HuaRong Garden City Master Plan, Changsha, China

Adapting Garden City principles to China’s need for urban development, arising from the massive rural-urban migration of population, is an innovative approach which Wei Yang & Partners has been pro-active in promoting over the last few years.  One of the company’s recent commissions has been to provide a master plan for HuaRong, a fast-growing city  with great economic opportunity and precious natural assets.

HuaRong is an historic county in Central China, renowned for its rich history, strategic location and natural beauty.  Its steady economic growth and rapid urbanisation calls for a holistic approach in terms of both regeneration of the old town and expansion into the surrounding countryside.  Its beautiful, natural water resources provide a unique setting for a Garden City ‘by the water’.

The WYP design builds on the concept of man living in balance with nature, a place where urban development is integrated with mountains, lakes, parks and canals, and where a community strives for harmony between health and prosperity.  The Waterside Quarter is one of the key features of the Master Plan and aims to set a benchmark for waterfront development in China.  Here, a series of  character zones are organised along a mile-long riverbank, with a genuinely quality development reflected in the fine-grained mix of uses, exquisite liveliness and unique identity.  Based on the marshland, a wetland park is also planned with multiple roles: as a buffer to climate change, a haven for bio-diversity, an education hub and a destination for sports and recreation. 

Following the completion of  the Master Plan, WYP has been commissioned to provide a Design Code for implementation.