Site Context

from Sustainable Urban Dynamics 2019

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China and the Sichuan Province

The first phase of the course focused on gathering information on the country of China, the city of Dujiangyan, and the assigned study site in the central part of the city. During the first three weeks of the semester, the students completed a variety of group studies on the city of Dujiangyan and its relationship to globalization and the regional dynamics of the Sichuan province. Each of the ten student groups explored a line of personal interest that related to their evolving research on Dujiangyan and the assigned design site.

The group mappings included analysis of Dujiangyan’s urban structure, rich history, social characteristics, economic flows, environmental challenges, and landscape. The results were presented to the whole class, and the research served as a strong base for the studio’s study visit and workshop in China. Additionally, three seminars took place providing a common theoretical background of the key questions of globalization, the history of Chinese urbanism and contemporary precedents of sustainable urban design in China.

Dujiangyan within the Sichuan province

The brief asked to map out the impacts of globalization and on-going processes that were influencing the urban development of China and the Sichuan province. Located in southwestern China, the region is home to around 81 million people and is one of China’s largest and most dynamic economic areas. Further focus was placed on the physical impacts that the close connection to the provincial capital city of Chengdu and the regional planning for the future development of Chengdu were having on the city of Dujiangyan. During the investigations, the students discovered both Dujiangyan’s economic importance for China as well as its unique culture and history. It was evident that Dujiangyan was one of the most promoted tourist destinations in China with a vibrant and growing tourism industry, and was also rapidly changing through investments in infrastructure such as high speed rail.

The City Of Dujiangyan

Located in the in southwestern China in the Minjiang river basin, the Sichuan province is a municipality home to 81 milion residents of which 14.3 milion live in the urban area of the city of Chengdu. In the close proximity to the capital city, there is the city of Dujiangyan, situated in the beautiful landscape of Sichuan province. The city of Dujiangyan is home to more than 650 000 people but with the close proximity to the province’s capital city Chengdu, it will be undergoing a process of urban growth and rapid development in the future. Keeping in mind the efficient high-speed train connection and new investments pointed towards the surrounding cities how do these trends influence the design site and what role do they play in the bigger context?

While resting on the analysis of the study site and developing their own regional strategy, the students were expected to transform their urban visions into site specific and clear designs, that adapt to the local culture, landscape and needs of the communities. In addition, they had to develop a strong argumentation of how the city’s challenges and planned infrastructural changes can be turned into a new opportunity for the future development of Dujiangyan. By testing innovative typologies that contribute to resilience and by developing thoughts and holistic narratives, the students managed to expand their concepts into compelling urban design proposals that facilitate the transformation of Dujiangyan into a more sustainable and livable place!