More Than Street

Abdulrahman Abdulkarim, Syria

STREET PERSPECTIVE

“People are happy when the streets are liveable”

Dujiangyan is one of the cities that has been damaged by Wenchuan earthquake in 2008. The earthquake did not only damage the buildings, it also damaged the urban life and the public spaces there whereas it is part of the Chinese life, since the street life and linear public spaces and living with nature is one of the Chinese daily life. Since the earthquake, the city has been trying to reconstruct what has been damaged and try to keep the traditional values.

The proposal focuses on reducing the road widths, where in China roads go up till 8 lanes, that will reduce the emissions and by providing pedestrians and bike lanes will lead to promote walkability based on the cultural identity and propose a sustainable way that enriches the environment by spreading green public spaces along the blue structure, which glues to the economic growth that the site will benefit from. Linear public spaces is a traditional Chinese planning and it inspired the design of the parks also and the green areas even though there are some debates that the linear public spaces have a political view behind it. The design will be focusing on inviting people to the site and let them live in a sustainable life where the cars is not the main part of it and encourage them to feel and experience the place by walking and biking. Using vegetation and water to connect the site.

The proposal will help the climate by reducing car use that will encourage more people and tourists to walk, which in turn improves the economy. However, framing the public spaces with mixed use blocks where you there are different functions and having commercial and shops the first two floors as well as twisting the building will help to provide different qualities of public spaces where different activities can happen.

MASTERPLAN

SECTION