In the Jinjiang River region of Sichuan Province, a critical water resource that has created affluence and placed Chengdu in a prominent position throughout China’s long history, is now threatened by both planned and unplanned urbanization, pollution, and water diversion upstream. Earlier master plans by the City of Chengdu ignored this tremendous water resource by proposing to urbanize the valley, compromising this historical resource and natural regional asset. The new master plan sought solutions to accommodate future economic and population growth while protecting the agricultural and cultural resources of traditional family farming.

The Jinjiang Corridor Master Plan challenges earlier city plans by re-orienting city growth away from the valley to a new growth vector to the west, conserving a broad riparian corridor for environmental enhancement and tourism. Redirecting urban infrastructure deflects urban growth away from the ‘protected’ areas of the valley to more suitable land for development west of that area, so that conservation measures can be applied to the natural resources there. ‘Community Forest’ is designated for some areas of the valley, which protects natural habitats from large scale urban development. Agricultural and tourism land uses are proposed within the river corridor, forming a special economic relationship between rural and small urban settlements. The valley becomes a special asset for tourism with biking, swimming, hiking, and outdoor recreation. Appropriately scaled developments emphasizing the valley’s heritage of small family farms are encouraged, including organic farming and celebration of the farm-to-table tradition that has made Sichuan cuisine famous worldwide.