Panyu, Guangzhou, China, 2023
In recent decades, a dense urban fabric has developed in the southern Chinese district of Panyu, transforming the traditional cultural and natural landscape of the Pearl River Delta. Our Green Infrastructure Construction Plan aims at making Panyu a beacon district for high-quality urban development by integrating crucial ecological and social functions into the urbanisation process.
A unique cultural landscape under pressure from urbanisation
Panyu is a district of the metropolis of Guangzhou, located in southern China’s Pearl River Delta. Over the centuries, the river system and human activity have created a distinctive polder landscape characterised by the interplay of water and land, featuring villages, dykes, canals, ponds and hills. Its mulberry fishponds are unique agricultural structures that are farmed according to circular principles.
The landscape of Panyu has always been dynamic, constantly changing through the interaction of humans and nature. In recent decades, high-density settlement centres have emerged, surrounded by peri-urban residential and commercial structures, as well as major traffic arteries. In the course of rapid urbanisation, more and more parts of the traditional cultural landscape are being sacrificed to make way for buildings and developments. Urban centres are lacking open spaces, while biodiversity, soil health, and water quality have been dramatically declining. At the same time, regional effects of climate change are putting pressure on the delta landscape’s sensitive ecosystem.
Designing a masterplan for Panyu’s green infrastructure
The Green Infrastructure Construction Plan for Panyu (2021-2035) aims at integrating the preservation and enhancement of natural spaces into the district’s urban planning. It conceives a coherent network of green infrastructure that covers the entire district of over 500km2, serving as an example for ecological urban development in China and beyond.
Corridors and barriers
An analysis of existing vegetation, water systems, and slow-mobility networks mapped important habitats and corridors. It assessed the quantity and quality of existing components, highlighted barriers created by urban development as well as discontinuities in pedestrian and bicycle paths.
Targeted interventions for better GI connectivity
Based on our analysis, we proposed a target network comprising forests, parks, agricultural areas, watercourses and wetlands as well as pathways and tourist sites. Linear green and blue corridors form the network’s connections and fulfil important natural and transport functions. While the network conception serves as a blueprint for future development, a roadmap of measures prioritises concrete steps towards implementation.
Conceiving high-quality multifunctional spaces for people and nature
The planned green infrastructure network integrates ecological functions with the sustainable development of mobility, recreation, and agriculture. As increasing densification constrains available open space, the plan encourages multifunctional utilisation where appropriate and possible.
Design guidelines
Detailed design guidelines define target qualities for network components. In close consultation with the client, we developed an indicator system to monitor urban open spaces and to track the implementation of the masterplan.
First realized projects
Informed by the masterplan, several planners have already designed and realised GI projects in Panyu, such as Shiqiao Waterway Greenway:
