A California-based architecture firm has been selected by a Sichuan planning department to rebuild the city of Dujiangyan after the deadly earthquake in the province earlier this year.
"WWCOT's contribution involves several changes to the city plan. Most momentous, the city center will be shifted 20 miles to the east, closer to Chengdu. Beyond accommodating a forecasted 30 percent population growth, this allows the government to start reconstruction while it continues to clean up the quake wreckage. 'If someone's home was damaged, usually he would have to live in a tent, and then move among three or four different temporary apartments,' Lu explains. 'The government would rather have victims move from tents to permanent residential areas.' The strategy also places Dujiangyan residents closer to the Chengdu airport.
In the new core, significant green space between buildings will provide a public amenity. And once cleared, the former downtown will be maintained as a public park, amplifying efforts-such as construction of 10 art museums-to further entice visitors to the city. Lu says that due to the size and visibility of the rebuilding effort, not to mention the government's strapped resources, many of these design principles will be adopted by cities throughout the province."
Read the full story: U.S. Firm Helps China Rebuild After Deadly Quake
Did Corrupt Building Practices Contribute to China's Earthquake Disaster?
As rescue work continues in the aftermath of the earthquake in China's Sichuan province, many -- including the state-run media -- are asking questions about why so many buildings collapsed, and blame corruption and shoddy construction methods.
San Andreas fault at highest stress level in a millennium
A new study shows that the West Coast's major fault system is in 'a critically loaded state.'
The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Chicago breaks ground on $3 billion megadevelopment
The new neighborhood, titled Foundry Park, will one day host 3,700 residences.
This MA town is drowning in its own sewage — and residents like it that way
Susan Murcott, a waste water expert, said if Carlisle didn't address their leaking sewage, the problem could turn “deadly.”
Feds to more closely scrutinize proposed Amtrak facility’s environmental impact
The Federal Railroad Administration had initially said the facility qualified for a less extensive environmental review.
Boston is hard to build housing in: its chief of planning wants to keep it that way
Chief of Planning Kairos Shen said she would not make changes to Boston’s affordability requirements for new housing, which critics say have slowed down development.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello