The ancient city of Lanzhou, which lies in the western interior of China at the edge of the Gobi Desert and the headwaters of the Yellow River, is rapidly positioning itself to become the economic and touristic catalyst for the region. In doing so, the restoration and reclamation of the Yellow is paramount to the area’s redevelopment.
The City of Lanzhou held a competition to develop a master plan for the 60 kilometer River Edge as it passes through Lanzhou. The ambitious plan for Lanzhou, historically crowded with industrial and manufacturing facilities, called for the relocation of the existing river-side industries and the reclamation and redevelopment of the river corridor as the primary image and identity statement of the city. The master plan also provided for massive environmental remediation and riparian restorations.
Working closely with the local government, the Page team created touristic, entertainment and development zones as a sustainable economic catalyst in support of the city’s long-range plan. A new central business district was proposed on brownfield lands reclaimed from industrial sites. The Aqua Culture Research Park was planned along shoreline pedestrian paths and bikeways, and large entertainment and recreation venues were sited near proposed parks and urban gardens.
According to the World Health Organization, Lanzhou has the worst air quality in China. To help mitigate that condition, the team proposed a variety of interventions in the Lanzhou plan. From electric mass transit to urban forest ‘islands’, from gardens and wetlands to relocations of entire riverside industrial and manufacturing complexes, the plan for “greening” Lanzhou would have an enormous impact of the area’s carbon footprint.
