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Building an eco-town from scratch
By Victoria Fei |
September 20, 2011, Tuesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
MANY urban planners dream of designing a low-carbon, environmentally friendly city, but few get the chance. On scenic Chongming Island that dream is expected to become reality in new Chenjia Town. Victoria Fei explains.
With its emphasis on ecological tourism, green construction, clean industry, outdoor sports and convention facilities, Chongming County is attracting both visitors and investors with its agricultural fields, lush woods, peaceful lifestyle and a green future.
Chenjia Town, where the Changjiang Tunnel-Bridge lands, is the spot where the Chongming government is planning and beginning to construct an environmentally sustainable town, expected to rise by 2020 with a population of 210,000 residents.
Since there's so much open land, planners can start from scratch and do all the right things to create a place where human activity is balanced with the environment.
On September 28, Chenjia Town will hold a promotional conference at the Shanghai International Convention Center in the Pudong New Area to attract investment. It aims to promote plans for the town as environmentally friendly, a "knowledge town" and recreational magnet.
The new town will have everything going for it, every reason to boom. It's located where the Yangtze River meets the East China Sea; it will encompass forests, wetlands, agricultural land, lakes and streams, as well as carefully laid-out and environmentally friendly infrastructure and transport.
"With an expected population of 210,000 by 2020, Chenjia Town will connect with villages, people and nature and allow them to coexist in harmony," says Zhu Jianjun, head of the township government.
The small town today has no tertiary industry but in the future it will be ideal for sightseeing, recreation, education and conventions, he says.
The Chenjia Town urban blueprint calls for development in 10 sectors, such as science and technology, eco-tourism, MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions), non-polluting manufacture and education.
It will feature an experimental ecological community with clean, renewable energy and recycling. Plans call for an international commercial district, a riverside sports area, a theme park, an international education zone and a metropolitan industrial park.
Covering just 4 square kilometers, it is expected to attract high-income residents seeking a high-quality life.
Plans for the experimental community have received wide attention.
By using ecological technologies, the carbon footprint of the community is expected to be 30 to 50 percent lower than a community of comparable size, says Zhu. Low-carbon standards will be applied to every aspect of the community, from traffic planning to building construction.
To date, more than 20 projects are open for investment, including Dongtan Wisdom Data Industrial Park, Dongtan Water World, a polo club and a residence for retired citizens.
Universities are expected to locate branches in the town and among the first is Xianda College of Economics and Humanities of Shanghai International Studies University.
Zhu says that the tunnel-bridge has brought huge opportunities for the town's current residents, and its development will be people-oriented. New jobs are being created for farmers who are being relocated, and more than 10,000 have been shifted to newly constructed communities.
Happy fishing
"Almost half of the town's land is covered by new projects," says Zhu.
"We once had no public parks in Chenjia Town, but in the future we will embrace large greenbelts and public parks," he says. "Meanwhile, the local government is preserving land for farmers to raise fish and hairy crabs to make a fortune."
Yingdong Village in Chenjia Town has just 76 families and a population of 200 people. It is considered an ideal place for fishing. Since 2001, the village has been striving for promoting sustainable development and a combination of agricultural and fishing tourism.
"It's good to see development going on and to see traditional lifestyles being respected and preserved," says farmer Li Turan. "The growth of the town benefits farmers greatly and we hope more tourists will come here and have a good time."
The town has developed an eco-tourism project called "Happy Fishing" and now is promoting a tourism brand in Shanghai's suburbs. Visitors can first visit the Museum of Village History and Museum of Fishing to get an idea about local culture. Then they can go fishing in rows of fish ponds, walk around and enjoy activities such as cock fighting and goat fighting.
Behind the vast town development is Shanghai Chenjia Town Construction and Development Co Ltd. The company's office on Dongtan Avenue integrates more than 10 energy-saving technologies and is a demonstration building for visitors.
Zhao Qi, head of the Chongming County government, has said that the blueprint calls for completion of five low-carbon projects by 2015.
"Chongming adheres to a low-carbon development path that has brought great achievements in environmental protection, agriculture, green buildings and renewable energy," Zhao said.
"The town will be built as an international ecological and commercial service cluster to serve Shanghai, the Yangtze River Delta and the world," he said.
With its emphasis on ecological tourism, green construction, clean industry, outdoor sports and convention facilities, Chongming County is attracting both visitors and investors with its agricultural fields, lush woods, peaceful lifestyle and a green future.
Chenjia Town, where the Changjiang Tunnel-Bridge lands, is the spot where the Chongming government is planning and beginning to construct an environmentally sustainable town, expected to rise by 2020 with a population of 210,000 residents.
Since there's so much open land, planners can start from scratch and do all the right things to create a place where human activity is balanced with the environment.
On September 28, Chenjia Town will hold a promotional conference at the Shanghai International Convention Center in the Pudong New Area to attract investment. It aims to promote plans for the town as environmentally friendly, a "knowledge town" and recreational magnet.
The new town will have everything going for it, every reason to boom. It's located where the Yangtze River meets the East China Sea; it will encompass forests, wetlands, agricultural land, lakes and streams, as well as carefully laid-out and environmentally friendly infrastructure and transport.
"With an expected population of 210,000 by 2020, Chenjia Town will connect with villages, people and nature and allow them to coexist in harmony," says Zhu Jianjun, head of the township government.
The small town today has no tertiary industry but in the future it will be ideal for sightseeing, recreation, education and conventions, he says.
The Chenjia Town urban blueprint calls for development in 10 sectors, such as science and technology, eco-tourism, MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions), non-polluting manufacture and education.
It will feature an experimental ecological community with clean, renewable energy and recycling. Plans call for an international commercial district, a riverside sports area, a theme park, an international education zone and a metropolitan industrial park.
Covering just 4 square kilometers, it is expected to attract high-income residents seeking a high-quality life.
Plans for the experimental community have received wide attention.
By using ecological technologies, the carbon footprint of the community is expected to be 30 to 50 percent lower than a community of comparable size, says Zhu. Low-carbon standards will be applied to every aspect of the community, from traffic planning to building construction.
To date, more than 20 projects are open for investment, including Dongtan Wisdom Data Industrial Park, Dongtan Water World, a polo club and a residence for retired citizens.
Universities are expected to locate branches in the town and among the first is Xianda College of Economics and Humanities of Shanghai International Studies University.
Zhu says that the tunnel-bridge has brought huge opportunities for the town's current residents, and its development will be people-oriented. New jobs are being created for farmers who are being relocated, and more than 10,000 have been shifted to newly constructed communities.
Happy fishing
"Almost half of the town's land is covered by new projects," says Zhu.
"We once had no public parks in Chenjia Town, but in the future we will embrace large greenbelts and public parks," he says. "Meanwhile, the local government is preserving land for farmers to raise fish and hairy crabs to make a fortune."
Yingdong Village in Chenjia Town has just 76 families and a population of 200 people. It is considered an ideal place for fishing. Since 2001, the village has been striving for promoting sustainable development and a combination of agricultural and fishing tourism.
"It's good to see development going on and to see traditional lifestyles being respected and preserved," says farmer Li Turan. "The growth of the town benefits farmers greatly and we hope more tourists will come here and have a good time."
The town has developed an eco-tourism project called "Happy Fishing" and now is promoting a tourism brand in Shanghai's suburbs. Visitors can first visit the Museum of Village History and Museum of Fishing to get an idea about local culture. Then they can go fishing in rows of fish ponds, walk around and enjoy activities such as cock fighting and goat fighting.
Behind the vast town development is Shanghai Chenjia Town Construction and Development Co Ltd. The company's office on Dongtan Avenue integrates more than 10 energy-saving technologies and is a demonstration building for visitors.
Zhao Qi, head of the Chongming County government, has said that the blueprint calls for completion of five low-carbon projects by 2015.
"Chongming adheres to a low-carbon development path that has brought great achievements in environmental protection, agriculture, green buildings and renewable energy," Zhao said.
"The town will be built as an international ecological and commercial service cluster to serve Shanghai, the Yangtze River Delta and the world," he said.
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