Location: Shanghai, China
Client: Shanghai City Planning and Land Resource Bureau
Officials in Shanghai have named Johnson Fain award winners in an internationally invited competition to design the Jiangwan New Town. Located on a former air base, the ten-square kilometer area of the new town is being developed for a community of 100,000 in order to relieve growth and redevelopment pressures in Shanghai.
The proposed plan for the Jiangwan New Town is a synergistic blend of traditional and 21st century planning principles. The plan is made up of three neighborhoods: a high-density, mixed-use Sub Town Center to the south; a low-density residential neighborhood planned around a series of open spaces and lakes at the center; and the Waterfront Development to the north consisting of a mix of mid and high-rise housing around a network of canals.
The three areas are integrated by an ecologically-balanced open space system which offers a variety of opportunities for live, work and recreation. The proposed open space system in conjunction with the road network seamlessly extends the existing fabric of the city into the new town. The plan emphasizes the principles of sustainable design and “transit-first” development setting new standards for the region.
Today the Jiangwan New Town is a very popular district of Shanghai, and is known as a “21st century eco-friendly knowledge-oriented garden district.” It is the home of Nike’s China headquarters campus, Fudan University campus, a major wetland park and ecological center, the New Jiangwan Cultural Center, verdant pedestrian-friendly streetscapes, and many high-quality housing developments.