1TheStrategicSignificanceofParkCities
1.1Parkcitiesarevividexamplesthatshowcasethe5definingfeaturesidentifiedbytheChineseCentralGovernmentforitsdevelopmentcampaign,namely,thedevelopmentshouldbeinnovative,coordinated,green,openandshared
Contrarytomerelysetupurbanparks,theoverridinggoalofbuildingparkcitiesistobringintoexistenceharmoniousandlivableurbanambiencethatareconducivetobalanceddevelopmentineconomicgrowth,socialprogressandenvironmentimprovement.Parkcities,asimpliedbythename,shouldfirstofallbegreen,butatthesametimeshouldalsobeinclusive,innovation-friendly,andconvenientlyavailableforalltoshare,hencelayingdownasolidfoundationforbothecologicalconservationandurbangrowthefforts.Theydemonstrateconvincinglythatthe5fundamentaldevelopmentconceptsraisedbytheChineseCentralGovernmentcanbeputintourbanbuildingpracticesforsoundresults,makingurbansettingsmorelivable,moresustainable,aswellasalleviatingproblemsthatareoftenassociatedwithcities.Toputinshort,buildingparkcitiesshouldbetakenasthecentraltaskinthecountry'sendeavortopushitsecologicalprogressandgreengrowthfurtherforward.
1.2Parkcitiesarethecrystallizationofpeoplecenteredprinciplefordevelopment
Aninnatefeatureofparkcitiesisthattheyare"public"innature,opentothewholecommunityonequalbasis.Inlinewiththepeople-centeredprinciplefordevelopment,allparkcitydevelopmentinitiativesshouldtakeitastheirexplicitgoaltoputinplaceanopen,easilyaccessibleandpeople-friendlyparkchainthatcatertotheurbandwellers'ever-increasingaspirationsforbetterlifeandbetterenvironment.Thepresenceofanappealingparkchaininacitywillnotonlycontributetoitsreputationasamuch-crazedplaceforliving,butalsogreatlyboostitsoverallcompetitiveedgeagainstitsrivalingpeers.
1.3Parkcitiesareidealsettingswherehumanbeingsandnatureco-existinharmony
Thecreationofeco-andpeople-friendlylivingenvironment,wherehumanbeingsandnatureco-existpeacefullyandinmutually-complimentarymanner,isregardedasthepriorityamongprioritiesinparkcitydevelopmentefforts.Throughtakingthefullestadvantageofvariousnaturallandscapes,includingbutnotlimitedtosuchexamplesashills,waterbodies,cityscape,forestsandetc.,parkcitiestypicallyrecognizethecrucialrolethatasoundecologicalsystemplaysinsustainingthelongtermviabilityandhealthofacity.Apark-likecitymakesupanidealsettingwherecityblendsharmoniously,seamlesslyintonatureandentersdialogueswiththelatter.
1.4ParkcitiessymbolizethenewfruitsbornebythetraditionalChinesewisdomconcerninggarden-makingandcitybuilding
TraditionalChineseviewsconcerningcitybuildingstressedontheneedsfor"perfectintegrationbetweentheheavenandthepeople"andcalledforbalancedattentionstotherolesplayedrespectivelybyman-made,naturalandculturalelementsintheprocess.Similarly,agoldenruleintraditionalChinesegardeningculturehighlightedtheneedsformaintaining"ahighconformityamongthenaturalscene,thecreatedsceneandtheconceivedscene".TheideaofparkcitiescanbetracedbacktotraditionalChineseapproachesforgardenmakingandcanbeunderstoodasnewfruitsyieldedbythistime-honoredChinesewisdom.Tappingintothefunctionsofbothnaturalandculturalelementsincreatinggreenurbansettingsthatappealpowerfullytopeople'snostalgicallylongingforthenatureandhome,theultimategoalistobringintoexistenceidyllic,exemplaryurbanenvironmentsthatshowcasetheuniqueChineseviewofpoeticliving.
2TheCentralGoalsandTasksInvolvedinBuildingParkCities
2.1Balancebetweenthedemandsofboththeenvironmentandpeople'slivelihood
Parkcities,asrepresentedbyparksthatservethepeople,arewelfareprojectsthataimtoenhancepeople'ssenseofhappinessasmuchastoimproveurbanambience.Theyprovidenotonlygreenspacesthatpeoplecanshareonequalbasis,butalsopleasantarenaswherethepeoplecanlivedecentanddignifiedlives.
2.2Seamlessblendingbetweentheaestheticalandecologicalvalues
Parkcitiestakeintoconsiderationboththeaestheticalvaluesofurbanlandscapesandecologicalservicestheyprovide.Afundamentalguidelinethatmustbeconsistentlyobservedtointheprocessofbuildingparkcitiesistorespectnatureandfollowitsinnatelaws,particularlythroughmakingfulluseoftheecologicalservicesthatcomewithvariouslandscape-composingelements,i.e.,hills,waterbodies,woodlands,grasslands,croplandsandetc.
2.3Harmoniousco-existencebetweennatureandcities
Ratherthanfocusingmerelyonsettingupmoreparkswithinthelimitofcityscopes,weshouldinourparkcitydevelopmentinitiativespaymoreattentiontomakingsurethattheyblendharmoniouslyintothenaturalbeautyofsurroundingsuburbansettings.Asanewmodelofurbanexpansion,parkcitiesshouldadoptaholisticapproachthatviewsthegreenspacesindowntown,suburbanareasaswellasthoseinthesurroundingvillagesasanintegratedsystem.
2.4Balancebetweenglobalandlocalperspectives
Bothglobalandlocalperspectivesshallbeneededinparkcitydevelopmentprojects.Ontheonehand,giventhefactthatparkcityisstillarelativelynewconcepttous,itisespeciallynecessaryforustodrawontheinternationalexpertiseandtechniquesinthisfield.Ontheotherhand,theindigenousculturalandhistoricendowmentsoflocalplacesshouldbetappedintoinourdriveforgreenurbangrowthsoastocreateaspecialsenseofplaceforeachcity.
3RoutesandTacticsforBuildingParkCities
3.1Optimizingurbanlayoutthroughapplyingparkplanningprinciplestourbanplanning
Principlestraditionallyreservedforpark-planningshouldbeadoptedinbuildingparkcities.Opengreenspacescommonlyseeninparks,forinstance,greengrids,greencorridorsandverticalplanting,shouldbewidelyusedtolaydownagreenfoundation,orgreeninfrastructure,forthelong-termdevelopmentofcities.Measuresshouldbetakentooptimizethespatiallayoutandecologicalsystemofurbanareas,hencemakingitpossibleforcitiestowitnesscoordinated,mutuallycomplimentaryprogressesinbothecologicalandotherservices.
3.2Conservingurbanecologicalresourcesbystickingtopark-managementstandards
Effortsshouldbemadeintheprocessofbuildingparkcitiestoconserveeco-resourcesexistinginsideandoutoftheurbanareas,makingsurethatcitiesmergesmoothlyintothenaturalscenerysurroundingthem.Greenlandresourcesthatarecurrentlyavailableinurbanareasshouldbefullytappedintoandconnected,throughwatercorridors,greencorridors,roadsidegreenbeltsandetc.,tothenaturallandscapeontheiroutskirts.Thiswillnotonlyfacilitatethebio-energy/materialcirculationandexchangesbetweencitiesandnature,butalsocontributegreatlytoimprovedurbaneco-ambienceandbetterlivesforurbanresidents.
3.3Upgradingpeople'slivingenvironmentbyfollowingthesameengineeringstandardsforbuildingparks
Thecoretaskinbuildingparkcitiesistobringintoexistencesettingsfavorableforqualityliving.Insteadoffocusingmerelyonthesizeorvisualimpactsofagivenurbanview,weshould,indesigningurbangreenspacelayouts,takeintoconsiderationwhethertheyareconvenient,safe,comfortableandpleasanttolookat.Equity,accessibilityanddegreesofparticipationintheuseofurbangreenspacesshouldbeadoptedascriticalindicatorsinassessingtheperformanceofacityinitsdevelopment.Itisthepeople,bywhomandforwhom,thateco-friendlyurbansettingsarebuiltandshared.
3.4Encouraginggreenlifestylethroughpromotingpark-managementexpertise
Agreenmodelofgrowthandlivingshouldbeencouragedamongallcitizensthroughearnesteffortsinbuildingparkcities.Thisisaprerequisiteaswellastheultimategoalofimplementingthenewphilosophyonsocialprogresses.Initiativesshouldbetakentourgetheentiresocietytotransfertoagreener,healthierandmorecivilizedlow-carbonlifestyle.
BetterurbanecologicalservicesandbetterurbanbiospherearecrucialcomposingelementsinChina'sdrivetosecureitsgoalsinecologicalprogressesandgreengrowth.Parkcities,anewmodelofurbangrowththatsymbolizesourbrand-newinterpretationofsustainabilityinthenewera,shallturnouttobethelitmustestofourcommitmenttothephilosophyofpeople-centeredgrowthandtothebeliefthatcitiesmustservetheinterestsofthepeople.Theymarkastrategictransitionfromthepreviouscreating-parks-incitiesapproachtothepresentbuilding-cities-in-parksapproach,whichinturnreflectsourelevatedaspirationforbetterurbaneco-andliving-environments.Moreimportantly,theymarkamajorbreakthroughinourunderstandingabouttheessenceofnationaleco-friendlycitiesandgardencities.
Asacreativeendeavor,landscapedesigningmakesupacriticalcomponentinChina'son-goingcampaigntoupgradeitsecologicalandlivingenvironment.Asanacademicdiscipline,landscapearchitectureisthetrendsetteraswellastestgroundfornewideas/approachesandcutting-edgetechnologiesthatwillshapethefutureofparkcitiesacrossthecountry.Underthishistoricbackground,allthoseengagedinthisfield,theoristsorpractitioners,areexpectedtotakeinitiativesandrespondswiftlybyputtingforwardarichstockofinnovative,forward-looking,capacity-building-orientedtheories,methodsandtechnologicalsolutions,pavingthewayforChinatoenteragrandnewstageinparkcitydevelopment.
(Editor/LiuXinya)
Biography:
LiXiong,male,borninShanxiProvincein1964,Ph.D.,professor,doctoraltutorandVice-PresidentofBeijingForestryUniversity(BJFU),researcharea:landscapearchitectureplanninganddesigntheoryandpractice,editorialcommitteememberofChineseLandscapeArchitecture(Beijing100083)ZhangYunlu,male,borninChongqingin1986,Ph.D.,associateprofessorandMastertutorofSchoolofLandscapeArchitectureinBJFU,researcharea:landscapearchitectureplanninganddesigntheoryandpractice,urban-ruralgreensystemplanninganddesign(Beijing100083)