WATERFRONT DEVELOPMENT IN CHINA : INVESTIGATION INTO THE TIME-PHASE APPROACH OF GUANGZHOU AND SHANGHAI WATERFRONT

Abstract

The main focus of discussion in this paper is the waterfront development and urban design, specifically in the context of China. Since the 1970s, the issue of waterfront development has been of wide concern and subjected to extensive research and discussion. In the contemporary context, waterfront development has evolved into a specific form of urban design. Increasingly, waterfront projects are no longer about the zone between water and land but extend further inlands. As Patrick Malone mentioned in his writing “City, Capital and Water”, the waterfront zone is remarkable as it can be endowed with economic, political, social and cultural significance. The complexity of its planning process is demonstrated by the various stakeholders; all with their own agendas, that come in at different phases of development. Therefore, the understanding of waterfront development should go beyond traditional urban design and instead appreciate the underlying forces at work. Hence, this dissertation begins by exploring the time-phase approach towards understanding waterfront development. The essay examines the factors involved in waterfront urban design and questions the time span for previous waterfront projects. It then investigates waterfront urban design in China as a series of five stages; pre-start-up, start-up, early development, mega projects and maturity; and analyses in detail the stakeholders involved and the events at each particular phase. Specifically, the essay focuses on the Lujiazui Trade and Financial Zone and the Zhujiang New Town development. This dissertation emphasizes on the comprehensive analysis of waterfront urban design in both areas specified; the time phase mechanism at work and the difference between both types of master planning. It concludes by laying out the future challenges facing waterfront developments and argues on the implication of the methods of waterfront urban design employed by both schemes. In addition, it is hoped that this exploration will inspire broader reading and understanding towards the subject matter. As many intangibles exist in the planning process, future enquiry would be on the various other issues involved in waterfront development in China.