Reflections on China JP McNeil PSU-China Innovations in Urbanization
Overview •
CAUPD Project: QOL and Urban Villages
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Bicycles in Shenzen
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Biking in the city
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Thoughts on shared space(?)
Closing thoughts and questions
Acknowledgements •
CAUPD - Shenzhen Branch + Staff
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Institute for Sustainable Solutions
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Connie Ozawa and Yiping Fang
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Our wonderful visting Chinese scholars
QOL in Urban Villages •
My primary project at CAUPD
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Focus is a study of quality of life for urban villagers living in Shenzhen (components in other cities as well)
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Case studies of US examples of QOL studies used to inform housing policy (among other things)
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Chicago Housing Authority and the Plan for Transformation
What is an Urban Village?
What is an Urban Village? •
Product of China’s rapid urbanization as urban areas expanded into rural areas.
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As land was developed around formerly agricultural villages, farmers were given urban “hukou” but few opportunities for employment
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Began to develop their homes and properties into housing, which was then rented to migrants coming to work in city.
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Housing was generally developed outside the authority of the local planning and building officials and is characterized by very high density often with poor living conditions.
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Urban villages have served as the primary pool of affordable housing for migrants in Shenzhen.
展生活质量研究之缘起 Origin of QOL research initiative 高速城镇化
中规院国际顾问
Rapid urbanization
约翰.弗里德曼建议 CAUPD Advisor Prof. John Friedmann
结构性问题 Structural issues
揭示快速城市发展过程中的 社会不平等 To reveal Social disparity in rapid urban development
中国城市生活质量 China Urban QOL 通过规 中规院近年来的
经济社会发展不平衡 Economic & social disparities`
注点与实
践探索 Recent-year Empirical Studies by CAUPD
手段，提供评估工
具，为公共政策和政府干预 提供依据 To use planning instruments to inform public policy and govt. intervention
Methods：Questionnaire+Observation+Investigation+Inteview
宝安区
⻰龙 岗 区
特区 下沙村
下沙村距离深圳福田中心区1 公里左右，
邻深圳唯一的国
家级自然保护区——红树林湿 地保护区。北侧为⻋车公庙⼯工贸 区，南侧为另⼀一城中村上沙村。
First survey site
Xiasha Village
QOL Project •
Developed in partnership with John Friedmann of UBC
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Represents a shift on the part of CAUPD to delve into Social Planning
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Remains to be seen what will become of urban villages
Bikes & Shenzhen
What I Found •
Many people on bikes (though many, if not most, were e-bikes)
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Good infrastructure •
City Greenway
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Cycle tracks
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Well-marked shared-use and separated paths
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Bike shares
Drawbacks •
No cohesive network, just scattered facilities
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Problems at the level of implementation and enforcement
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Little bike parking
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No integration with transit
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Safety concerns
Shared Space for Pedestrians and Cyclists •
Observations in China piqued curiosity about shared active transportation facilities
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Sought to explore question of whether US planners and engineers overly rigid in separation of uses?
Shared Bike/Ped Space •
Careful not to glorify the chaotic street environment of Shenzhen
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Reverse “mode hierarchy?”
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High per capita traffic rate death: •
China 36 traffic-related deaths per 100,000 MV’s
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US is 15 and Netherlands is 7
Research •
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Safety concerns for pedestrians floated to the top Kinetic energy of cyclist relative to pedestrian similar to car and bike Shifting of the burden of risk to pedestrians Mixing is appropriate in some cases, but not where mobility is primary goal
Concluding Thoughts
Questions?