The City of Tianjin is poised for greater growth as one of China’s primary urban regions—home to thriving industry, picturesque agriculture, and booming tourism. Some policies have led to negative consequences including unguided sprawl that has consumed precious countryside while many areas of the region have been over-farmed, causing historic river water courses to be eliminated.  In addition, public works have also altered waterways and degraded the natural environment.  The Seven Mile Sea in Tianjin is an ancient seabed where over-farming and altered water courses have radically changed the natural ecology.

The master plan for Tianjin Seven Mile Sea proposes to counteract recent negative impacts of development on the delicate eco-system. The plan recommends to fully integrate restored wetlands with modest modernized farms, existing villages, and the development of ecologically sensitive new eco-towns. The plan proposes an archipelago of urbanized ‘islands’ within a network of restored wetlands, defined by topography and hydrology. The watercourses and wetlands are prioritized and form the basis for organizing the plan.  Farmlands are at a level above water flows and flood occasionally during rainy periods.  Villages are located at a higher elevation, historically high enough to be protected from flooding. The low-lying farming zone surrounds and buffers the ‘islands’ where the proposed eco-towns are located.  The islands are linked together by a network of narrow bridges designed to allow water to flow freely below.   The plan restores natural water flows from the mountains to the sea, while integrating farming and urban housing.