Urban Renewal And Green Space Development In Chengdu, China

2. Project Rationale2.1. Project OriginThe United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) and Chengdu Municipal People’s Government (hereafter “Chengdu”) have shared common visions and objectives for the urban renewal and ecological development of cities and communities, and committed to the planning and development of liveable and sustainable communities that are based on ecologically-sound environmental practices, economic vitality, a rich culture, low carbon emissions and a diverse urban life. The parties have signed a Collaboration Agreement after careful consultation, after which UN-Habitat, assisted by the Greener Cities Partnership (UN-Habitat and UN-Environment collaboration), has developed the project document for the Urban Organic Renewal of Shaocheng District and the Green and Ecological Ring in Chengdu.2.2. Central Issues AddressedThe central issue of this activity is the cultural and environmental degradation of two areas in Chengdu Municipality: Shaocheng District and the Green and Ecological Ring Area.Firstly, Shaocheng District is located in the most valuable area in Chengdu; however it faces issues such as historical heritage damage, conflict of architecture styles and disordered development of cultural industry. Integrated approaches to revitalizing Shaocheng will unlock the vigour of the ancient area as well as help eradicate the conflicts between cultural preservation and rapid urban expansion.Secondly, Chengdu needs the Ecological Ring to address environmental issues such as those of urban heat islands, poor ventilation, ecological fragility, urban sprawl, traffic congestion, as well as shortage of public space and pedestrian networks.2.3. PurposeThe Urban Organic Renewal of Shaocheng District will strengthen the conservation and development of historic and cultural urban communities in a metropolitan city in China through comprehensive planning, design, and monitoring with creative urban renewal principles. Specifically, this project aims to:i. Protect historical sites and cultural practices through the dissemination of information with the aim to produce sustainable and culturally rich communities.ii. Improve living conditions in the old district. iii. Spur cultural innovation and creative industry development. iv. Transform Shaocheng district into the cultural “label” of Chengdu, specifically Kuangzhai Alley, which is located in the middle of the district.v. Build Shaocheng district into a good practice showcase for urban renewal, leading the way for replication in other cities and districts The Green and Ecological Ring concept will be reviewed, and selected upgrades to the existing greenbelt will be undertaken to improve its ecological, touristic and recreational functions. Later, the lessons learned from this process will be disseminated, and shared with other cities as an innovative and exemplary project. Its main purpose is:i. Improve air quality. ii. Help improve the urban heat island effect. iii. Provide new accessible and green public spaces for all citizens of all backgrounds. iv. Improve ecological biodiversity in the city through environmental protection. v. Ensure the prevention of sprawl through an appropriate plan of the ecological beltvi. Save water resources and build a new water recycle system in the belt.The project will be implemented to demonstrate the principles advocated by UN-Habitat for building more compact, better integrated and connected cities that foster socially, economically and culturally sustainable urban development and that are resilient to climate change impacts. 2.4. AlignmentThis project is part of the Chengdu Master Plan 2011-2020, a statutory plan that aims at transforming Chengdu into a historical and cultural city, a major high-tech industrial base, and an important economic actor of western China. In order to achieve this goal, the Government proposes an urban ecological protection structure, “Two rings, two mountains, two networks, and six ecological quarantine areas”. The Green and Ecological Ring area possesses 133 km², thereby playing a significant role in the city’s ecological protection, flooding and drought control, landscape construction, tourism development and public space supplement.Chengdu also emphasizes the protection of historical and cultural features by means of maintaining the balance with economic development. The two components of the project are therefore aligned with the established governance, management and policy frameworks of the city, and effectively address the emerging issues related to current ecological problems.On the national level, China has a keen interest in responding to the environmental issues that the nation is facing. As many of the country’s cities are facing rapid spatial and population growth, it is becoming increasingly crucial for the country to develop mechanisms to protect the urban environment, address urban health issues, and promote sustainable lifestyles. The twelfth 5-year plan of the Democratic Republic of China has already laid out its focus on greener and smarter cities, and in the strategic discussion of the thirteenth 5-year plan, there have been various proposals aimed at low-carbon urban development, sustainable mobility, and a new urbanization strategy focusing on improving livelihoods and better managing and monitoring natural resources. Therefore, this activity is highly relevant in achieving and responding to the national priorities.Furthermore, the project is also in line with UN-Habitat's “three-pronged approach” and the priorities laid out in the New Urban Agenda, which place an emphasis on an integrated approach to urban legislation, urban planning and design, and urban finance and economy for transforming cities and human settlements into centres of greater economic, social and environmental sustainability. Lastly, the project is in line with the indicators and targets laid out in the Sustainable Development Goals, specifically Goal 11 that focuses on making cities more inclusive, resilient and sustainable.2.5. Reason for EngagementChina, as the largest emerging economy in the world, has witnessed fast urbanization. From 1978 to 2014, its urbanization rate increased from 17.9% to 54%. The number of urban residents increased from 170 million to about 700 million. With a deliberate urbanization policy in China, the urbanization rate is likely to continue growing over the next 20 years.Cities in China face many sustainability challenges with regards to their rapid industrialization and urbanization processes. These constitute, for example, a growing urban population and limited employment opportunities, overgrowing large metropolitan areas and expanding urban sprawl, loss and damage of cultural and historic buildings in rapidly growing cities, high energy consumption that depends on non-renewable natural resources, and serious industrial pollution and environmental degradation.UN-Habitat has been a strong and trusted development partner of China for over 25 years, and is well positioned to continue its support to China in the field of sustainable development of human settlements throughout this critically transformative period by providing high-quality urban policy advice and technical input to address specific requirements and challenges, and by promoting a global knowledge exchange.In this project, UN-Habitat will work with the local government to collect disaggregated data of the urban residents of Chengdu who are key stakeholders that the project targets. The data will be disaggregated according to age, sex, socio-economic status and on the prohibited grounds of discrimination, to demonstrate and reduce the extent of inequalities, and to measure progress related to improving human rights conditions. UN-Habitat will draw upon its extensive repository of expertise in urbanization challenges and visions for solutions, its strength in working with many local and national governments, its access to global networks, and position as an impartial development partner of China. UN-Habitat, in collaboration with UN-Environment under the Greener Cities Partnership, will develop case studies in the field of urban renewal and green public space in China that help to demonstrate the integration of the Chinese urbanization visions with the local realities of Chengdu. Additionally, UN-Habitat will facilitate China in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 11 on Cities, in collaboration with local authorities.