21st Century Settlement Suzhou

Introduction - p1

Manifesto - p2-24

Scale Comparison - p25-27

Growth Strategy - p28-21

Urban Development - p32-37

Transport - p38-44

Initial Studies - p45-48Initial Studies - p45-48

Suzhou Urban Conditions - p49-55

Compact City - p56-59

Satellite City - p60-62

Precedent Study - Venice - p63-69

Precedent Study - Amsterdam - p70-77

Esquisse - p78

Strategy - p79-92Strategy - p79-92

Contents Page

Suzhou 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 urbanisation. 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 the use by all those involved in the organisation, design and construction of China’s new cities and towns.

Manifesto | 3

City growth, caused by rapid urbanisation and population increases, has given rise to Chinese mega cities with an ill-defined urban edge. The speed and scale of development have created places that are disjointed, can be difficult to live in and hard to understand. The jump in the scale of development between the low rise historic centres and villages, and the new urban neighbourhoods can be disorientating and ‘dehumanising’. We want to limit urban sprawl - intensifying development within the existing cities and creating well connected new settlements. existing cities and creating well connected new settlements.

A Human Scale

Manifesto | 5

Urban expansion has created transportation problems, resulting in traffic congestion and increased travel times. The existing local infrastructure is insufficient for the developing urban activity. The separation of areas of work from domestic neighbourhoods has resulted in pressure on infrastructure. The residents need greater mobility throughout the city and in the wider regional and international context. The mass-transit systems need to be more sophisticated; serving a wider area and giving more localised provision allowing people to live close to their work. localised provision allowing people to live close to their work.

Connected Infrastructure

Manifesto | 7

NewNew Chinese housing is providing homes with running water and sanitation for the rural poor and the developing middle class, but the urban and architectural quality of these tower blocks is poor. The standard housing block, which is reproduced throughout large commercially driven estates, fails at a number of levels in particular in its failure to address the threshold between private and public space. We believe as housing forms a key component of the city to solve the housinghousing problem is a question of urban design. Through a thorough study of traditional and contemporary housing types we can propose new approaches for city living. We propose planning guidelines for mixed value housing development as opposed to estates separating class/income groups.

Housing the New Urban Chinese

Manifesto | 9

IndustrialIndustrial growth has given rise to very large industrial estates set apart from other urban activities. Industrial development is important for any settlement. Some site specific industries, such as fish farming, can help a settlement develop a particular character. While zoning is often necessary the connection between zones must be dramatically improved for the benefit of the workforce and to improve the urban qualities of the city.

Integrating Industry

Manifesto | 11

The Loss of Agricultural Land

ChinaChina aims to feed its population without having to rely on imports, but the rapid urbanisation 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.

Manifesto | 13

Existing formal public spaces and gardens are popular but highly controlled environments that don’t allow for spontaneous informal human interaction. The most active of the public realm are commercial streets. There is a lack of smaller scale spaces among and between housing blocks and shopping areas. The settlements will create smaller ‘micro public spaces’ that are within each neighbourhood. This will increase social interaction, outdoor activity and liveability. We will also introduce ‘macro‘macro public spaces’ that create centres and ‘places’ within the city for public events.

New Public Space

Manifesto | 15

Fast Construction

The rapid construction rate has lead to a loss in build quality. There is a lack of expert involvement at late stages of construction and the workforce is generally under-skilled. Poor detailing, cost and corner cutting has been adopted to deal with this fast pace. All proposed new development in the new settlement will be designed to be built quickly. It is clear that we must spend time on prototype and design development of building components in order to create good buildings quickly. ConstructionConstruction workers must have the skills to build these innovative elements. This will mean investing in design talent to produce components and design construction methods that are fast, functional and beautiful.

Manifesto | 17

The Taihu Lake and surrounding waterways are polluted and the air quality of the city is poor. Urbanisation has created an increase in the volume of industrial waste. We will clean up and make better use of the existing waterways and the lake. The Chinese government is attempting to address air pollution but we will look for opportunities to improve air and surface water quality in all of our development proposals.

Designing Out Pollution

Manifesto | 19

Future Energy Production

Coal, currently the main source of energy in Suzhou, is the biggest generator of industrial pollution. Renewable energy forms a small percentage of the total energy production and low carbon strategies are very limited. Our settlements will increase the production of renewable energy to help minimise the effects of coal pollution. Designers will be encouraged to favour passive design over mechanical approaches.

Manifesto | 21

The way people from outside China begin to work on the resolution of China’s urban questions is a difficult question. Although Chinese tradition is influential in many areas of life it is not reflected in modern architecture. Knowledge and experience will help us to avoid designing in a pastiche or patronising manner. We can start to develop a contemporary architectural language for China.

China and the Rest of the World

Manifesto | 23

Population - 62,262,000

Urban Population - 90.1%

Urban Population Growth Rate - 0.7%

Land Area km² - 242,900

Cities over 1 million - 2

Scale Comparison | 25

Population - 1,347,350,000

Urban Population - 44.9 %

Urban Population Growth Rate- 2.3%

Land Area km² - 9,596,961

Cities over 1 million - 160

Scale Comparison | 26

Transport| 29

Venice Open Space Analysis |65

This publication is best viewed in physical formatas some overlays are printed on tracing paper and there are hand written annotations.

This book is the work of The Suzhou Urban Design ProjectWe are a collective of MArch students from The Scott Sutherland School of Architecture

Robert Gordon University, Scotland

FFollow our work at: suzhoumanifesto.com

We are Ross Pirie, Philip Chan, Zhen Ron Tan, Aqeel Khan, Kimberly Scally, Andrew Megginson, Hedieh Ghodsi, Callum Joss, Abby Murdoch Kirsty Cheyne & Sarah Barclay

The project is lead by Alan Dunlop, Penny Lewis & Simon Leeman