Xindong New Area Urban Design International Masters Competition (CN)

‘Green City Blue City’

UNStudio’s urban vision for the 11,660,320 m² Xingdong New Area puts people and nature first. The urban plan conveys an ecological green/blue network that simultaneously values economic prosperity and the users’ physical, psychological and social well-being. The plan ultimately encourages the Green (nature and landscape) and the Blue (water) to overtake the Grey (buildings and infrastructure).
The infrastructural concept is built around the capitalization of the site’s natural assets where ecological engines function as a new source of productivity and economy. The design integrates the built urban environment with parks and green spaces, in addition to enhancing Xingdong’s water flows with a system of basins and canals. To achieve the latter in an efficient and sustainable manner, an integration of detention ponds, hydraulic canals, urban farms and productive green roofs is envisioned.

Underlying Concept
The strong bearing towards nature came about upon the consideration of Xingtai’s history and culture. As the area is and has always been closely tied to rivers, the starting point of the project very quickly oriented towards designing the future city along the river.

Urban Pillars
With these goals in mind, UNStudio’s vision adheres to five key urban pillars that would transform and shape Xingdong New Area into a resilient urban environment. The five urban pillars refer to the principles of five C’s – Connectivity, Creativity, Cleanliness, Community and Cleverness. Connectivity refers to creating physical and social connections within the system; Creativity refers to the fostering of innovation and the making of room for culture, arts and new industries; Cleanliness refers to maintaining of a safe and clean environment; Community refers to the pursuance of interactive experiences; and Clever, refers to the emergence of a sensor-based city that is smart and flexible.

Key Aspects of the Urban Vision

New Communities
Xingdong New Area is a place for people. For the ease of navigation, UNStudio proposed to develop and divide the city into five different neighbourhoods, each with its own identity, corresponding dominant typologies and supporting amenities. The five neighbourhoods correspond to five different potential user groups: the Artists, the Educators, the Makers, the Innovators and he Urbanists.
Xingdong New Area will bring 200,000 new residents and 2,500,000 daily commuters into the new district, increasing the current urban population by 70%. Taking into consideration this large influx of people and goods, UNStudio’s urban plan envisages maximizing social comfort by introducing a sense of belonging and overall well-being amongst the new communities.
Catering to the users’ wellbeing and adhering to the principle of sustainability, Xingdong New Area is designed as a walkable district, which encourages people to live a healthy and active lifestyle in the long run. Amenities are located at a close and convenient proximity: all residential units are located within a 10-minute walk to parks and shops. In favouring pedestrians, all streets are equipped with wide sidewalks, and at the core of the district, there is a designated ‘Eco Spine’ zone that will remain vehicle-free.
In terms of urban life, different key moments are plugged into the masterplan to further enhance urban qualities, whilst encouraging social interactions and the development of new iconic destinations in the city.

High-speed, Low-speed
In order to embrace diversity and cater to different user groups, UNStudio’s urban vision identified and considered six types of social units during the configuration of different neighbourhoods within the Xingdong New Area. These units are categorised based on age groups and rhythm, or pace of life, ranging from high-energy, fast-paced living to low-energy, slow-paced living.