Abstract
This paper discusses how the improvement of the quality of collective and public spaces can positively affect the wellbeing of the citizens and the welfare of the city, using as a demonstration site Cao Yang New Village, one of the first planned urban development for workers in Shanghai, China, designed and built during the Fifties of the past century, just few years later Mao Zedong proclaimed the establishment of the People’s Republic of China, on October 1, 1949. The paper shows how, by careful design interventions, the enhancement of the connectivity and of the porosity in the neighbourhood gives rise to an easier accessibility for citizens, especially for children, mothers, elderly, and people with disabilities, allowing them to get to schools, parks, sport facilities, public offices and other collective spaces, therefore improving their wellbeing. By detailed and careful design, appropriate urban policies in Chinese cities can help to respond to the citizens increasing demand for public space. Our work suggests that a similar approach should be included in many cities agenda in China, to align to the China’s New Urbanization Plan 2014–2020 that focuses on sustainable growth, improved people’s living conditions and a clearer cultural identity.
Highlights
Cao Yang New Village is one of the first urban development planned for workers in Shanghai, China, designed and built during the Fifties of the past century, just few years later Mao Zedong proclaimed the establishment of the People’s Republic of China, on October 1, 1949
Our research and design is an example of the role of policies and design for improving connectivity and accessibility with the aim of improving the network of open spaces, of education and healthcare facilities, to achieve livability in the city
Our work shows how the enhancement of the quality of collective and public spaces can be feasible, by working at a micro scale, by detailed design interventions, pursuing higher connectivity and the porosity of a single neighborhood in the city
Summary
In the Western world, traditionally, discourses on urban public space extend beyond the mere physical dimensions of urban space and they underpin the essential attribute of “public”; every discourse about public space immediately relates to value issues, including social and cultural issues. The seeds of this conception were slowly transplanted in China, where only in the late nineteenth century, with the development of the rail transportation and the introduction of more modern modes of production, the urban life assumed some of the typical western features (Gaubatz 2008) It is only in the twentieth century, and most likely in the last half of it, that Chinese cities start facing the rising demand for public and collective spaces, to be used for a wide range of spontaneous activities, like leisure, recreation, commerce-market, informal sport and dance, performance, ect. We present the main physical and socio-economic features of Cao Yang New Village, and we describe the variety of facilities and public open spaces, today scattered and fragmented in the Village This analysis is used to show how, by more dense connections among these spaces, it is possible to create the conditions for an improvement of quality of life of the people living in the Village. Our work suggests that a similar approach should be included in the agenda of many cities in China, contributing to the realization of the Chinese New Urbanisation Plan 2014–2020, which aims at a more sustainable growth, improved people’s living conditions, and clearer cultural identity in cities
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
