In the southern Chinese district of Panyu, high-density urban spaces have emerged in recent decades, while the traditional cultural landscape characterised by the Pearl River Delta has been increasingly used up for building and development. A concept for a system of green infrastructure was developed with the aim of integrating high-quality open space development into the urbanisation process and making Panyu a beacon district for ecological urban development.
Panyu, a district of the Guangzhou metropolis, is located in southern China in the delta of the Pearl River. The river and its tributaries, together with human activity and design, have created a landscape mosaic characterised by the interplay of water and land, villages, dykes, canals, ponds and hills. Over the centuries, a characteristic system of settlements, watercourses and cultivated areas has developed in this polder landscape. The mulberry and fish ponds are unique agricultural structures that are farmed according to a circular principle.
The landscape of Panyu has always been a dynamic landscape, constantly changing through the interaction of man and nature. In recent decades, high-density settlement centres have also emerged, surrounded by peri-urban residential and commercial structures and major traffic arteries. In the course of rapid urbanisation, however, more and more areas of the traditional cultural landscape are being sacrificed for building and development. There is a lack of open spaces in the urban centres. At the same time, there is a massive loss of soil and biodiversity as well as a decline in water quality. The regional effects of climate change are also putting pressure on the sensitive system of the delta landscape.
With the aim of firmly integrating the preservation and further development of elements of nature and landscape into the urbanisation process and thus making Panyu a beacon district for ecological urban development, a comprehensive system of green infrastructure has been designed.
The concept for green infrastructure in Panyu covers the entire district of over 500 square kilometres. It consists of two-dimensional components and linear connections that need to be developed both quantitatively and qualitatively. To this end, areas and landscape types such as forests, parks, agricultural areas, watercourses and wetlands as well as pathways and tourist sites were linked to form a target network. Green-blue corridors form its basic framework and fulfil important natural and transport functions. As increasing densification means that less and less open space is available for more and more functions, multifunctional utilisation was particularly encouraged where appropriate and possible.
Principles and guidelines define the target qualities for the typologies within the network. In close consultation with the client, an indicator system was developed to monitor the urban open spaces and to track the implementation of the concept in the future. A roadmap of measures prioritises future implementation steps.
Creation of a continuous and attractive cycle path along the riverbank
Guidelines for the design of urban green corridors
