The EU-China Eco-Cities Link (EC LINK) Project is the key project of the EU-China Urbanisation Partnership, which was launched in May 2012 in Brussels by Premier Li Keqiang and EU President Jose Manuel Barroso. Its purpose is to provide technical assistance to the China Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development (MoHURD) and to Chinese municipalities in achieving the low-carbon urban development targets of the 12th five-year plan. The project was tendered EU- and China-wide in November 2012, and a shortlist of six teams was announced in early 2013. Urbanlogic supported the successful bid of GIZ International Services by editing and contributing to the technical parts of the offer and to the overall strategy.

The EC LINK project comprises seven results: 1. An IT-based support mechanism and secretariat, 2. Toolboxes for low-carbon development, 3. A Sino-European pilot city, 4. The strengthening of EU-China municipal partnerships, 5. A helpdesk for Chinese municipalities, 6. Support on financial tools and 7. The visualisation of the preceding six results.

The EC LINK contract was signed in the Great Hall of the People on November 21, 2013, by EU Ambassador Markus Ederer and the China Vice-Minister for Housing and Urban-Rural Development, Mr. Qiu Baoxing, and in the presence of Premier Li Keqiang and EU President Jose Manuel Barroso.

The proposal organises the site along a regionally significant landscape corridor, crossing the site North-Southeast. Three elements dock onto this green “spine”: The Zuericher Platz as a neighbourhood square which accommodates the newly built subway station, and two residential areas- one in the north and one in the south-east. All communal and private green spaces abut the public park, which also provides the identity of the new quarter.

In the north, and as a back to the busy Zuericher Strasse, residential building partnerships group around three green courtyards, which open up to the park in the south. These communal spaces shall be designed drawing on public participation.

The public square around the new subway station Nuremberg-Grossreuth is shaped by four sides, which is achieved by a trapezoidal shape that is rotated against the line of the subway tracks. The fourth “facade” of the square is formed by the trees of the park, thus marking a direct transition between square and park.

Retail and restaurants are located on the ground floor surrounding the square. Offices and residential uses above ensure that the space will be frequented both during daytime and in the evenings.

This project will achieve the sustainable urban development of three cities (Buon Ma Thuot, Ha Tinh and Tam Ky) as regional growth centres, through the increased quality and coverage of urban services, and climate adaptation measures. This includes:

• Integrated urban and environment management
• Strengthened flood management and urban drainage;
• Disaster risk reduction and management;
• Improved solid waste management and landfill construction;
• Community led solid waste reduction, recycling and re-use
• Environmental upgrading and recreation development
• Capacity building and training

Working through ICF-GHK we were responsible for project management and urban planning in the preparation of a Feasibility Study prepared for the Asian Development Bank. The Study sets an integrated urban planning context for the sustainable development of new urban infrastructure and services provision and has an emphasis on climate change adaptation, through: (i) sustainable master planning – adapting land use/development strategies to climate change implications; and (ii) ensuring infrastructure development, such as flood protection dykes are climate resilient.

The Study also concluded on the need to enhance economic and social development and investment, through an upgraded urban/master planning context incorporating “green city concepts and technologies”.

On behalf of and in collaboration with GIZ’s Sustainable Urban Development Programme, Urbanlogic assisted in the conception [Read more…]

To meet Hong Kong’s rising housing need, the Hong Kong planning bureau has assigned an area south of the New Town of Yuen Long to new affordable housing development. The proposed planning & urban design option suggests to leave a green corridor connecting the agricultural land of the existing village with the mountain in the south of the site. The corridor is flanked by medium-rise housing grouped around 14 green semi-public gardens, which extend the green corridor into the housing area.

In this proposal, the potential of the PDAs for the provision of public and private housing is maximised. It focuses on the provision of high density public and private housing in the PDAs, together with a new district centre serving the new community. The highest density developed is envisaged in areas A and B, close to strategic transport infrastructure and links to mass transit. Medium-low density housing development is envisaged in areas C and D, closer to the more sensitive fringes of the Tai Tam Country Park. There would be an emphasis on urban regeneration through a combination of redevelopment and rehabilitation in Tong Yan San Tsuen. The option envisages a radical approach to village development west of the nullah, including the potential re-location of some village housing. Thus following development of the PDAs the strong visual and cultural identity of the village communities of Tin Liu Tsuen, Mak Kiu Tau Tsuen and Wong Nai Tun Tsuen will be retained.

The concept option can be flexible to accommodate a range of employment generating uses, responding to demand factors and opportunities. It can also be flexible enough to accommodate areas for the local re-location of open storage and other informal uses.

As part of the EU-China Leadership on Sustainable Urbanisation Programme, based on the Joint Declaration signed by J.M. Barroso and Li Keqiang in 2012, Urbanlogic’s Christian Junge was invited by the EU-delegation in Beijing to research and report to the Chinese Academy of Governance on affordable housing and social integration policies in the European Union. The Chinese Academy of Governance is the Chinese State Council’s training institution for local government. The events in April and May were each attended by 30-40 mayors and provincial government officials.

An important region in Eastern China, Shandong Province has seen substantial change in its economic landscape in recent years. Much of this development has been concentrated in Qingdao, where the municipal and provincial governments decided to build a new transport hub in Licang district. The design includes the master plan of the surrounding area (2km²), the public space design surrounding the new high-speed railway station, the underground arrival levels of two new subway lines, a local and a long distance bus station, parking, services and retail. The new railway station is seen as a catalyst to a new mixed-use city district accommodating a wide mix of functions: commerce, entertainment, residential and offices. Our aim is to concentrate and mix these functions in a way that they can strengthen each other and guarantee a vibrant city life 24h a day. For the urban plan, the historical traces of the past were taken up and re-interpreted.

We envision a city in which all requirements of life in each place can be reached at walking or cycling distance. To support this vision, we collaborated with transport engineering firm Schuessler Plan who created a detailed transport model.

Ground-breaking feasibility study of an outworn mixed use/high – rise area in Kowloon characterised by urban poverty, dilapidated housing and industrial obsolescence. Industrial pollution levels were high. The study was focused on establishing principles for an integrated approach to urban renewal and a poverty reduction strategy appropriate for application in the wider Hong Kong context.

This `landmark study’ introduced key urban regeneration principles into an environment, which had accepted piecemeal redevelopment as the norm. The study introduced institutional, land assembly and management and financial mechanisms to facilitate a more comprehensive approach to urban renewal. This included multiple solutions and in particular introduced building rehabilitation concepts into the high rise environments, which was previously thought to be non-viable. Resettlement housing was also introduced into urban renewal as an additional compensation choice for project affected persons. Collective solutions for the industrial operators in compatible industries, textiles and dying for instance were also designed into the feasibility study outputs.

In practice market force intervention has led to an incremental renewal process in Tai Kok Tsui, dominated by new business and office development through a mix of redevelopment and building rehabilitation and housing redevelopment, particularly close to the public transport hubs.

This technical assistance lays the foundation for European Investment Bank financing in implementing detailed conservation and regeneration proposals.

It is concentrated on the formulation of conservation and tourism concepts to ensure the enhancement of the Palmyra World Heritage Site (WHS), which was under increasing pressure caused by poor site management in the face of increasing visitor numbers. Parts of the ancient site were at risk from physical decay from pollution and ground vibration. At the same time the adjacent urban area was suffering from urban decay and poorly planned and designed visitor facilities and transport arrangements.

The technical assistance provides physical and institutional concepts for conservation of the WHO site and tourism development, through better urban planning and infrastructure provision, including tourism/visitor facilities. This includes an integrated travel plan, which prevents direct vehicular access into the core conservation areas, and provides community transport and of-site parking provision. The technical assistance also includes planning concepts for the urban and economic regeneration of the surrounding urban area, including building conservation and upgrading of the public realm.