SPR as solution of action plan in China's master plan innovation

Abstract

Massive city development and construction have occurred in post reform and opening China, with the appearance of hundreds of new cities and towns. Rapid urbanization has raised many issues including the phenomenon of vacant ‘ ghost cities’ as well as serious environmental and social challenges. These challenges bring into question the traditional blueprint master planning approaches adopted over the past thirty years. The philosophy of top-down urban planning and Urban Growth Theory has stimulated China's urban development but its validity is now seriously open to question.The paper reviews the progress of China master plan methodology changes and also further studies the major approaches of current master plan making. Based on analysis on characters of different stages master plan methodology, key issues and challenges were proposed. And a new thinking of master plan approach called SPR is suggested according to the analysis. By means of case study, further study of SPR is carried out.The paper examines a special case in Chaonan, a district of Shantou city, Guangdong Province. The traditional blueprint master plan shows its weakness in local intervention. The big challenges are therefore how to simultaneously develop a long-term vision, define short-term actions for implementation, effectively solve issues of economic development, as well as improving environmental problems in these kinds of areas. In the case study, the innovative master plan methodology, SPR, was implemented. Comparing to traditional master plan methodology, the case support that SPR is one of the solutions of current China's master plan innovation.