While car use is growing in Beijing and other Chinese cities, cars account for less than 1% of trips in the Xiguan district of Guangzhou. Karl Fjellstrom explains how the city has used preserved its historic core for walking.
Fjellstrom writes, "Guangzhou's historic core, continuously inhabited for 2,200 years, is typified by the Xiguan area of Liwan District, where the historic continuity of the city is immediately perceptible. Today, the area faces pressure for redevelopment. Office, retail, and residential towers sprout up wherever there is space, though in Guangzhou the city centre developments tend to use more of a plot-by-plot rather than a tabula rasa demolition approach. The result, when it is done well, is ongoing densification and gradual renewal resulting in a diverse mix of building ages that helps retain the rich urban fabric."
Fjellstrom concludes that the mix of old and new planning, urban design and transit are the secret to creating this sort of walkability.
FULL STORY: Guangzhou and a Glimpse into the Future: Changing China
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