suzhou new city book (final)

Contents page

INTRODUCTION

MANIFESTO

design principles

LOCATION

SCALE

INTIAL STUDIES

PRECEDENT STUDIES

ISLAND vs expansion

DESIGN STRATEGIESINCEPTION

CANAL

DISTRICTS

ZONING

DENSITY

district design concept

GRID

TRANSPORTation system

ROAD network SYSTEM

WALKING NEIGHBORHOOD

COAST STUDIES

canal network

CANAL STUDIES

DESIGN GUIDANCE

DISTRICT DESIGNSMIXED USE

INDUSTRIAL

AGRICULTURE

CENTRAL BUSINESS

KEY AREAS

conlusion

1

2-11

12-13

14-15

16-17

18-29

30-31

32-33

37

39

41

43

45

46-47

49

51

53

55

56-57

59

60-65

66-69

73

75

77

79

80-85

86-87

table of contents

SUZHOU NEW CITY 源INCEPTION

INTRODUCTION | 1

INTRODUCTION

The most vibrant, social and delightful cities have not been master-planned. They have grown over time. Good planning is important but master-plans should remain flexible to embrace social and economic change. In China, urban development is progressing at a remarkable pace. The last twenty years have seen extraordinary changes to the country’s physical and social landscape, as well as its infrastructure.

The project further develops proposals for a new settlement in Suzhou, China. Suzhou is a canal city and the proposed settlement contains an extensive network of canals. The settlement will accommodate a population of one million and the aim is to create dense, mixed-use districts at a human scale. A unique characteristic of the project is an emphasis on the importance of hand-drawing in the design process.

Four key aims have been identified:

1. Designing at a Human Scale2. The Loss of Agricultural Land3. Designing Out Pollution4. Integrating Transport

SUZHOU NEW CITY MANIFESTO

This is a manifesto for urban development in China, using Suzhou as a laboratory to test ideas about how architects can help to address the question raised by rapid urbanization. Development is something that cannot happen without rigorous fore-thought. China must develop its ability to plan, shape and control development. this manifesto is intended for use by all those involved in the organization, design and construction of china’s new cities and towns.


MANIFESTO | 3

HUMAN SCALE

L O S S O F AGRICULTURAL L A N D

DESIGNINGO U T POLLUTION

I N T E G R A T I N G

TRANSPORTATION

MANIFESTO

HOUSING THE NEW URBAN CHINESE

NEW PUBLIC SPACE

CONNECTED INFRASTRUCTUREVERT I C AL FARM ING FUTURE ENERGYP R O D U C T I O N

W A S T E M A N A G E M E N T

HUMAN SCALEThe Satellite city is broken down into walking districts, and these districts are broken down into local neighbour-hoods. In each district, all local amenities are within walking distance. The overwhelming scale of the city is broken down into an understandable human scale.

In the wider context, oversized public spaces exist which remain unused due to their intimidating size and lack of activity. These spaces are designed to encourage human interaction, but they fail to manufacture the spontaneous. Instead, we believe in allowing interaction to occur naturally by providing public spaces of varying size and type. These include plazas, boulevards, parks, pocket gardens and public gardens.

Interaction with the water’s edge has a romantic quality to it, so, where possible, we have formed paths which follow the canal edge. We celebrate the canals in this way, encouraging regular interaction with them.


MANIFESTO | 5

China aims to feed its population without having to rely on imports, however, rapid urbanization has contributed to the loss of agricultural land and many farmers now live in unfamiliar urban conditions. In place of urban sprawl and transitional spaces, we propose areas of defined agricultural activity in which productivity is improved, and distinct areas for urban development. We will create opportunities for small-scale gardening/allotments within urban housing blocks.

L O S S O F AGRICULTURAL L A N D


MANIFESTO | 7

Urban expansion has caused traffic congestion and increased travel times. The existing local infrastructure is inadequate. Existing major transport links will be kept and utilised. A car-free zone is proposed throughout the settlement and a transport hub will link the different modes of transport: metro, train, monorail and boat. This creates an easily accessable transport system which allows access to the centre via all modes of transport.

I N T E G R A T I N G

TRANSPORTATION


MANIFESTO | 9

Lake Taihu and the surrounding waterways are polluted and the air quality of the city is poor. Urbanisation has increased the volume of industrial waste. We will clean up and make better use of the existing waterways and lake. Throughout the design process, care will be taken to minimise further pollution. The Chinese government is attempting to address air pollution but we will look for opportunities to improve air and surface quality in our development proposals.

DESIGNINGO U T POLLUTION


MANIFESTO | 11

walkable neighbourhoods

desi

gn p

rinci

plesWalkable streets and neighborhoods are the

foundation of every great city. Walking reduces auto-dependence, supports public transit, improves health, and promotes community. Simple measures - such as limiting road width, block lengths and setbacks between buildings and sidewalks - encouencourage walking. Providing comfortable, interesting places to walk should be the first priority for establishing livable, car-free cities. We aim to create dense street and canal networks that enhance walking, cycling and public travel.

walkable neighbourhoodsWalkable streets and neighbourhoods are the foundation of every great city. Walking reduces auto-dependence, supports public transit, improves health, and promotes community. simple measures - such as limiting road width, block lengths and setbacks between buildings and sidewalks -encourage walking. Providing comfortable, interesting places to walk should be the first priority for establishing livable, car-free cities. We aim to create dense street and canal networks that enhance walking, cycling and public travel.

zone for mixed use neighbourhoods

desi

gn p

rinci

plesBy trading traditional housing for modern apartments, the Chinese people are losing their

communities’ unique sense of place and the efficiency of compact neighborhoods. We need to combine the benefits of modern housing with the best qualities of traditional urban neighborhoods. We must create an optimal balance of housing and services and the housing should accommodate a mix of income levels and age groups. Shops and local services should line the ground floor of most streets fronts and be within easy walking distance of housing and jobs. Clusters of schools, accessible parks and civic destinations should form neighborhood centers wneighborhood centers within 500 meters of residential buildings.

zone for mixed use neighbourhoodsBy trading traditional housing for modern apartments, the chinese people are losing their communties’ unique sense of place and the efficiency of compact neighbourhoods. We need to combine the benefits of modern housing with the best qualities of traditional urban neighbourhoods. We must create an optimal balance of housing and services and the housing should accomodate a mix of income levels and age groups. Shops and local services should line the ground floor of most streets fronts and be within easy walking distance of housing and jobs. clusters of schools, accessible parks and civic destinations should form neighbourhood centers within 500 meters of residential buildings.

compact regions with short commutesBy creating smaller regions within the city, we are encouraging the development of communities and hopefully eleminate the risk of urban sprawling. Decentralizing employment throughout these regions will encourage reverse commutes and will reduce peak-hour congestion on the transit systems. the smaller regions also allow all amenities to be within 10 minutes walking distance of each other. As we are promoting a ‘car free’ city all regions are again within a 10 minute walk to a transportaion hub which connects all regions together and links back to the downtown area.

compact regions with short commutesde

sign

prin

cipl

esBy creating smaller regions within the city we are encourgaing the development of communities and hopefully eliminate the risk of urban sparwling. Decentralizing employment throughout these regions will encourage reverse commutes and will reduce peak-hour congestion on the transit systems. The smaller regions also allow all amenities to be within 10 minutes walking distance of each other. As we are promoting a ‘car-free’ city all regions are again within a 10 minute walk to a transportation hub which connects all regions together and links back to the downtown area.


design principles | 13

promote bicycle networks

desi

gn p

rinci

plesIn the 1980s, millions of Chinese people

depended on bicycling as their primary mode of transportation. We plan to reintroduce bicycles as an integral part of city life because they are a simple, inexpensive, and low-carbon way for city residents to travel. To ease congestion, we must encourage cyclists byby providing safe conditions, including bike roads and secure bicycle parking.

design out pollution

desi

gn p

rinci

plesThe creation of additional agriculture land to provide the city with local produce, along with

energy produced from natural resources will aide in our mission to create a 'car-free' city that is not only completely self-sufficient but also has a low environmental impact and promotes a healthier lifestyle for its residents.

promote bicycle networksIn the 1980s, millions of chinese people depended on bicycling as their primary mode of transportation. We plan to reintroduce bicycles as an integral part of city life because they are a simple, inexpensive, and low carbon way for city residents to travel. To ease congestion, we must encourage cyclists by providing safe conditions, including bike, roads and secure bicycle parking.

design out pollutionthe creation of additional agriculture land to provide the city with local produce, along with energy produced from natural resources will aide in our mission to create a ‘car-free’ city that is not only completely self sufficient but also has a low environmental impact and promotes a healthier lifestyle for its residents.


LOCATION | 15

Shanghaisuzhou industrial park (SIP)sitechina

Site

scaleSuzhou has a population which is double that of Scotland, despite having only a fraction of the land area. The existing city is densely populated. The new settlement has a population which is nearly five times that of Aberdeen, with nearly a third of the land area. It is more densely populated than the rest of Suzhou.


SCALE | 17

mapsketch

china information

People Republic of China, a sovereignstate located in east asia.

Formal Name : People’s Republic of China

(PRC)The World’s most populous country,

over 1.35 billion.

general information


INTIAL STUDIES | 19

2,394.50 km2

population

density

land area

total area

water area

suzhou information

10,549,100

2,000 people/km2

6,093.92 km2

8,488.42 km2

(20%)

Suzhou’s economy represents the highest growth and the fastest expansion in the past 5-10 years in the region and in China. The city’s gdp has surpassed all neighborhouring cities except Shanghai.

suzhou is currently the world leader in the production of laptops and digital cameras.

Average anual income 117,200 CN¥

suzhou economy


Created in 1979 by Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping to temporarily limit communist China’s population

One of the greatest issues currently facing China is the ageing population, with 200 million over the age of 60. A new law requires adults to provide mental and financial support to their ageing parents. If adults fail to honour this responsibility, they face fines and other punishments.

90% of elderly people live off their family’s support. however, as the number of children shrinks because of family planning policies, there are fewer supporting resources for the elderly.

by 2050 more than a quarter of the population will be over 65 years old.

social issues

one child policy

ageing population

INTIAL STUDIES | 21

educational facilities

infrastructure

Public education in China is a state-run system run by the Ministry of Education. All citizens must attend school for at least nine years. The government provides primary education for six to nine years, starting at age six or seven, followed by six years of secondary education for ages 12 to 18.

Average 35 students per class.

In Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP) & gusu district, there are 7 universities/colleges,8 middle schools and 8 primary schools are scattered around this area.

In Xiangcheng district, where the site is, there are only 5 primary schools, 7 middle schools and 1 university. there are 2 existing schools on the site, which are, Wangting Central Elementary School and Wangting Middle School.

sip & gusudistrict

xiangchengdistrict

the site


INTIAL STUDIES | 23

healthcare facilities

aberdeen city

city population: 220,420 (2011 mid year)area: 72 sq m (182 km2)

city population: 954,455 (2010)area: 143 sq mi (372 km2)

city population: 1,000,000area: 190 sq m (492 km2)site area: approx. 25.5 sq mi (66 km2)

gusu district & suzhou industrial park

the sitexiangcheng district

Healthcare Facilities:8 major hospitals/clinics

1. Aberdeen Royal Infirmary 2. Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital3. Woodend Hospital4. Royal Cornhill Hospital5. Woolmanhill Hospital6. City Hospital7. Roxburhe House8. The Matther Hay Building


1. The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University2. The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University3. Suzhou Kowloon Hospital4. Suzhou Dongwu Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese Medicine & Western Medicine5. Suzhou Guangji Hospital6. Suzhou Medical College Hospital7. Suzhou Gentle Medical Clinic8. Singhealth Medical Clinic


1. Xiangcheng Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine2. Xiangcheng No. 2 People’s Hospital3. Suzhou Xiangcheng People’s Hospital4. Health Service Center of Wangtinzhen Community of Xiangcheng District5. Xiangcheng Dongqiaozhen Jinlong Community Health Service Station6. Dongqiaozhen Health Center7. Suzhou Xiangcheng Community Health Service Station8. Xiangcheng Beiqiaozhen Beiyu Health Service Station9. Xiangcheng Huangdaizhen Community Health Service Station10. Xiangcheng Likou Community Health Service11. Sudengshi Xiangcheng Medical Treatment Medical Clinic12. Suzhou Xiangcheng Maternity and Child Healthcare Center

site connections

canals

transport

bullet train route to shanghai past site

grand canal route to suzhou past site

city boundaries

site - suzhou - shanghai

15 minutes 45 minutes

v i a s u b w a y

site - suzhou - shanghai

15 minutes 45 minutes

v i a b u l l e t t r a i n

site to suzhou 15 miles

65 miles

d i s t a n c e

suzhou to shanghai

site

suzhoushanghai

Canals are cultural, beautiful and tranquil. However where trans-port is concerned congestion can cause issues.

pros consGood method of transport for heavy material items.

Smaller, man powered vessels are environmental friendly.

Create a pleasant environment.

Provides jobs.

Provides links between communities.

Speed restrictions, 3-5mph for powered vessels.

Congestion.

Closure during drought (2011)

Pollution issues.

No opportunity for emergency vehicles.

Hazardous if not maintained.

Opportunity for slum environment.


INTIAL STUDIES | 25

monorail

pros consMakes city more legible for passengers.

Cheaper to construct than metro (monorail: $40 million per mile, metro: $100 million per mile)

Route not integrated into existing masterplan.

Track may clash with raised bullet train track.

Uncommon in chinese cities (5 monorail, 18 metro)

May be unnecessary in addition to metro.

Visual impact on city.

Noisy.

possible configurations of monorail

suzhou traditional dwellings

courtyard house

old town house

vernacular


INTIAL STUDIES | 27

suzhou ancient cityCharacter: Traditional ChineseDensity: Very condenseGreen Space: Small gardensHeight: 1-2 storey mainlyQuality: Deteorating and run down

suzhou downtownCharacter: Traditional ChineseDensity: Very CondenseGreen Space: Courtyards and GardensHeight: Restricted to 6 storeyQuality: Deteorating/Redeveloped/New Build

wuzhong districtCharacter: Chinese/ModernDensity: Dwellings more evenly spacedGreen Space: Private and public gardensHeight: Mix of low and high riseQuality: District still in development, good standards

xiangcheng districtCharacter: Modern blocks/EuropeanDensity: Dwellings more evenly spacedGreen Space: Large public garden and roof terracesHeight: High rise apartment (approx 20 storey)Quality: District still in development, good standards

suzhou international parkCharacter: Modern blocksDensity: Only in heightGreen Space: Large gardens, balconies and terracesHeight: High rise apartment (approx 20 storey)Quality: Up to building regs, good standards

suzhou new districtCharacter: Modern (with hint of traditional chinese) density: dwellings more evenly spacedGreen Space: Private and public gardens, balconiesHeight: Mix of low and high riseQuality: Up to building regs, good standards

rice consumption / area

agriculture

agriculture

Suzhou’s agriculture revenue has been in shrinking over the years and now it only

occupies about 3.5% of the GDP of the city.

57% of the total consumption of water resources is used for agriculture.

There are 38 cities and 34.2 million people living around the lake.

The Chinese government tried to solve the problems of euthrophication and resource degradation in lake taihu, with an investment of 20.43 billion rmb over the period from 1997 to 2010.

90kg / person per year

0.25kg per day

0.25kg x 1,000,000 = 250,000 kg / day

1,000,000 people = 192,725.5 m2 / day

super rice breed [chujing no 28]14..3 metric tons a hectare

(12.970 kg of rice in 10,000 m2)


n e w eco-distict

suzhou new district government

suzhou

600 hectaces1483 acres 6km2

55,000 (5.5 of 1 million)

location

client

precedent study

Population

total land area

INTIAL STUDIES | 29

New-eco district of mixed use development. A masterplan informed by the concept of agro-urbanism that establishes a functional inter-relationship between the production, distribution and consumption of food by connecting urban areas to agricultural land between the eco town and taihu lake.

A natural wetland as cleansing landscape in the buffer zone between the eco-town and taihu lake.

1st class residential

industrial

healthcare

schools2nd class residential


precedent studies | 31

t i a n j i n eco-city

40 km from Tianjin city centre

150 km from Beijing city centre

30 sq. km

350,000 residents

Surbana Urban Planning Group (SUPG) Surbana Architecture, Singapore

location

Population

architect

total land area

Proposed new island

Proposed new expansion

Taihu Lake fishing & tourists destination

Border to Wuxi cannot extend

mixed usezone

Difficult to expandto the east overthe canal. It would also glorify the grand canal

vs

Following the coast of lake taihu, allows us to optimise site resources through available land and coast line. hills to the south create a barrier to more southern expansion.

Offers new site with new opportunities of design torelate or respond to existing canal network site.


island vs expansion | 33

Island

The construction of an island would reduce the impact on the existing site, particularly through the addition of agricultural land. An island would also create a new edge which provides beautiful views out onto Lake Taihu, and the existing canal network can be developed by forming new canals. An island would be relatively easy to construct thanks to the shallow depth of Lake Taihu.

Expansion

The alternative to constructing an island is expanding the existing site. There is sufficient area on the existing site to provide enough agricultural land, so constructing an island for this reason is unnecessary. A building located on a newly constructed island is a status symbol, and this may turn the island into an exclusive area, creating a divide in the settlement. The construction of an island would also damage the ecology of the site and require a lot of time and resources. Buildings on the island may obstruct views to the lake and the locals may feel that the settlement is being expanded unnecessarily.


d e s i g nstrategies

design strategies | 35


inception | 37


canal | 39


districts | 41


zoning | 43


density | 45


DISTRICT 5 “Cultural District”

-‐ Vehicle Roads -‐ Pedestrian Routes

district design concept | 47


DEFINING THE grid | 49


transportation system | 51


road network system | 53


walking neighborhood | 55


coast studies | 57


canal network | 59


canal studies | 61


canal studies | 63


canal studies | 65


design guideline | 67


design guideline | 69


district designs | 71

d i s t r i c tdesigns


mixed use distrct | 73


agriculture distrct | 75


industrial distrct | 77


central business distrct | 79


cbd key areas | 81


cbd key areas | 83


cbd key areas | 85


1:1000 model photographs | 87

references

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aberdeen3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scotland4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzhou5. http://www.suzhou.gov.cn/zgszeng/suzhougl-e/index.html6. http;//www.nhsgrampian.co.uk/7. http://suzhou.jiangsu.net/health/hospital/8. http;//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/changshu_high_school_of_ jiangshu_province9. http://suzhou.jiangsu.net/education/10. http://chinavista.com/suzhou/education/education.html11. en.0430.c0m/cn/web98251/12. http://maps.google.co.uk13. http;//r0.unctad.org/infocomm/anglais/rice/market.htm14. http;//www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2012-09/10/content_15748353.htm15. http;//www.asla.org/2012awards/276.html16. http;//www.jtp.co.uk/public/uploads/pdfs/suzhou_profile.pdf17. http://jxb.oxfordjournals.org/content/62/6/1709.full18. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/s0165783608003226

Top left to right: Robyn Lim, Faiz Hanapiah, Duncan Henderson, Robert McCaughan, Ahmed Mahjoub & Zizan DuniyaBottom left to right: Ehsan Ghavimi, Robert Harkin, Laura Jean Christie, Finlay Conner, Ewan Cowie & Rory Dickens

Group Members


conclusion | 89

conclusionThe local development strategy aims to build upon the history of Suzhou. It encourages advances in manufacturing and modern services, promoting continual innovation in a technologically advanced green city. The site benefits from convenient transport connections as it is serviced by the Grand Canal to the east, a highway to the south and Lake Taihu to the west.

The site is situated to the north-west of Suzhou at the border with Xian District. The site conditions have been carefully considered by researching canals and densities. This has informed the orientation and connections in the master-plan.

The master-plan aims to create dense, mixed-use districts at a human scale, while connecting to the existing heritage of the site. The lakeside is a vibrant, self-sustaining area of Suzhou which makes use of natural resources.

One of the most important elements of the landscape design is the water’s edge. The aim is to create a settlement with the traditional features of a canal city, linked by a network of routes to allow full integration into the urban fabric. This encourages movement through all spaces.

Suzhou Lakeside is a master-plan which celebrates the relationship between the city and its waterfront and canals. The master-plan creates dense, walkable neighbourhoods and incorporates an extensive network of open spaces. These spaces help to improve the quality of life in a rapidly developing urban area.

With the Central Business District adjacent to the culture garden, the master-plan makes Suzhou Lakeside one of China’s most liveable business districts. The redeveloped waterfront and Chinese gardens create connections between neighbourhoods. The master-plan enhances Suzhou’s canal network through canal-front public spaces which provide opportunities to interact with the water. The restored coast and development of wetlands help to re-establish the natural ecology of the site, ensuring that the new waterfront landscape will be vibrant for years to come.

suzhou new city book (final)

Documents

new settlement

canal city

human interaction

urban development

public gardens

understandable human

human scale2

oversized public spaces