public space Bicycle network Pedestrian network Silo parking system

Ecological armature Regenerative landscape Public park Phyto-remediation Scrub Planted avenues Boulevard Wetland Private greens

Building Existing residential towers Commercial + residential Social + cultural Residential + office

Social cohesion Connected network Public greenery Public plazas Urban boulevard Major axis Street and lane network

200

E XI STING C ONDITI ON S

PROP O S ED STR ATEG IES

201

2

S HANG HAI BAO S HAN

QILIAN

Existing urban disruption

Systems

Changes in village space Green as public space Industrial ruins

Scrub Parks Canal

Existing resettled villages

Existing village enclaves

Building footprint Road network Ring road

Proposed ecological network

15

Ring road Major axis Internal roads

Water Building footprint Road network

Major axis Internal roads MRT Line 15

Green armature

Vertical village

Proposed social network

Urban boulevard Redeveloping the urban edge with planted avenues, bicycle and pedestrian networks

Tramway A tram network in the form of a green corridor is introduced to enhance the mobility network

Road network connected to surroundings

Public park Phyto-remediation Scrub

Planted avenues Boulevard

Public greenery Public plazas Urban boulevard Major axis

Shareable and walkable networks accommodate the movement of people in keeping with an efficient multimodal transport system

Street and lane network Silo parking system Bus stop

Building footprint

Integrated design

202

PUBLIC PLAZA

UHI COMPACT ISLAND

RESIDENTIAL TOWERS

The management of grey-water recycles used water for flushing and irrigation purposes

PUBLIC PLAZA

BIOSWALE

PUBLIC BUILDING

VERTICAL VILLAGE

PRIVATE GREEN

Silo parking system Mechanised parking saves land use

Green roofs reduce storm-water run-offs while providing plesant interior spaces

ACCESSIBLE PARK

Accessible multimodal transport includes MRT, Tram, cycle, electric bus

UHI COMPACT ISLAND

Green roofs reduce storm-water run-offs while providing plesant interior spaces

Vertical shading helps thermal control and energy saving

Urban boulevard improves landscape, encourages cycling and walking and reduces motorised journeys

Wetland Flood control, water purification and groundwater de-pollution

WETLAND PARK

ACCESSIBLE PARK

Dense tree cover helps the flow of rainwater and reduces urban ambient temperatures

COMMUNITY BUILDING

BIOSWALE

PERMEABLE SURFACE

VERTICAL VILLAGE

Reduces solar heat gain and supports energy demand

ROAD SECTION WITH BIOSWALE

C ONCEP T, STR ATEG IES …

2

COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL

BIOSWALE

OFFICE AND RESIDENTIAL

Active open spaces and recreational amenities improve health and well-being

PUBLIC PLAZA

BIOSWALE

UHI COMPACT ISLAND

RESIDENTIAL

COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL

A district heating system helps eliminate the need for separate individual system and makes energy management more efficient

MULTIMODAL HUB

UHI COMPACT ISLAND

URBAN BOULEVARD

MRT

203

S HANG HAI BAO S HAN

3 First Steel Plant Post-Industrial Brownfield

The Learning and Productive Canopy

The southern part of the Baoshan district is one the most important industrialised areas in China and the most competitive steel and iron production base worldwide. After decades of exploitation and contamination of natural resources and the double pressure exerted by the rising cost of raw material and the slump of demand, the Baoshan government is introducing a policy of relocation and conversion of industrial sites, eager to change the image and the conditions of this polluted area. As most of the factories have either closed down or been relocated, a number of major projects such as international innovation parks for arts, science and entrepreneurship have been launched. Nevertheless, pollution of the natural environment and remediation remain major issues of this site.

Inaccessible port proposed as a wetland park River

Located along a canal system, this polluted post-industrial area is a mega monofunctional and gated enclave whose geographical condition and major infrastructure awaiting transformation hold great potential. The priority action for this brownfield reconversion is the restoration of its environmental conditions. The project develops strategies for on-site depollution through regenerative landscape design composed of wetland parks and soil capping for water and soil remediation. In order to optimise existing structures and respond to the monumental scale of industrial architecture, mega-programmes are being developed in existing warehouses, offering a new cultural hub for productivity and learning as well as net zero water and energy management. The development of major gates, soft and clean mobility, and edge integration reinforce the site’s inclusion in its context.

Processing area of Bao Steel Factory proposed as an art college

Accessible edge

Wetland park Water treatment plant Art college with photovoltaic (PV) solar panels on roof

Green patch with high ecological value

C ONCEP T, STR ATEG IES …

2

Managed green patches

Hot-press area in steel factory to be demolished

Abandoned railway track to be transformed

Commercial belt

New public connection

Tramline

204

E XI STING

PROP O S ED

Geothermal grassland

205

S HANG HAI BAO S HAN

Urban armature

3

FIR ST STEEL PL ANT

Master plan process Urban apparatus

Decomposed strategies Green and blue Managed vegetation Managed water plants Managed grass Extended vegetation corridor Planted avenue Water system Wetland as water treatment system

Public space Existing public space (hardscape) Existing public space (plaza) Proposed public space (hardscape) Proposed public space (plaza) Green as public space Flow of people Major infrastructure as public space

Master plan Regenerative landscape Managed vegetation Managed water plants Managed grass Extended vegetation corridor Planted avenue Water system Wetland as water treatment

C ONCEP T, STR ATEG IES …

2

Mobility Secondary road Internal roads Electric charging point Bicycle stations Bicycle path Flow of people Tram

Active use of existing infrastructure Injecting new dynamics in mega infrastructure Existing public space (hardscape) Existing public space (plaza) Proposed public space (hardscape) Proposed public space (plaza) Green as public space Flow of people Major infrastructure as public space

Reconnect and distribute the site Enhance quality of movement Electric charging point Bicycle stations Bicycle path Flow of people Tram

Learning and productive canopy From monofunctional to multifunctional programmes Commercial Office Mixed-use: Commercial + office Social and community service Administrative Cultural centre

206

Building Commercial Office Mixed-use: Commercial + residential Industrial Social and community service Administrative Cultural centre

E XI STING C ONDITI ON S

PROP O S ED STR ATEG IES

207

S HANG HAI BAO S HAN

3

FIR ST STEEL PL ANT

From Industrial enclave to urban mesh

2 ,4 6 0m 2 ,4

00m

From mega-building to small-scale buildings

Systems

Industrial heritage transformation

Active landscape

From mega-gated enclaves to porous inclusive neighbourhoods Connecting the existing grid system to the area outside the site boundary Introducing new dynamics into the existing mega-infrastructure: Reactivating the port, the railway line and newly created public spaces

New building programmes

Learning and productive canopy Water treatment

Recreation facility

Art Village

Hydrology

Mega-enclaves divided up into smaller blocks (sense organisation) Through transformation and new development of existing blocks

Existing river

Wetland pond

Green corridor

Mega-canopy roof providing a continuity of spaces

Reservoir Wetland band

Soil capping

From momofunctional to multifunctional spaces Introducing new mixed-use programmes

New connections

Restoring environmental quality of the site Depolluting natural resources of the site through regenerative landscape

Native grassland

Roof surface installed with photovoltaic (PV) solar panels Mega-roof as canopy: continuity of space Interconnecting footways New mix-used blocks

Plant avenue

Mega-structure divided up into blocks

From monofunctional to mixed-use space Regenerated landscape multifunctional wetland park

C ONCEP T, STR ATEG IES …

2 Mega-structure

Plaza

Tramline

Integrated design

COMMERCIAL BELT

208

TRAM STATION

ART COLLEGE

District Cooling System (DCS)

Accessibility

Reduces energy consumption by eliminating the need for individual building cooling systems

Multiple transport modes include tram, electric buses and bicycles

PLANT AVENUE

Photovoltaic (PV) panels Reduce solar heat gain and support energy demand

ART VILLAGE

WATER TREATMENT

WETLAND

Natural ventilation

Wetland

Depollution

Helps supply fresh air and convection cooling

Water purification, flood control and storm-water management

Contaminated soil is depolluted by soil capping and phytoremediation

209

S HANG HAI BAO S HAN

4 Youyi Road Deactivated Administrative Centre

Intense City / Eco Hub

Located at the mouth of the River Yangtze, Baoshan is the waterway to Shanghai and the wider Chinese region, its largest potential as regards the cruise industry. In 2020, redevelopment of Shanghai’s present Baoshan cruise port will make it the world’s third largest in terms of passenger trips. This colossal project will act as a lever to boost the economic activity and the attractiveness of this currently obsolete administrative centre. Organised by a grid system devoted exclusively to cars and already congested, the area is fragmented into various centralities lacking visibility and integration. Only Songbao Road welcomes cultural, administrative and educational facilities.

The ecological potential of areas such as Chanxing Island and adjoining Binjiang Forest Park shouldn’t be neglected.

Low-rise developments

2 C ONCEP T, STR ATEG IES …

Fragmented green

Compact design Mixed programmes and dense high-rise developments

Monofunctional programmes

Shopping street measuring 500 m in length

High asphalt ratio

In the present context of great urban transformations, ‘the urban renewal project for the administrative centre’ aims to revitalise the district, implementing sustainable and integrated design strategies to create an active network that will provide large public spaces and collective decarbonised mobility with tramways and shared electric transport systems. The development of major urban infrastructure at different scales will enhance the district’s environmental quality thanks to a transportation hub and water, waste and energy management facilities. The creation of urban parks, ecological corridors and green spaces reinforces existing natural assets, thereby promoting ecosystem services. Compact and dense areas, open blocks, hybrid architecture and passive design accommodate programmatic mixeduse and public facilities.

Surface transformation From a car-dependent area to a walkable district

New building typologies Dynamic placement and orientation for passive design and views Public space levels Buildings with green roofs

Renewable energy Solar PV integrated on buildings

Eco-link Ecological corridor running through the site

Shopping centre

Major axis Civic and social armature

Lake transformation From concrete to soft.

Natural edge

Fenced park

210

E XI STING

Canal with concrete edge

Gated communities

Transport hub Multimodal transport node integrating tramway, Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) network, silo parking system, bicycle and electric car sharing

Storm-water management Bioswale New transport modes Tramway Integrated in urban boulevard

PROP O S ED

Major axis Tongji ring road

211

S HANG HAI BAO S HAN

Urban armature

4

YOU YI ROAD

Master plan process Urban apparatus

Decomposed strategies Green and blue Park Urban green Streetscape Lawn Lake Detention pond Catchment area

Public space Planted avenue Flow of people Proposed plaza Public greenery

Master plan Fluid CBD Tramway Walkable avenues Pathways Transport hub Bicycle network

C ONCEP T, STR ATEG IES …

2

Mobility

Integrated green and blue Park Urban green Street scape Lawn Lake Detention pond Catchment area

1

Walkable district Planted avenue Flow of people Proposed plaza Public greenery Mixed and dense city Residential Commercial Office Mixed use SoHo Health-care Educational Social Institutional Cultural Light industry

212

Tramway Walkable avenues Pathways Transport hub Bicycle network Ring road Major axis Secondary road Internal roads Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line Bus stops Charging point for electric vehicles

Building Residential Commercial Office Mixed use SoHo Health-care Educational Social Institutional Cultural Existing buildings

E XI STING C ONDITI ON S

PROP O S ED STR ATEG IES

213

4

S HANG HAI BAO S HAN

YOU YI ROAD

Systems Civic and social district

Due to rapid urbanisation and an uneven population distribution through the city of Shanghai, Baoshan is undergoing a transformation to emerge as a new innovative district. This site, situated at the Yangtze riverbank, hosts one of Shanghai’s three cruise terminals as well as a direct express link to Pudong Airport.

This unique positioning drove the concept for the Baoshan Central Business District (CBD) Eco-Hub – a new business district; a city for people designed to integrate an effective chain of mobility, a thriving ecological condition, a new source of economy and clean, renewable energy to reaffirm Baoshan as the new, innovative district of tomorrow.

Private

Open block Integration of solar panels

Dynamic building typologies

DISTRICT (CBD)

Public Private

Disconnected/fragmented city for cars

Compact and mixed city for people

D AN E V IC AL R CI OCI ATU S RM A

DYNAMIC CBD ECO-HUB

Public

VA LE OU N B LE BA OP INK UR R PECO- L FO D E AN

RD

Integrated decarbonated chain of mobility Porous ground floor

A civic and social armature is positioned along the major axes to enhance resilience and liveability for residents. A waste-to-energy (WtE) plant is proposed for renewable energy generation and to help educate people on the need for clean, sustainable energy in today's global environmental crisis

C ONCEP T, STR ATEG IES …

2 Porosity

Connectivity

Permeability

Passive ventilation

A new tramway system is proposed, emerging from the Central Business District (CBD) Eco-Hub to provide a clean transport mode to travel within the district.

Baoyang Road Station is redesigned as a new transport hub integrating various transport modes to help promote a new eco-centric and clean lifestyle

Integrated design

Wasteto-energy (WtE)

Storm-water management

STORM-WATER MANAGEMENT WATER COOLING SYSTEM

214

Green roofs Green roofs reduce storm-water run-off while providing pleasant exterior spaces

STORM-WATER MANAGEMENT WASTE HEAT

Mixed-use district A compact urban development facilitates access to district amenities and promotes walkability

Accessibility Multiple transport modes, Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) systems, electric vehicles, buses and bicycles

Solar panels Photovoltaic (PV) panels installed on the motorway generate electricity

STORM-WATER MANAGEMENT WASTE HEAT

Dense tree canopy cover Helps slow rainwater run-off, reduce the urban heat island (UHI) effect and reduce ambient temperature

District Cooling System (DCS)

STORM-WATER MANAGEMENT

STORM-WATER MANAGEMENT WASTE HEAT

WASTE HEAT

215

S HANG HAI BAO S HAN

5 Lake Meilan Exclusive Theme City

Inclusive Hybrid City

The Chinese government adopted a modern regional urban system in response to the pressure it received concerning the development of the central city of Shanghai. In 2001, the Shanghai government planned to build One City and Nine Towns in its suburban areas, introducing European townscapes from Britain, Germany, Italy, Spain, Scandinavia and the Netherlands created by conceptual designers from each respective country. Lake Meilan New town – Luodian Town – with its international golf course is a Swedish-style develop­ ment located north-west of the Baoshan district. This private gated community offers exclusive luxury villas close to nature, apartment blocks of high and medium-standard in the town centre, schools and a maternity hospital.

The town of Luodian, served by Shanghai Metro Line 7, between Meilan Lake Station and Luonan Xincun Station, is well connected to the city centres, which doesn’t make it any less exclusive. Lake Meilan, the second man-made lake in Shanghai, is the core element that contributes to the identity of Luodian New Town. In order to transform this theme city into an inclusive and hybrid urban development, the project proposes the implementation of urban strategies for social cohesion with a connecting public space supporting inclusive local amenities. Part of the golf course has been transformed into an eco-­ infrastructure, a public park linked to the existing streetscape, urban green and lawn. New architectural structures and urban typologies that integrate energy, waste and water management accommodate mixed-use programmes.

Sculpture park Obsolete residential development

Fragmented road network Underutilised bus network

Luodian international innovative art centre

Car-oriented transport

C ONCEP T, STR ATEG IES …

2

Transport hub Tram interchange stop

To the old town

Lake Meilan active community Mixed use Commercial and office areas with fluid public spaces at ground-floor level

Lake Meilan cultural promenade link

Underutilised canal edge, mostly private

Micro-centre commercial space

Eco-park

To Lake Meilan interchange station

Obsolete monofunctional convention centre

Exclusive gated residential enclave Inactive public plaza

Luodian international creative complex Exclusive residential enclaves

Vacant land

To the golf course

To the cultural and educational district

Mixed use Commercial and residential areas with fluid public spaces at ground-floor level

Forest park Tram interchange and urban plaza Community gardens

216

E XI STING

PROP O S ED

217

S HANG HAI BAO S HAN

Urban armature

5

L AKE MEIL AN

Master plan process Urban apparatus

Decomposed strategies Green and blue Urban park Pocket green Recreation field Managed forest Managed wetland Wetland pond Planted avenue Bioswale Natural stream

Public space Public plaza Green as public space Flows of people Planted avenue Urban boulevard along tramway

Master plan Innovative architecture and programme

2 C ONCEP T, STR ATEG IES …

Residential Commercial Mixed use: Commercial + residential Mixed use: Retail + office Health-care Cultural

Mobility Tramway Waterway and proposed piers Cycle track and proposed cycle pod Bus stops

Inclusive collective modes of transportation Tramway Waterway and proposed piers Cycle track and proposed cycle pod Bus stops Charging point for electric vehicles Planted avenue Recreate social cohesivity Public plaza Green as public space Eco-infrastructure Urban park Pocket green Recreation field Managed forest Managed wetland Wetland pond Planted avenue Bioswale Natural stream

218

Building Residential Commercial Mixed-use: Commercial + residential Mixed-use: Retail + office Health-care Cultural Existing buildings Refurbishment Transform Redevelopment New development Demolished

E XI STING C ONDITI ON S

PROP O S ED STR ATEG IES

219

S HANG HAI BAO S HAN

5

L AKE MEIL AN

Ecological link

Systems

Decarbonated public transport

Combined facilities Introducing a new tramway line to connect all sites with each other and with the metro line, strengthening the existing mobility network with a clean mode of transport

Providing Baoshan with an ecological corridor to connect the nature reserve in the north with Gucun Park in the south through the nature-integrated sports hub

C ONCEP T, STR ATEG IES …

2

A north-south planted boulevard connects the old town in the north to Gucun Park in the south

Creating an east-west promenade to link the new park in the educational and cultural district to the new residential development

Introducing modes of water transport for moving people, and reinforcing these for moving goods and waste to the waste-toenergy (WtE) plant

Public armature

Educational and cultural spine to increase neighbourhood cohesion

Redeveloping the edge of the site as a product­ive landscape that includes perma­ culture and urban community farming, connecting the existing site tothe new develop­ ment

220

Introducing mixed programme

Inclusive mode of transport: Tram

Innovative public space

Reopened water transport network for public use Subway for vehicles Transport hub: Metro and Tram

Reopened water transport network for public use Inclusive mode of transport: Tram

Continuous greenery for social activities Continuous cycling track

Integrated red, green and blue networks

Promoting equity of access Reducing carbon emissions

Riverside promenade

Shareable and walkable networks to accomodate people’s movements to obtain an efficient multimodal transport system

Raised building platform

Strengthening secondary networks to enhance walkability

Storm-water Irrigating street retention greenery tank

CONVENTION CENTRE

Photovoltaic (PV) solar panels Global hyper-centre

Introducing a new urban boulevard along tramway and reinforcing existing urban boulevards

Integrated design

Storm-water run-off

Photovoltaic (PV) solar panels

Integrated red, green, and blue networks

Reinforcing greenery as a social amenity through urban community farms and a new park

Drainage and run-off infiltration

Hybrid housing

PROMENADE

CANAL

Multimodal transport hub

MANAGED FOREST

Street planting and bioswales to enhance green networks and create a more liveable neighbourhood

ROAD

TRAMWAY

Energy generation

COMMUNITY CENTRE

Grey-water reuse, rainwater harvesting, and water treatment systems to improve the resiliency of the site

Enhances liveability

Permeable pavements

Bioswale

Pedestrianfriendly

Cycling network

Improving air quality

Green corridor

ROAD

RESIDENCE

Renewable energy initiatives to optimise energy demand, and offset and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions

221

S HANG HAI BAO S HAN

City Master Plan Integrated Ecology and Mobility

C ONCEP T, STR ATEG IES …

2

222

223

S HANG HAI BAO S HAN

Mobility Tranway Existing metro Proposed metro Railway Cycle track Waterways Roads Transport hub Airport link

City Master Plan Mobility⁄Energy⁄Water networks

City Master Plan Ecological network

Energy

Waste management

Proposed

Existing

Waste-to-energy (WtE) Solar farm

Biomass burning

Ecological corridor

Agricultural land Urban greenery

Water management Canal Proposed wetland Proposed reservoir

Master plan Ecological corridor Ecological reserve Urban greenery

C ONCEP T, STR ATEG IES …

2

224

225

S HANG HAI BAO S HAN

Outcomes: Youyi Road

Resilience

Liveability

Flood risk mitigation

Permeability (Existing ⁄ Proposed)

37% 15% Semipermeable

37% 55%

Nonpermable

Proposed

INCREASE

Private

320,201 sq. m Proposed public green

223%

INCREASE

Green and blue space C ONCEP T, STR ATEG IES …

45%

Public

United Nations (UN) Sustainability Goals 3. ­Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages 11. Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable 13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

%

2

Multimodal transport hub

Public green space

Introducing an urban boulevard, a canal front with promenades and park opening

626,070 sq. m

31

Access to shared transport

INCREASE

Permeable surface Permeable

Chain of mobility

303%

INCREASE

48%

Social armature

Public space

Water flow diagram

352,200 sq. m Proposed

Grid

Proposed New development

74

%

430,485 sq. m

Rainwater

Existing building

Park and ponds

Bioswale

Potable water tank

Water selfsufficiency

Grey-water treatment

1,453,600 cu. m

Pocket garden

Wetland

Storm-water retention tank

Other permeable surface

Underground water recharging

Storm-water retention tank

Potable water Recycled grey 2,153,500 cu. m/yr water 1,453,600 cu. m/yr

INCREASE

Served by public transport

Non-potable water tank

Recycled grey water

88

%

Rainwater collection 168,274 cu. m/yr

Storm-water management Bioswale Transform hard edge Temporal peak storage Grey-water collection

Access to public space (Existing ⁄ Proposed)

70%

DECREASE

Walkability

(Time-Distance)

5.34

sq.m per capita

Proposed road section

DECREASE

Population

30,000

Regional buffering Seasonal detention pond Transport and cleaning

226

Permeable surface

people/ sq. m

Proposed

227

S HANG HAI BAO S HAN

OU TC OMES

YOU YI ROAD

A set of scenarios combining green surfaces coverage, waste-to-energy (WtE) and photovoltaic power (PV) strategies have been developed to reduce energy consumption and promote on site renewable electricity production calibrated by the EDF 3D city platform.

Energy network

Energy building

Business-as-Usual (BAU) scenario Obsolete technology High energy consumption: 16.9 gigawatt-hour (GWh) per year High greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions: 7,783 mT CO2 No on-site energy production

68

%

Proposed scenarios building scale

Self-sufficiency

Energy strategy

Gigawatt hours (GWh) per year

20%

Gigawatt hours (GWh) per year

Solar canopy above public area

C ONCEP T, STR ATEG IES …

2

9.86

Gigawatt hours (GWh) per year

26

%

DECREASE

Waste Highly efficient waste management

Potential for waste-to-energy (WtE)

-16%

Gigawatt hours (GWh) per year

-6%

Efficient appliances

Gigawatt hours (GWh) per year

-3%

Smart lighting

Final consumption demand

%

Pneumatic waste conveying system

Energy reduction

Centralised water chiller and heat exchanger centre

DECREASE

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 228

Energy consumption / building height

Solar potential

Potential for buiding transformation

Potential for renewable energy

Scenario 2

Scenario 3

10% building with roof greenery

60% building with photovoltaic (PV) roof

90% building with photovoltaic (PV) roof

Photovoltaic (PV) panels on the roof and façade of high-rise buildings

Overall major trend

Overall major trend

Overall major trend

32% Total energy sufficiency (Energy production/ Energy consumption

76% Total energy sufficiency (Energy production/ Energy consumption

28% Total energy sufficiency (Energy production/ Energy consumption

Greenery on the roof of low-rise buildings

(Building and network)

(Building and network)

↓

21% Total annual electricity consumption

↓

18% Total annual electricity consumption

↓

244% Total annual electricity consumption

↓

12% Total annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions

↓

24% Total annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions

↓

182% Total annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions

Business-as-Usual (BAU) scenario Low urban quality (less green and public space) High greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions: 26,538 mT CO2 No on-site energy production

Proposed scenarios network and building scale

Gigawatt hours (GWh) per year

25

Energy consumption / programme

0.95 sq. m of greenery per capita

Gigawatt hours (GWh) per year

Heat rejection

Potential for urban development

0.18 sq. m of greenery per capita

0.09 sq. m of greenery per capita

Existing conditions ⁄ Network scale

Energy demand

-12.3 -4.2 -2.68 57

Building age

40% building with roof greenery

17%

Biomass by burning

Plot ratio

Scenario 1

(Building and network)

31%

Building type

Underground water piping network

Public space

Flows of movement

Asphalt

Green and blue

Hardscape and permeability

Noise pollution

GHG emission

Light intensity

UHI

Microclimatic impact

Urban condition

Solar PV on roof

Programme

Energy condition

7.25 17.79

Existing conditions ⁄ Building scale Urban condition

Energy Optimisation and Resource Use Efficiency

Energy condition

Energy

Scenario 1

Scenario 2

Scenario 3

Solar panels on the canopy of the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) and tram stations

Solar panels on the canopy of the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) and tram stations

Solar panels on the canopy of the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) and tram stations

Solar panels on the canopy of the covered ring road and public space

Solar panels on the canopy of the covered ring road and public space

Overall major trend

Overall major trend

Overall major trend

32% Total energy sufficiency (Energy production/ Energy consumption

76% Total energy sufficiency (Energy production/ Energy consumption

28% Total energy sufficiency (Energy production/ Energy consumption

(Building and network)

(Building and network)

(Building and network)

↓

21% Total annual electricity consumption

↓

18% Total annual electricity consumption

↓

244% Total annual electricity consumption

↓

12% Total annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions

↓

24% Total annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions

↓

182% Total annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions

8.3 sq. m of overall greenery per capita

9.7 sq. m of overall greenery per capita

9.7 sq. m of overall greenery per capita

229

S HANG HAI BAO S HAN

OU TC OMES

YOU YI ROAD

Ecosystem services

The transversal studio carried out in the framework of the Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) at the National University of Singapore (NUS) and the collaboration of ecological expert Anuj Jain have fostered the inclusion of biodiversity in the development of urban design strategies. Land, water, air and living resources management are assimilated in these strategies to promote the conservation and sustainable use UN Sustainability Goals: of natural resources while respecting interactions in the ecosystems 12. Ensure sustainable consumpon which humans depend. This systemic approach applied to urban tion and production patterns design promotes the integration of people, the economy and ecology 15. Sustainably manage forests, in a respectful and balanced development. combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation, Composition of green (Existing ⁄ Proposed) biodiversity loss

City Master Plan Ecosystem services

27%

INCREASE BEFORE

Improved air filtration After

66%

19% 14%

Streetscape

42%

Lawn/sports field

Streetscape

Parks

Scrub

Connectedness (Existing ⁄ Proposed)

INCREASE

BEFORE

Enhanced biodiversity potential After [per classes (C)]

13% 24%

14% 37%

12%

C2

C4

C6

C3

C5

39 % 25

%

10–20m

Ecological corridor

20–50m

50m<

Green plot ratio (Existing ⁄ Proposed)

INCREASE

Connectedness

INCREASE

BEFORE

C ONCEP T, STR ATEG IES …

2

Park Lawn ⁄sports field Scrub 2%

Aesthetics / Acoustic attenuation

1.5>

230

1.5–2.5

2.5–3.5

3.5–5.0

5.0<

231

Asma Khawatmi

EPILOG UE

The Whole and the Parts, Mutual Intelligence

232

In the urban context, the concept of ‘the whole and the parts’ isn’t the scientific notion inherited from Galileo, Bacon or Descartes that reduces the whole to the addition of the parts, but rather the inter­relation of parts that creates a whole.

‘The variables are many, but they are not helter-­ skelter; they are interrelated into an organic whole.’

Jane Jacobs 1

In this sense, questioning the city fosters the under­ standing of combined dynamics and systems: city forms, territorial relations, urban development policies, governance and social and environmental impacts.

Consequently, a city can be considered as a system and its elements, an internally organised set in which elements are strongly linked and function as one in relation to external conditions and other systems.

Ecology refers to the question of the whole and the parts and their interactions, the impact of urban activities on wider ecological systems, and the social and biological aspects of urban issues.

Megalopolises are suffering the deterioration of their social climate and ecological conditions in the context of an increasingly globalised economy with the imperatives and intrusions this involves. Globalisation-driven growth has produced new circum­ stances that impact environmental transition, creating unique and unprecedented conditions.

Asian Pacific megalopolises are struggling between local and global. What forms of mutual intelligence could be established to rebalance this opposition?

The environmental and social challenges of Asian megacities can only be met if each city, from its own culture, reconciles itself with the logics of the whole and the parts like that of the local to the global.

Understanding mutual intelligence in Asian megalo­ polises as a specific spatial and contextual model fosters the identification of urban environmental challenges and potential actions to be taken.

The case studies of Bangkok, Hong Kong and Shanghai Baoshan raise three fundamental issues that can be extrapolated to other global cities: —In the most populated cities, official systems are usually complemented by informal systems.

To what extent are these off-systems the expression of exclusion or inclusion, segmentation or cementation?

—The private sector has increasing dominance in the development and governance of Asian Pacific megacities.

How can this all-powerful unilateralism be compensated in order to preserve the virtuous dynamics of the whole and the parts?

—The relations between globalisation and territories seem contradictory.

How can megalopolises reconcile their territories and identities in the face of international pressures to provide more sustainable and liveable urban conditions?

Bangkok: Off-system, Segmentation or Cementation?

Bangkok presents one of the most rapidly degraded and severely deteriorated urban environments in the world, where social inequality and slums re­ present almost 15% of the total population of the Bangkok Metropolitan Area. The majority of slum communities exist in areas of continuous flooding.

While for most citizens, environmental changes or global warming are not relevant to their immediate concerns, for local communities to defend their local space, environmental issues are immediate.

In the urban-rural polarisation of Bangkok caused by urban expansion and destructuration (the de­ coupling of mobility and water management systems, over-densification, gentrification and globalisation to the detriment of social systems and ecosystems), the rearrangement of the formal and the informal seems an absolute necessity.

In terms of planning and urban management, the Thai state has shown a limited ability to work with slum settlements and to act immediately on natural disasters. Although electrification, flood control and pipe water have improved over recent decades,

233

AS MA KHAWATMI

environmental infrastructure, social housing and services still remain low.

Which specific urban political economy is able to identify liveability agents in order to assess the conditions required for their successful implementation?

In Thailand, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have succeeded in assuming positive media­tion roles between the State and its citizens.

In this critical context, social cleavage and collect­ ive action must be reconciled anew.

Civil society cannot manage social and climatic disorders on its own but, over time, the possibility of a virtuous synergy between the State and civil society may generate a cumulative strengthening of society’s ability to solve common problems. Furthermore, considering liveability and social equity as a combination of livelihood and sustainability means applying political ecology to the sociopolitical dimension.

EPILOG UE

Hong Kong: Transnationalism and Unilateralism in a Global Market-driven City Contemporary urbanisation processes and their human consequences in East Asian megalopolises can be considered the result of interaction between each social form and the global capitalist system.

Hong Kong as a world city is under competitive pressure to create urban conditions that will facilitate the global flow of capital and investment thanks to spatial commodification, the shift from public to private ownership and the depletion of community, social and cultural spaces in favour of commercial and global services.

World cities are key determinants in the financial and productive process of the global economy, yet they compromise equity, livelihood and public health.

234

Unilateralism can be identified in the way cities are built following exclusive decision-making ­processes in which the collusion between govern­ ment, officials and developers emphasises the inequality of economic gains over the liveable city.

In global cities, public policies for national develop­ ment have mostly focused on relations between the State and the business economy, without taking into serious consideration the role played by civil society or social institutions in laying the foundations for economic growth. 2

In those cities undergoing the greatest development, the challenge is to link growth to liveability. The connection between market logics and livelihood is not obvious, yet it seems crucial that those cities that benefit from economic opportunities dependent on global markets should combine these with efforts to create livelihood for their inhabitants.

Baoshan: Deterritorialisation and Identity

In the context of modernisation, open markets and globalisation, the suburbanisation of Shanghai is characterised by extensive and standardised urban renewal operations, the verticalisation of the urban landscape and metropolitan polycentric patterns, influenced by the circulation of models of globalised urban development.

In a phase of urban transition, Baoshan is undergoing radical mutations of its territory and identity through the transformation of urban organisation, landscape, culture and social sphere with the development of deterritorialised models: urban villages are replaced by monofunctional enclaves of generic towers, new thematised gated-towns transform natural territories and industrial heritage is redeveloped into a pole of cultural excellence for start-ups and foreign investors.

If a society develops itself in urban forms inherited from its past, which it appropriates according to

its uses and which it modifies with the evolution of its lifestyles, Baoshan looks more like a decor and showcase of globalisation, creating a segregated and unequal society to meet the demands of the economic and political elites, who seem to neglect certain aspects of their local environment while those left-behind from development do not have access to merging culture. The urban divide is the expression of the social divide.

Wouldn’t it be sustainable in social and ecological terms to establish links between local and global culture, which today seem to form two contradict­ ory urban and social realities?

The respective assimilation of the global city and the local culture, the re-territorialisation of developments by the strength of the diversion of local culture to reclaim the global one by integrating new elements seems indispensable for socially equitable and sustainable development.

If we consider a city as a system and as parts internally organised as a set where elements and functions are strongly linked as ONE in relation to external conditions, mutual intelligence could be addressed through different actions for more liveable and sustainable urban contexts; a more participatory and political active society, synergies of actions at the appropriate scale for each issue, and the ecosystem approach applied to urban context could be the basis for a holistic and synergetic future.

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Nirmal Kishnani

A PostAnthropocentric Perspective

As a proposition, sustainability has not successfully challenged the myth of limitless growth. This may be because the case for sustainable design has never quite freed itself from its anthropocentric roots. Instead, the green building movement, as proxy for sustainable development, made it easy for practitioners, developers and policy-makers to continue as before. The change that is needed remains elusive, even as the scale and urgency of the challenge become self-evident.

In the design exercises for Hong Kong, Bangkok and Shanghai, sustainability was an upfront goal. It was initially conceptual (what are the frameworks?) and later articulated as targets and outcomes (how many UN Sustainable Development Goals have been met?). It generated parameters and layers that contributed to the understanding of urban context. In the act of recombining these layers, however, there was no rethink of urban structure and form. This was, at best, a case study in aggregation, where the one-plus-one of, say, energy systems, is two; no more, no less.

What emerged, however, was a retrospective of change, i.e., how each of the three cities lost systemic coherence in the decades that saw rapid growth. Here are four observations on what this expansion cost.

The loss or degradation of natural systems. There is shrinkage of blue-green networks; deterioration of water quality; destruction or fragmentation of habitats; loss of green cover and agricultural land; weakening of ecosystem services; and expansion of ecological and carbon footprints.

EPILOG UE

The loss or degradation of human-made ­systems.

There is significant loss of urban quality, specifically public spaces and social networks, that is due, in part, to the prioritisation of cars over pedestrians, of privately-owned real estate over the commons. On the surface, this appears offset by wealth (more cars, disposable income, etc.) and well-being (life expectancy, health, etc.).

However, the positives do not cancel the negatives, such as widening social inequality; nor do they factor externalities, such as climate change and ecological loss.

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A weakened urban immune system. There are health and safety risks relating to soil, water and air quality. City dwellers have limited access to nature and scant open green spaces. There are pressures on the informal economy, which is a lifeline to millions. Stress levels are elevated, attributable in part to crowding and distortions of spatial scales.

An inability of the whole to self-regulate. The city struggles to adapt and self-heal; its wholeness is compromised. There are fewer interfaces and overlaps, which diminishes reciprocity of positive exchanges.

It is clear from these that the city has become too dependent on the countryside for what it needs, which causes the depletion of planetary systems.

There is a compelling case now to decouple cities from natural systems, with the goal of reducing ecological and carbon footprints. There must also be efforts to conserve and construct nature within the city, i.e., ecosystems and ecosystem services that make room for all life.

In light of these goals, present-day forms and morphologies are not enough. The city needs a new spatial logic that can redistribute density, accommodate diversity and spread resources.

These ideas are integrated into four prisms to guide future design thinking.

Circularity Circularity entails the reorganisation of resource flows, which are managed as loops so that waste is eliminated. The goal is to bring the city as close as possible to self-sufficiency. And this will fundamentally alter urban structure. Metropolises will need systems that can generate, capture, process, recycle, upcycle, distribute and store resources such as energy, water, biotic and abiotic materials.

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NIRMAL KI S HNANI

They will depend on new infrastructure (say, energy farms or micro grids), new roles (parks that retain or detain water, for example) and new programmes (such as community farms).

A building, for instance, might capture rain and recycle grey water on site, aided by mechanical systems. Excess from buildings is diverted to neighbourhood systems with landscapes that hold water.

At the city scale, this system of systems connects to larger elements – e.g., a waste water recycling plant. Natural areas, such as wetlands, are coopted to clean and store water.

Urban form, shaped by circularity, will appear distributed or polycentric (leaf-like), which is altogether different from the hierarchical and centralised (tree-like) structures seen today. In the latter, the failure of a part – for instance, a power plant – can cripple the whole; in the former, one part compensates for the loss of another and the whole recovers quickly. Each element connects to others to form multi-scalar networks.

Partnership with Nature

EPILOG UE

When cities partner with nature, natural systems are valued in their own right. The design process starts with a mapping of habitats and waterways, their boundaries and edge conditions, flows and processes. Where these function well, the goal is preservation; where they are fragmented or degraded, the aim is restoration.

In urban centres that are constrained by density, hybrid human-nature solutions can be created.

These constructed ecosystems are not just for the enjoyment of humans, they are also biocentric, i.e., serving all life.

This shift from human-centric to biocentric begins with the replication of processes and patterns found in nature (biomimicry). In systems that have been fragmented or polluted, contiguity and quality are restored. Surface flows of storm-water are slowed to increase groundwater recharge. Edges of waterways are altered to accommodate floods.

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A biocentric approach also creates room for diversity. It may insert new green patches large enough for small mammals and birds and are set apart no more than, say, the swimming distance of an otter or the flying range of foraging insects. These nodes and networks contribute to wider patterns of dispersal and movement, such as the seasonal migration of birds.

Three-dimensional Planning

It was pointed out in the Prologue that a post-­ anthropocentric perspective is contingent on an ecological new worldview. But worldviews are not decided by designers and planners; we can, at best, speculate on the shape of the future. These acts of imagination, not unlike the redesign of three cities seen in this book, can unpack complexity, formulate questions and postulate frameworks. The propositions that emerge can be useful in guiding the discourse, challenging policy and highlighting the potency of a new worldview.

The scale and pace of urbanisation in Asia demands a new planning perspective. Master plans today are conceived two-dimensionally. When metropolitan cores grow, peri-urban and natural areas are simply converted into homes, industries and farms. A three-dimensional strategy would extend growth vertically, leading to new typologies. This is not simply a question of taller buildings; it is that systems are stacked so that each parcel of land does more for the collective good. Roofs and façades, for instance, become farms, gardens or solar canopies. Buildings are elevated to prioritise public space and blue-green networks on the ground. Mobility systems, such as roads and railways, are colocated below ground. Every plot of land is accessible and optimised. Monofunctional developments and gated communities become a thing of the past.

Regenerative Design

Ecosystems in Asian cities have been so compromised that planners must now focus on restoration. This starts with the recovery of brownfield sites where soil and water systems are degraded. There is a need to correct fragmentation of systems with new connections and interfaces that restore the coherence of the whole.

This may include the renaturation of engineered elements – say, concretised canals turned back into streams – or the adaptive reuse of existing struct­ ures, giving new life to decaying neighbourhoods.

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Notes Prologue The Condition of Asian Megalopolises and their Paradigms Asma Khawatmi 1. United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 2014.

2. Richard O’Connor, A Theory of Indigenous Southeast Asian Urbanism, ISEAS, Singapore, 1983.

3. H. W. Dick and P. J. Rimmer, ‘Beyond the Third World City: The New Urban Geography of South-east Asia’, 1998.

4. Physical Elements of Krung Rattanakosin, Chulalongkorn University Press, Bangkok, 1991.

5. Christian Henriot, ‘Les divisions de la ville à Shanghai : les mots de la croissance métropolitaine’, Géoconfluences, 2003.

6. Sir Henry Pottinger, maps and research, 1842.

7. Sir David J. Owen, ‘Future control and development of the port of Hong Kong’, Report, 24 February, 1941.

8. Saskia Sassen, The Global City, Princeton University Press, New York, London and Tokyo, 1991.

9. ‘Thailand: Bangkok Metropolitan Region/City Population’. (Accessed 27 November 2015).

10. Government of Hong Kong Website: http://www.gov.hk. Civil Engineering and Development Department.

11. Mike Douglass, ‘East Asian Urbanization: Patterns, Problems and Prospects’. Discussion paper, Asia/ Pacific Research Center, Stanford University 1998.

12. Henri Lefebvre, The Production of Space, Donald Nicholson-Smith (transl.), Blackwell, Oxford and Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1991.

13. Badie, Bertrand, La Fin des territoires. Essai sur le désordre internationale et l’utilité sociale du respect, Fayard, Paris, 1995.

Reclaiming Sustainability for an Ecological Age Nirmal Kishnani 14. Rachel Carson, Silent Spring, Houghton Mifflin, Boston, Massachusetts, 1962; Donella H. Meadows, et al., The Limits to Growth, Universe, New York, 1972.

15. Chrisna du Plessis, ‘Towards a Regenerative Paradigm for the Built Environment’, Building Research & Information, Vol. 40, No. 1 (2012), pp. 7-22.

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16. Ibid., p.11.

17. Zhongjie Lin, ‘When Green was the New Black: What Went Wrong with China’s Eco-City Movement?’, in Letters to the Leaders of China: Kongjian Yu and the Future of the Chinese City, Terreform, Inc., New York, 2017, pp.

191-192.

18. Analysis of data downloaded from ‘The City as a Unit of Analysis and the Universe of Cities’, Atlas of Urban Expansion. (Accessed 13 April, 2018). http://www.atlasofurbanexpansion. org/data 19. Niall McCarthy, ‘China Used More Concrete in Three Years than the U.S. Used in the Entire 20th Century’, Forbes, 5 December 2014. https://www.forbes.com/sites/ niallmccarthy/2014/12/05/china-usedmore-concrete-in-3-years-than-theu-s-used-in-the-entire-20th-centuryinfographic/#6708c2d14131 20. ‘Seventy Percent of World Population to Be in Cities by 2050: UN Study’, The Jakarta Post, 19 October 2015. http://www .thejakartapost.com/ news/2015/10/19/70-world-populationbe-cities-2050-un-study.html 21. ‘Largest Cities in the World,’ City Mayors Statistics, last modified March 2018, http://www.citymayors.com/ statistics/largest-cities-population-125. html 22. Setiawan Wangsaatmaja, Arief D. Sutadian, and Maria A. N. Prasetiati, ‘A Review of Groundwater Issues in the Bandung Basin, Indonesia: Management and Recommendations’, International Review for Environmental Strategies, Vol. 6, No. 2 (2006), pp.

425-442.

23. Simon Sembiring, ‘Water Quality in Three Reservoirs on the Citarum River, Indonesia’ (Accessed 24 May 2019). http: //hydrologie.org/ACT/Marseille/ works-pdf/wchp3poster4.pdf 24. ‘Downstream Impacts of Water Pollution in the Upper Citarum River, West Java, Indonesia,’ Technical paper by the Asian Development Bank and The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/ The World Bank, October 2013, https:// www.adb.org/sites/default/files/ publication/154493/citarum-riverdownstream-impacts-water-pollution. pdf 25. K. Oginawati and Adhiraga Pratama, ‘Identification and Level of Organochlorine Insecticide Contamination in Groundwater and Iridology Analysis for People in Upper Citarum Cascade’, Journal of Physics:

Conference Series, 694 (2016) 012078, doi:10.1088/1742-6596/694/1/012078.

26. R. Swaminathan and Jaya Goyal (Eds.), Mumbai Vision 2015: Agenda for Urban Renewal, Macmillan India in association with the Observer Research Foundation, New Delhi, 2006.

27. Ram B. Bhagat and Gavin W. Jones, ‘Population Change and Migration in Mumbai Metropolitan Region: Implications on Planning and Governance’, Working Paper Series No. 201, Asia Research Institute, Singapore; ‘Mumbai Population 2018’, World Population Review. (Accessed 24 May 2019). http://worldpopulationreview. com/world-cities/mumbai-population/ 28. Neelima Risbud, ‘The Case of Mumbai’, in Understanding Slums: Case Studies for the Global Report on Human Settlements 2003, Development Planning Unit, University College London, London; Bhavika Jain, ‘Sixty-Two Percent of Mumbai Lives in Slums: Census’, Hindustan Times, 17 October 2010. https://www. hindustantimes.com/mumbai/62-ofmumbai-lives-in-slums-census/storyI3bUsll9w5f6ePEfuXJEbM.html 29. Hossein Shafizadeh Moghadam and Marco Helbich, ‘Spatiotemporal Urbanization Processes in the Megacity of Mumbai, India: A Markov ChainsCellular Automata Urban Growth Model’, Applied Geography, Vol. 40 (June 2013), pp. 140-149.

30. ‘Mumbai Floods: What Happens When Cities Sacrifice Ecology for Development’, The Conversation, 2 September 2017. http:// theconversation.com/mumbai-floodswhat-happens-when-cities-sacrificeecology-for-development-83328 31. Sonia Minz, ‘With 753 Green Buildings, Mumbai Tops the Chart, Delhi Follows’, MakaanIQ, 8 November 2016. https://www.makaan.com/iq/living/ with-753-green-buildings-mumbaitops-the-chart-delhi-follows 32. Jane Jacobs, The Death and Life of Great American Cities, Vintage Books, New York, 1992, p. 428.

33. Ibid.

34. Donella H. Meadows, et al., The Limits to Growth, Universe, New York, 1972.

35. Donella H. Meadows, Thinking in Systems: A Primer, Earthscan, London, 2009, pp. 2, 11.

36. Jeremy Lent, The Patterning Instinct: A Cultural History of Humanity’s Search for Meaning, Prometheus Books, New York, 2017, p. 368.

37. Christopher Alexander, et al., A Pattern Language: Towns, Buildings, Construction, Oxford University Press, New York, 1977.

38. Serge Salat, Cities and Forms: On Sustainable Urbanism (Urban Morphology Laboratory, Centre Scientifique et Technique du Bâtiment [CSTB], Paris, 2011); Christopher Alexander, ‘A City is Not a Tree,’ Architectural Forum, Vol. 122, No. 1 (1965): 58–61 and No. 2 (1965): 58–62.

Reprinted in Design After Modernism, John Thackara (Ed.), Thames & Hudson, London, 1988; Nikos A. Salingaros, Principles of Urban Structure, Vajra Books, Kathmandu, 2014.

39. ‘Le Corbusier’s “Contemporary City” ’, 1925. https://worldarchitecture. org/authors-links/pnfhh/lecorbusiers-contemporary-city-1925-. html; ‘Haussmann’s Paris’, The Art History Archive – Architecture.

(Accessed 24 May 2019). http:// www.arthistoryarchive.com/ arthistory/architecture/HaussmannsArchitectural-Paris.html 40. Meera Senthilingam, ‘How Did Singapore Become Such a Green City?’, CNN, 21 July 2016. https://edition.cnn. com/travel/article/singapore-greenestcity/index.html. As Singapore’s population and economy grew, so did its green cover: in the nineteen eighties it was about 36%, and now stands at 47% according to the Center for Liveable cities.

41. Nature Conservation Masterplan, National Parks Board, Singapore, 2017. https://www.nparks.gov.sg/~/media/ nparks-real-content/news/2017/fob/ factsheet-e-nature-conservationmasterplan.pdf 42. Stephanie Yeow, ‘A Garden City’s Green Veins’, The Straits Times, 27 November 2017. http://www. straitstimes.com/singapore/a-gardencitys-green-veins 43. ‘Greening Singapore So Wildlife Can Return’, The Straits Times, 7 June 2018. www.straitstimes.com/sites/ default/files/attachments/2018/06/07/ st_20180607_nature07_4041868.pdf 44. Sustainable Singapore Blueprint, Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, Ministry of National Development and the Centre for Liveable Cities, Singapore, 2014. https://www.mewr.gov.sg/docs/ default-source/module/ssbpublications/41f1d882-73f6-4a4a964b-6c67091a0fe2.pdf 45. Design Guides to Promote Biodiversity on Roof Gardens, CS E12,

Singapore, 2017, Centre for Urban Greenery and Ecology, National Parks Board, Singapore, 2017. https://www. nparks.gov.sg/skyrisegreenery/newsand-resources/guidelines 46. John Asafu-Adjaye, et al., An Ecomodernist Manifesto, 2015.

(Accessed 24 May 2019). www. ecomodernism.org 47. Edward O. Wilson, Half-Earth: Our Planet’s Fight for Life, Liveright Publishing Corporation, New York, 2016.

48. The present situation is similar (though more urgent) than that of the end of the first Industrial Revolution at the onset of the twentieth century, when naturalist John Muir (1838-1914) argued for the protection of natural assets from the expanding urbanindustrial economy. Patrick Geddes (1854-1932), a biologist, saw cities as living organisms and argued that the design of settlements should begin with an inventory of natural features, processes and resources. Urban planner Ebenezer Howard (1850-1928) proposed a new model for townships in which nature, albeit human-made, would be a central feature. John Muir, ‘Features of the Proposed Yosemite National Park’, The Century Magazine, Vol. XL, No 5. (September 1890); Patrick Geddes, Cities in Evolution, Williams and Norgate, London, 1915. https:// vault.sierraclub.org/john_muir_exhibit/ writings/features_of_the_proposed_ yosemite_national_park/; Ebenezer Howard, Garden Cities of Tomorrow, MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1965.

Conservation Department, April 2019.

4. McKinsey & Company, ‘Elements of Success: Urban Transportation Systems of 24 Global Cities’, June 2018.

City Challenges: Bangkok 1. ‘100 Resilient cities, resilient Bangkok’. Pioneered by The Rockefeller Foundation. Available at https://www.

100resilientcities.org/strategies/ bangkok/ Robert Barker & Richard Coutts, 2016, Aquatecture.

Part 2.

Concept, Strategies, Urban Design Guidelines, Master Plan and Outcomes 1. Carol Willis, Form Follows Finance: Skyscrapers and Skylines in New York and Chicago, Princeton Architectural Press, New York, 1995.

2. Kamolsak Promprayoon, Director General of the Port Authority of Thailand.

3. ‘The Study on Implementation of the BMA Subcenter Program in the Kingdom of Thailand (Case of Lat Krabang)’, Final Report, August 2006.

49. The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

4. Hong Kong: New Towns, New Development Areas and Urban Developments, Hong Kong Government, Civil Engineering and Development Department, May 2016.

5. Carl T. Smith (Ed.), A Sense of History: Studies in the Social and Urban History of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Educational Publishing Company, 1995.

6. Data from the latest population census elaborated by the Hong Kong Census and Statistics Department.

City Identities: Hong Kong

Epilogue

Context and Pedagogy Asma Khawatmi

1. Adam Frampton, Jonathan D. Solomon and Clara Wong, Cities Without Ground: A Hong Kong Guidebook, ORO Editions, San Francisco, 2012.

Part 1.

Understanding Situations 1. Ms Pranee Nantasenamat, Department of Town and Country Planning, Ministry of the Interior.

2. Yona Friedman, Manuels, Vol. I, CNEAI, Chatou, France, 2007.

3. ‘Hong Kong: The Facts. Country Parks and Conservation,’ Hong Kong Government, Agriculture, Fisheries and

The Whole and the Parts, Mutual Intelligence Asma Khawatmi 1. Jane Jacobs, The Death and Life of Great American Cities, Vintage, New York, 1961.

2. Douglass North, Understanding the Process of Economic Change, Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey, 2004.

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Pedagogical Team / Participants Hong Kong Studio

Bangkok Studio

Shanghai Studio

Pedagogical Team

Students

Pedagogical Team

Students

Pedagogical Team

Students

School of Design and Environment, National University of Singapore

Tai Po Abhimanyu Goel Srilakshmi Jayasankar Menon Unni Mathew Xiao Xinbin

School of Design and Environment, National University of Singapore

Pak Klong Talat Jessyca Felany Harifin Aditi Gupta Zhao Yanming Wang Ming

School of Design and Environment, National University of Singapore

Gucun Park Nikita Sharma Janaki Ramasamy Trinh Phuong Quan

Associate Professor Dr. Nirmal Kishnani Module Coordinator and Studio Master Visiting Associate Professor Asma Khawatmi Studio Master Associate Professor Dr. Tan Puay Yok Studio Tutor Senior Lecturer Dr. Siu-Kit Lau Studio Tutor Ayu Sukma Adelia Studio Manager Chinese University of Hong Kong Associate Professor Dr. Hendrik Tieben Guest Juror EDF Lab Singapore Pablo Viejo Managing Director EDF Asian Centre for Sustainable Cities-Singapore Lab Benjamin Mousseau Deputy Manager Vincent Soh Project Manager, Sustainable Citie

Sham Shui Po Aakanksha Jain Anuja Karve Jin Ling Vaishali Parmar Stanley Devi Ilamathy Mohan Kumar Farah Naaz Pooja Purushottam Nikhar Sonam Khan Vinasithamby Sukanya Central Pradeep Attavar Alva Shruthi Srinivas Shuchi Jhalani Winny Irwanto Wan Chai Ericko Setijobudi Limartha Marianne T. Caballero Amores Nandini Ravisundar Suresh Keerthana Tapeesh Sood

Visiting Associate Professor Asma Khawatmi Module Coordinator and Studio Master Associate Professor Dr. Nirmal Kishnani Studio Master Senior Lecturer Dr. Siu-Kit Lau Studio Tutor Associate Professor Dr. Tan Puay Yok Studio Tutor Tapeesh Sood Studio Manager Chulalongkorn University Associate Professor Niramon Kulsrisombat Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Faculty of Architecture Director of Urban Design and Development Center (UddC)

EDF Lab Singapore Benjamin Mousseau Managing Director EDF Asian Centre for Sustainable Cities-Singapore Lab Vincent Soh Project Manager, Sustainable Cities Ram Kumar Research Fellow, Architecture and Urban Planning Hansika Gamage Research Fellow, Energy and Urban Infrastructure

Sam Yan Tan Ruixiang William Ying Zhen Liu Jia Yi Ian Matthew Yu Go Hilman Bin Ya’akop Sukhumvit Drishya Vilasa Chandran Pillai Huang Ranyi Heather Marshall Banerd Lin Zichuan Zhang Wei Khlong Toei Port Aditi Bisen Praneeta Moorthy Rochelle Abanes Moreno Zhuo Ruoxuan Lat Krabang Arunima Dasgupta Prasanjeet Biswas Yang Liangjun Ten Swee Kien

Visiting Associate Professor Asma Khawatmi Module Coordinator and Studio Master Associate Professor Hwang Yun Hye Studio Master (Master of Landscape Architecture) Associate Professor Dr. Tan Puay Yok Studio Tutor Senior Lecturer Dr. Siu-Kit Lau Studio Tutor Dr. Anuj Jain Studio Advisor (Ecosystems) Tongji University College of Architecture and Urban Planning Department of Architecture Associate Professor Dr. Wang Zhendong Associate Professor Xie Zhenyu Department of Landscape Studies Associate Professor Dr.-Ing. Dong Nannan

EDF Lab Singapore

Qilian Renu Singh Shuwana Tarannum Gajender Kumar Sharma First Steel Plant Li Yihui Krithika Prakash Nimmy Namrata Wang Yulin Youyi Road Shefali Lal He Peixi Huang Hongbo Tuhina Ashvin Dedakia Lake Meilan Noopur Vinayak Joshi Sadique Qaiyum Tang Ziyi Wang Jian Honardy Rayawang Participants from the Master of Landscape Architecture programme Amanda Jennifer Chandra Bai Zhuhui Dai Junwei Sun Hao Jen Ashley Wu Yitong Yan Ran

Maxime Cassat Managing Director EDF Asian Centre for Sustainable Cities-Singapore Lab Ram Kumar Project Manager, Architecture and Urban Planning Jason Yip Project Manager, Energy and Urban Infrastructure Hansika Gamage Research Fellow, Energy and Urban Infrastructure

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243

Acknowledgements This book wouldn’t have been possible without the help of many who gave of their time, and lent moral and financial support. Each deserves a mention; a few must be singled out.

The authors would like to express their gratitude to Prof. Dr. Heng Chye Kiang, Prof. Dr. Lam Khee Poh, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Wong Yunn Chii and Prof. Dr. Ho Puay Peng, at the School of Design and Environment, National University of Singapore.

The generosity of EDF, the sponsor of the studio and the book, must be acknowledged, and Pascal Terrien deserves a special mention. We are indebted to our collaborators Hwang Yun Hye and Dr. Tan Puay Yok. The URA and HDB teams should be thanked for their participation in the debates, and we are obliged to the jury and to the research collaborators who painstakingly documented each project. Great thanks must go in particular to Dr. Hendri, Tieben from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, to Ms. Niramon Kulsrisombat from Chulalongkorn University, and Dr. Dong Nannan from Tongji University. We are also immensely grateful to Dr. Charles Goldblum for his inspiration, and to David Lorente and Tomoko Sakamoto for the graphic design.

Finally, we thank most profoundly François Decoster for his investment in the MSc ISD and for his kind support in the development of this book.

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Imprint Publisher Centre for Advanced Studies in Architecture Department of Architecture School of Design and Environment National University of Singapore Authors Asma Khawatmi Nirmal Kishnani Editor Asma Khawatmi Editorial Assistants Shefali Lal Nikita Sharma Graphic Design Spread: Tomoko Sakamoto David Lorente. Barcelona Proofreader Josephine Watson Printer Tiger Printing (HongKong) Co., Ltd. Every effort has been made to find and adhere to environmentally sound materials and practices during the production of this book.

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Sponsored by

AB O UT TH E AUTHO R S

Asma Khawatmi

Asma Khawatmi is a French registered architect and a visiting Associate Professor at the Department of Architecture at the National University of Singapore (NUS). Since 2001 she has been combining her own practice with research, publications and exhibitions dedicated to southeast Asian cities. She has notably published several essays on the shophouse typology, including SG3. Decoding Sustainable Urbanism: Case Study Singapore, co-authored with Nirmal Kishnani in 2016.

Through collaborations with Asian universities, international experts and research centres, she has developed a multi-scalar and sustainable urban design methodology. In the context of the Master of Science, Integrated Sustainable Design (MSc ISD) and the Master of Arts in Urban Design (MAUD) graduate degrees, she has applied this process to act on sustainability issues of southeast Asian megalopolises. In this book, her methodology and essay articulate the characteristics and paradigms of Asian megacities through the study of Bangkok, Hong Kong and Shanghai. While these three cities do not sum up the complexity of contemporary Asian megalopolises, the exacerbated challenges they represent do make them universal case studies.

Nirmal Kishnani

Nirmal Kishnani is an Associate Professor at the School of Design and Environment of the National University of Singapore. At the time of this publication, he held the appointment of Programme Director of the Master of Science, Integrated Sustainable Design (MSc ISD), through which he has, over the past decade, pioneered a pedagogy based on systems thinking and a regenerative design approach.

For more than twenty years, Kishnani has been an advocate of sustainable design, advising on projects and policies in Asia, formulating new platforms and scrutinising the space between front-line theories and drawingboard pragmatism. As editor-­ in-chief of FuturArc magazine, he championed thought leaders in the field of design, and made a case for a design an approach that is tailored to conditions within the Asian context.

His books Greening Asia: Emerging Principles for Sustainable ­Archi­tecture (2012) and Ecopuncture: Transforming Architecture and Urbanism in Asia (2019) both argue for upstream imagination over acts of downstream mitigation, advocating new methods and frameworks. His essays in this publication convey the same sentiment, asking what might be the aspirations of planners and urban designers as they prepare for an ecological age.

AB O UT TH E AUTHO R S

Nirmal Kishnani

Nirmal Kishnani is an Associate Professor at the School of Design and Environment of the National University of Singapore. At the time of this publication, he held the appointment of Programme Director of the Master of Science, Integrated Sustainable Design (MSc ISD), through which he has, over the past decade, pioneered a pedagogy based on systems thinking and a regenerative design approach.

For more than twenty years, Kishnani has been an advocate of sustainable design, advising on projects and policies in Asia, formulating new platforms and scrutinising the space between front-line theories and drawingboard pragmatism. As editor-­ in-chief of FuturArc magazine, he championed thought leaders in the field of design, and made a case for a design an approach that is tailored to conditions within the Asian context.

His books Greening Asia: Emerging Principles for Sustainable ­Archi­tecture (2012) and Ecopuncture: Transforming Architecture and Urbanism in Asia (2019) both argue for upstream imagination over acts of downstream mitigation, advocating new methods and frameworks. His essays in this publication convey the same sentiment, asking what might be the aspirations of planners and urban designers as they prepare for an ecological age.

Five 1×1 km sites in three Asian cities have been unpacked and reconstituted by teams of architects, engineers, landscape designers and planners. The aspiration wasn’t to formulate generalisable prescriptions but to investigate the robustness of a new process. A method was created to tackle the complexity of the city, unpack systemic layers and recombine them in ways that mend fractures and enhance urban quality.

This approach sought to calibrate density and liveability, remain rooted in the narrative of place and examine what it means to be sustainable.

BANG KOK

HONG KONG

S HANG HAI

Our journey into the heart of twenty-first century Asian cities has revealed a deep anthropocentric bias, inherited from the legacy of the Modern movement and from recent globalisation and urbanisation trends. Challenging this legacy has revealed just how much of what happens today is unsustainable and in plain sight.

The two experts who have led the study, Asma Khawatmi and Nirmal Kishnani, combine design research in Hong Kong, Bangkok and Shanghai with insights into Asian megalo­ polises. They report on the dissonance of political, economic and social imperatives, pulling cities apart at the seams, so to speak. Layered on to this are the exigencies of climate change and ecological losses, which raise questions about the substance of the discourse and reveal its underpinning worldview. Anyone seeking easy answers will be disappointed. What this book offers are glimpses of an uncertain future; what it inspires, however, are insights into how to navigate that uncertainty.

ISBN: 978-981-14-5675-6

Asma Khawatmi Nirmal Kishnani

Asma Khawatmi is a French registered architect and a visiting Associate Professor at the Department of Architecture at the National University of Singapore (NUS). Since 2001 she has been combining her own practice with research, publications and exhibitions dedicated to south-east Asian cities. She has notably published several essays on the shophouse typology, including SG3. Decoding Sustainable Urbanism: Case Study Singapore, co-authored with Nirmal Kishnani in 2016.

Through collaborations with Asian universities, international experts and research centres, she has developed a multi-scalar and sustainable urban design methodology. In the context of the Master of Science, Integrated Sustainable Design (MSc ISD) and the Master of Arts in Urban Design (MAUD) graduate degrees, she has applied this process to act on sustainability issues of south-east Asian megalopolises. In this book, her methodology and essay articulate the characteristics and paradigms of Asian megacities through the study of Bangkok, Hong Kong and Shanghai. While these three cities do not sum up the complexity of contemporary Asian megalopolises, the exacerbated challenges they represent do make them universal case studies.

Asma Khawatmi

Part⁄Whole

Asma Khawatmi

AB O UT TH E B OO K

AB OU T THE B OOK

Nirmal Kishnani

Reconciling scale, density and sustainability in Asian megalopolises

Part⁄Whole

Reconciling scale, density and sustainability in Asian megalopolises Asma Khawatmi Nirmal Kishnani

Bangkok Hong Kong Shanghai

Part⁄ Whole

The research presented in this book was carried out over three years by students and professors of the Master of Science, Integrated Sustainable Design (MSc ISD) programme at the School of Design and Environment, National University of Singapore. This university is ranked consistently as one of the world's top tertiary institutions and is located in Singapore, a city-state in Asia that is a global leader in green architecture and urbanism.

In the design studios that anchor this one-year, post-professional course, sustainability is examined both as outcome and process.

The curriculum is Asian-centric, and anchored in systems thinking as a pathway. This starts by asking which systems matter, how built and natural systems interact, which flows and exchanges can be intentionally altered (i.e., designed) for a resilient future. It leads to frameworks for reciprocity between systems and spatial structures that bring together social, economic and ecological imperatives.

The students who join our programme come from different disciplines and backgrounds. The programme is taught by global experts in the fields of architecture, urbanism and landscape ecology.