Guest
Zhang Lang and Gong Mingjun
Interview Background
Roaming along rows of parasol trees, touching the light and shadow slipping through your fingers, having a cup of tea amid blooming tulips, and pondering in front of a sculpture... What will the future look like if the boundaries of parks in cities disappear? Landscaping and City Appearance Administrative Bureau of Jing’an District released the interpretation of the Park City Planning Draft on JAMC app. Let’s have a look at how Jing’an will be transformed into a park city.
Moderator:
Hello everyone! Welcome to the newsroom. Today, we will delve into Park City Planning Draft of Jing’an District. Today, we have the honor to invite Zhang Lang, President of Shanghai Academy of Landscape Architecture Science and Planning and Vice Chairman of China Urban Greening Committee, and Gong Mingjun, Senior Engineer and Deputy Director of Landscaping and City Appearance Administrative Bureau of Jing’an District as our guests in the newsroom!
Zhang Lang:
Hello, moderator! Hello, Mr. Gong!
Gong Mingjun:
Hello, moderator! Hello, Mr. Zhang!
Moderator:
Mr. Zhang has been engaged in teaching, research, professional management, and project practice in terms of ecological garden planning design and technology for more than 30 years. He has gained a wealth of experience in landscaping construction. Mr. Gong has also been engaged in the planning and design of landscape architecture and the management of urban landscaping construction for a long time. He is active in exploring the innovative development of urban landscaping construction and management, expecting to make a contribution to the optimization of city appearance of Jing’an District.
Moderator:
Mr. Zhang and Mr. Gong will offer their insights on the Park City Planning Draft today, which can allow us to have a deeper understanding of park city. Before that, I would like to ask a question to Mr. Gong. Why does the Landscaping and City Appearance Administrative Bureau of Jing’an District regard “park city planning” as a major administrative decision? And what about the decision-making process?
Gong Mingjun:
According to Measures for the Implementation of Major Administrative Decision-making Procedures in Jing’an District, “major public policies and measures related to public services, urban management and environmental protection, as well as other major matters that have a significant impact on economic and social development and involve major public interests and vital interests of the public” shall be incorporated into major decision-making issues. The Park City Planning Draft of Jing’an District we are going to discuss today is closely related to the vital interests of the public and everyone who works and lives in Jing’an District. That’s why our Bureau considers the Draft a major decision.
Gong Mingjun:
With an open and transparent procedure, we make this major decision in a sound, democratic, and legally-compliant way. Thanks for such a good opportunity that allows us to interpret this Draft in detail so that the public can know more about this policy and propose valuable suggestions. This will strengthen public engagement and optimize decision making.
Moderator:
Park City Planning Draft of Jing’an District is closely bound up with everyone who works and lives in Jing’an District, which means it is an important policy on public services and environmental protection. Well, why did the Landscaping and City Appearance Administrative Bureau of Jing’an District propose to interpret the Park City Planning Draft of Jing’an District through live broadcasting in the “Government Affairs Service Area”?
Gong Mingjun:
The “Government Affairs Service Area” is an offline public place set up by Jing’an Government in the Administrative Service Center. Now it mainly provides services such as guidance on applications for government information disclosure, government information access, collection and feedback of government affairs public opinions, etc. Live broadcasting today is a new attempt for us to interpret policies. We want the public to better understand the policy-making process and the purpose of policy implementation in a more lively and popular way. Besides, live broadcasting allows us to disclose related information through both online and offline channels, effectively making the affairs of the government more transparent.
Moderator:
Next, I’d like to ask Mr. Zhang. We have been talking about “park city planning”, but what is the “park city”?
Zhang Lang:
The term “park city” was put forward by General Secretary Xi Jinping during his inspection in Chengdu in 2018. “Park City” is a new urban development model that highlights the “public” attribute of the park and follows the standard of “park” construction. It is a part of the ecological civilization thoughts of General Secretary Xi Jinping. It is people-centered and integrates ecological, living and production functions. It is also a new form of urban development that emphasizes the unbounded integration of parks and cities and the harmonious coexistence of man and nature. In other words, a park city does not mean we are going to build a park in a city but turn a city into a big park.
Moderator:
So the park city means we are going to turn a city into a big park! Now we have known what the “park city” is. Let’s take a look at the content of the Park City Planning Draft. We have chosen some questions from citizens on the planning of the park city. We hope that Mr. Zhang and Mr. Gong can answer them one by one and explain the Park City Planning Draft to us. First of all, Mr. Zhang, what kind of park city will Jing’an District build?
Zhang Lang:
Themed “decorating Jing’an with luxuriant flowers and integrating all parks into the city”, Jing’an District aims to build a park city that is ecologically livable, comfortable and beautiful. The overall goal will be achieved through three parts to make our plan well-implemented.
Moderator:
Mr. Gong, could you please give us more details about the three parts of this goal?
Gong Mingjun:
Well, the goal of “decorating Jing’an with luxuriant flowers and integrating all parks into the city” of Jing’an District consists of three sub-goals. The first sub-goal is to achieve full coverage of public afforestation of over 1,000 m2 of public greening areas with a service radius of 500 meters by 2025. The second sub-goal is to build three demonstration park areas. The third sub-goal is to realize the expansion of park functions with characteristics of Jing’an. The above three sub-goals are conducted through three aspects: “+ park”, “park+” and “unbounded integration”.
Moderator:
The construction goals involve not only public afforestation services and the construction of demonstration areas, but also the expansion of functions with characteristics of Jing’an. Mr. Gong, could you please explain what “+ Park” and “Park +” are?
Gong Mingjun:
“+ Park” refers to the increase in the area and the number of parks. It focuses on further improvement and opening up of green urban space. In accordance with the areas not covered by greenbelts in the whole district and the plan of linear green space, we will analyze the park greenbelts in the district and build an improved four-level park system and a green linear network by the combination of point, line and area. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, a total of 280,000 m2 of public greenbelts and 100,000 m2 of three-dimensional greening areas will be built in Jing’an District. “Park+” mainly refers to the expansion of park functions with Jing’an characteristics. Considering the functional positioning of parks, more brands themed “Park + Characteristic Gardening, + Art, + Culture, + Nature Education” will be created to make parks livelier and more popular. “Park +” mainly corresponds to the third sub-goal.
Moderator:
Mr. Zhang, what does “unbounded integration” exactly mean?
Moderator:
The construction of “+ park”, “park +” and “integration across boundary” has improved the quality of the green environment, increased activities in the park greenbelts, and diversified life scenarios for the public. Mr. Gong, what is the priority in the construction of three aspects?
Gong Mingjun:
The priority is the construction of three major demonstration areas, three key projects, and affiliated greenbelts for opening and sharing. The three major demonstration areas are Shibei Pilot Demonstration Area, Suzhou Creek Demonstration Area, and West Nanjing Road Demonstration Area. The three key projects are the construction of Shibei Science and Technology Innovation Park Block, West Nanjing Road Park Block, and Daning Park Block. The affiliated greenbelts for opening and sharing recently planned 11 projects of which the Shanghai Exhibition Center has completed its greenbelts in the first phase this year, and the Shanghai Lexicographic Publishing House and the Malanhua Theater are the next to build their greenbelts.
Moderator:
The three major demonstration areas are park-type demonstration areas, which is one of the “Park City Planning” goals. Mr. Gong, as a top designer for greening construction in Jing’an District, could you please give an introduction to the three demonstration areas?
Gong Mingjun:
Shibei Demonstration Zone: Shibei, a north zone in Jing’an District, is densely occupied by high-tech enterprises and owns a large greening area. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, themed “innovation, creativity, youth and friendliness”, Shibei will prioritize the Eastern Science and Technology Innovation Park and build a public greenbelt with an area of 120,000 square meters, in order to achieve integration of its public greenbelt and supporting greenbelt without boundaries and meet the standards of building “park-type demonstration areas”. Suzhou Creek Demonstration Area: As one of the areas of “One Axis and Three Belts” in Jing’an District, Suzhou Creek Zone integrates the construction of water, cultural, and green networks with the waterfront of Suzhou River as the foundation, aiming to turn itself into a “park-type demonstration block” with distinctive waterfront scenery. West Nanjing Road Demonstration Area: The “areas with historical and cultural features” and “neighborhoods with protected features” in West Nanjing Road Area accounts for 76.66 percent of the total area, so we have proposed to update indicators and concepts according to the actual land use. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, we intend to carry out overall renovation and upgrading of the greenbelts along West Nanjing Road, so as to further enhance the cross-boundary integration of public green areas along West Nanjing Road and create a park-type demonstration block for “neighborhoods with protected features”. Shibei and West Nanjing Road projects are among the three key projects we mentioned.
Moderator:
It turns out that the Shibei Demonstration Park is an international sci-tech innovation park-type demonstration park, while the Suzhou Creek Demonstration Area and West Nanjing Road Area are park-type demonstration blocks. Mr. Zhang, do you think the plans for the three demonstration areas are well-conceived, reasonable and appropriate?
Zhang Lang:
For the park city planning, an evaluation of the balance and connectivity of park greenbelts is conducted based on the current state of Jing’an District. It is a basic well-conceived analysis method. The north and south parts of Jing’an District are quite different in condition, so the proposal for the construction of three demonstration areas according to local conditions is well-conceived and appropriate. Moreover, the three large demonstration areas feature different development positioning, which is also very reasonable and in line with the actual situation of Jing’an District.
Moderator:
Thank you for your answer, Mr. Zhang! We have figured out the overall positioning and development priorities of the three major demonstration areas. Now Mr. Gong, would you please give an introduction to Daning Park as another key project?
Gong Mingjun:
OK, the construction of Daning Park block will also be a focus of the future. Daning Park is the largest of its kind in the central urban area of Puxi, and it boasts valuable green resources. The renovation of Daning Park mainly includes the removal of the fencing, further greening and infrastructure improvement, and the construction of a greenway system around Daning Park. With the overall renovation, the link between the park and surrounding residential and commercial blocks will be strengthened, and urban social space will be established from multiple angles. The planning for Daning Park will stimulate the development of surrounding industries through park greenbelts, and integrate the city into the greenbelts, which will be a remarkable park city construction project.
Moderator:
Since we have already talked about the priorities in the park city planning and construction, I would like to ask Mr. Zhang. Which part is difficult to implement?
Zhang Lang:
I think the difficulty lies in the construction of the affiliated greenbelts for opening and sharing, which is also an important part of promoting “cross-boundary integration”. The construction of the affiliated greenbelts for opening and sharing is a new model of integrated greening development. However, for its opening, we need to negotiate with the owners about their willingness, think of the ways to implement it, and make sure of the security after opening and sharing. These problems should be considered and addressed.
Moderator:
Regarding the opening and sharing of the affiliated greenbelts, we have heard that an effective case for opening and sharing of the affiliated greenbelts at the “Shanghai Exhibition Center” has been widely acclaimed among citizens. Mr. Gong, is it really difficult to implement the construction of the greenbelts for opening and sharing at the Shanghai Exhibition Center as Mr. Zhang expected?
Gong Mingjun:
Yes, it is indeed difficult. First, we need to get rid of the mindset about the land boundary and stress the concept of sharing. Second, in terms of planning, we cannot simply remove the walls but create landscapes and realize service functions. Third, in terms of management implementation, it is also necessary to take into full consideration the demands of land users, and exercise management practices from multiple perspectives such as social governance. The Shanghai Exhibition Center has benefited from the government’s guidance in opening and sharing. After several effective negotiations, we have successfully opened its affiliated greenbelts to the public. It has bettered the landscaping for Yan’an Road, and achieved fine social effects on the whole.
Moderator:
It is not easy to promote the construction of a “park city”. Mr. Gong, how many new park greenbelts will be built during the 14th Five-Year Plan period?
Gong Mingjun:
During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, 19 new public greenbelts with a total area of 280,000 square meters will be built, and five parks including Square Park, Everbright City Green Land, and Jing’an Park will be renovated and upgraded.
Moderator:
What do you think of the already erected greenbelts, Mr. Zhang?
Zhang Lang:
Among the greenbelts that have been built recently, Suzhou Creek Greenbelt and 99 Guangzhong Greenbelt have actually well illustrated the concept of a park city. Suzhou Creek Greenbelt, featuring compatibility between green landscapes and the commercial centers and owning cultural buildings such as “Shenyuli Lane” and “Tianhou Palace”, has served as an open space of dimensionality when viewed from the overpass, ground, sunken square, etc. It has realized the cross-boundary integration of park greenbelts with commerce, art, traditional culture, and other unique features of Jing’an District, becoming a landmark project of park city construction in Jing’an District.
Moderator:
Mr. Gong, regarding the characteristics of Jing’an, what are the priorities in the third goal of “realizing the extension of park functions with the characteristics of Jing’an”?
Gong Mingjun:
The extension of park functions with the characteristics of Jing’an mainly focuses on “park + art”, “park + characteristic horticulture” and “park + nature-based education”. “Park + Art” is a prominent feature of parks in Jing’an District. On the basis of Jing’an International Sculpture Exhibition, Meiyuan Guqin Concert and other brand activities, we will launch music, painting, drama, photography and other art activities. In terms of “park + characteristic horticulture”, we will transform the park greenbelts, endow plants in the park with thematic features, create plant-themed maps, flower-themed tour routes, biotope habitat gardens, community gardens, etc., and carry out various horticultural activities. “Park + nature-based education” focuses on the cultivation of teenagers, so as to provide those living in the downtown with knowledge of natural science. We will make plans for the building of “children’s nature-based education parks”, “green school roads”, “natural and wild space”, etc.
Moderator:
Thank you, Mr. Gong! Mr. Zhang, which park has also realized functional extension with the characteristics of Jing’an besides the key features mentioned above?
Zhang Lang:
In addition to the cases mentioned above, Zhongxing Park is a good pioneer in the past two-year greenbelt construction. It has not only put the concept of a park city into practice, but also showed the concept of building parks for the people. Zhongxing Park has been equipped with supporting facilities for the elderly and children, as well as intelligent patrol robots, which have improved the comfort and safety of citizens who visit the park, and also fulfill unique functions in Jing’an, such as park + horticulture, sports, intelligence, and handy service for the public.
Zhang Lang:
Jing’an District has always taken the lead in Shanghai and China for its sound greenbelt construction and greening management. From the park greenbelts that have been built so far, we can tell that Jing’an District has achieved remarkable results in the construction of a park city. We look forward to achieving the vision of “decorating Jing’an with luxuriant flowers and integrating all parks into the city” with the district’s efforts to create a park city.
Gong Mingjun:
Thank you for your answer, Mr. Zhang! Jing’an District will firmly grasp the opportunity from park city construction, change its ideas, improve its conceptualization, and innovate its methods. By improving the layout and system, enhancing the quality and functions, and strengthening the integration of blocks, it will upgrade the quality of the urban living environment in an all-round manner, create scenarios of park-type blocks, so as to build itself into a more refined, more beautiful and more pleasant park city.
Moderator:
Mr. Zhang and Mr. Gong, thanks for your illustration! Thanks to the detailed introduction by the two experts, I believe that we have gained deeper insight into the concept of a “park city”. Let’s look forward to achieving the vision of “decorating Jing’an with luxuriant flowers and integrating all parks into the city”. That’s all for the live broadcast today. Thank you, Mr. Zhang, Mr. Gong, and all the audience!