SHARING SMART CITIES

Typology: Urban Masterplan

Location: Shangdi Hi-Tech District, Beijing, China

Status: Proposal

Year: 2021

Sharing Smart Cities

In the 21st century, as cities continue to become further densified and commodities become limited due to climate change, an apparent trend of “sharing” has become ubiquitous among city dwellers found in apps such as Uber or Airbnb. Similarly, with the rise of 5g and the Internet of Things, Covid-19 has expedited the decline of brick and mortar and brought forth a new hybrid of physical and virtual spaces in the public realm. This studio conducted virtually among 20 students internationally from over 8 different countries tests the limits of the hypothesis brought up by the project brief.

A Hi-Tech District

Situated in the Silicon Valley of China, Shangdi District is one of the fastest growing tech playgrounds of the new era. With companies such as Tencent having their own tech campuses with a complete hybrid of living, working and leisure, the site presents an opportunity to explore a new smart city masterplan. The project was divided into 7 categories to explore the implications of sharing through green infrastructure, mobility, living, working, public service, commerce and leisure. Guided by a new initiative by local government to leave 10% of each new development as wild area – a green spine was first established on site to connect to the surrounding habitat network of wetlands. Then, a futuristic mobility network that relies on big data and smart systems helps establish a hierarchy of roads from a main circulation loop offset from the boundaries of site, a path through the green spine and smaller branching “woonerfs” – which are streets that can be cohabitated by people and vehicles.

With the concept of a 5,10 and 15-minute city, the placement of public services, commerce and leisure become integrated into a lifestyle-development model. We foresee the integration of apps and the further hybridization of online and offline spaces through AR or VR technology to usher in flexible public spaces that can adapt to market seasons and the changing Beijing climate.

Finally, living and working will be more integrated than ever as evidenced by the pandemic. In a highly innovative environment such as Shangdi, the convenience of the route between working and living should be prioritized. A hierarchy from the outer layer to the inner layer is formed through a gradient of working to living. Towards the boundary, a podium is used as a buffer zone for tech startups as it slowly breaks down into finer urban grains for living spaces towards the center – where residents will be able to enjoy the privacy of the green spine.

Behind the Walls

The wall has always been seen as delimiter, almost not traversable. However, with Beijing’s history of being a walled city, the project aims to reclaim the oppressiveness of walls and reinterpret it as a connective border between the existing and the proposal. Its porosity in fact will lead visitors and inhabitants from the chaotic environment of the outer ring to the more private center through a series of open gathering spaces.