Yanzhou Urban Design

Yanzhou

2010
5,800 ha

The South West of Shandong province is a highly competitive base for manufacturing and has laid a good foundation for economic and social development in Yanzhou. However, the development of the city’s service sector is lagging well behind the industrial sector. In the era of the knowledge economy the level of services, facilities and also environmental quality are becoming increasingly important for the competitiveness of a city. Therefore an urban design which addresses these issues and improves quality of life is vital for Yanzhou’s successful development.

The design has been developed on three spatial levels. The first level looks at the city as a whole. This covers an area of 58 sq km and includes the old city, the new city district, the eastern eco town, the eco-agricultural tourism area, the logistics district, the multifunctional industrial zone and the Si river recreational zone.

Systematic investigations of the site and the relationship between urban areas were carried out, particularly focusing on the circulation and open space systems. This allowed a city level structure of appropriate density to be defined, with a clear system of open spaces, building height controls and major access corridors. A major consideration in the design of the open spaces structure was the protection and enhancement of green areas within the urban environment.

At the second level the city is divided into seven districts. Design and research at this level focuses on the functions and activities in each zone, the circulation system, and the synchronization and permeability of each urban zone.

The third level considers the design at the scale of individual city blocks. The development of block prototypes allowed architectural design and development control guidelines to be defined, covering factors such as building density, height, percentage of green space and building orientation.

A key issue for the development of Yanzhou is how to maintain the culture of the city and its historical features. The city has an interesting cultural heritage, having been an important centre at several points in history, during the Ming dynasty, the late Qing dynasty and then in the Republic of China period. The fact that the city has been influenced by a mixture of Western and Confucian culture further adds to the richness and uniqueness of Yanzhou’s history.

This urban design proposal seeks to provide spatial structures and urban imagery which retain Yanzhou’s cultural characteristics and traces of history, whilst opening the city to contemporary new influences and allowing it to progress.