[Originally posted to Where] The Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum is currently showing an exhibition on Tulou, an affordable-housing prototype designed by Chinese architecture firm Urbanus for the city of Guangzhou, China. The Tulou prototype includes 245 apartments, an inn, exercise facilities, a library, storefronts, and varied public space. The exhibition will feature two bedrooms at actual size, as well as images, models, and project information. It runs from October 3, 2008 to April 5, 2009 at 2 East 91st Street in New York. (more…)

Hmmm … this could be LEED Gold and nice for bad weather, but it also seems a bit exclusive. I wonder what kind of effect it will have on street life. With the Olympic Stadium and CCTV building, Beijing has become the place to look for daring international architecture. Local architects are also making their mark, as seen in the “New Architects of China” article in Architecture Week.

Photo by Iwan Baan

Quoted from the article “Beijing’s Skywalk-Linked Megacomplex a City Within a City” in Wired Magazine: Steven Holl and Li Hu designed Linked Hybrid, a city within the city that will minimize forays outside by providing for nearly all of its residents’ needs. Upon completion this summer, Linked will offer 650 luxury apartments to the same go-go Chinese capitalists dropping crisp yuan on Mercedes and Fendi … And, since this is a 21st-century Eden, elaborate water-recycling and geothermal-power systems may rack up enough eco-points for a Gold LEED certification.

In 2005, the Shanghai Industrial Investment Corporation (SIIC) commissioned Arup engineers to design a demonstration eco-city to be built on Chongming Island across the Yangtze Delta from Shanghai. The island is currently the site of a migratory bird sanctuary. The plan calls for linking the city to the mainland with an 18-mile bridge-tunnel.

According to Arup’s description of the Dongtan Eco-City, it would “produce its own energy from wind, solar, bio-fuel and recycled city waste.” SIIC and Arup hope the city will become a model for similar cities in China and around the world. However, the plan has been criticized based on fears that the housing would be too expensive for local residents, turning the island into a suburb for wealthy citizens of Shanghai. It would also be interesting to determine the environmental impact of the bridge-tunnel and other new construction.

BBC feature: China’s eco-city faces growth challenge

Quoted from “Dongtan: Eco-City” on BBC News: The Chinese are well aware that cities have a massive impact on the environment so they’ve commissioned the British engineering company, Arup to create a model eco-city where half a million people will live and work without damaging the environment. Their electricity will come from wind and wave, their sewage will fertilise the surrounding farmland and their water will be harvested from the skies and recycled.

A recent report from the Worldwatch Institute projects that China will meet its ambitious renewable energy goals for 2020 through significant investments in hydro, wind, biomass, and solar power. Of particular note is the use of solar hot water by ten percent of Chinese households, which could affect global energy use as companies begin to export these inexpensive units.

However, Howard French and Li Zhen’s article in the New York Times (part of a series on pollution in China) paints a different picture of China’s renewable energy progress. Titled Far From Beijing’s Reach, Officials Bend Energy Rules, this article identifies widespread breaches of policy at the local level, making it increasingly unlikely that China will meet its energy reduction goals without meaningful intervention by the national government to assure compliance.

This highlights the importance of effective policy enforcement in creating the conditions necessary for sustainable business practices to take root.

Quoted from the Worldwatch Institute’s review of Powering China’s Development: China has become a global leader in renewable energy. It is expected to invest more than $10 billion in new renewable energy capacity in 2007, second only to Germany. Most of this is for small hydropower, solar hot water, and wind power.

A Wall Street Journal article about the effects of pollution from China on air quality in North America. This highlights the interconnected nature of global development and its impact on the environment.

Quoted: Nations can impose the strictest of environmental standards – but that does not stop the pollution seeping in from other nations. Plumes of “man-made sulfates, smog, industrial fumes, carbon grit and nitrates” collect over manufacturing powerhouse China and then move with prevailing winds around the globe. On some days, almost one third of the air pollution in cities like Los Angeles can be traced back to China…

An article on participatory development by Lila Buckley for the Worldwatch Institute. Although it describes a research project by the Xinjiang Conservation Fund (XCF) focused on wildlife conservation in rural areas, this approach holds great potential for sustainable development in cities. Involving local residents in the protection of natural resources can help engender a lasting commitment to good stewardship based on a clear understanding of its longterm value.

Quoted: Established in 2001, the group is “dedicated to the conservation of Xinjiang” and carries out activities such as investigations on species habitat, poaching, and the illegal wildlife trade; environmental education initiatives with universities; and research, publishing, and forums to enhance public awareness of conservation and wildlife protection. Unlike its counterparts in the government, XCF’s efforts begin with the local people. Recent field investigations took researchers to Xinjiang for a month to research wildlife and interview people living in the Reserve. The team lived with and shared meals with the residents and conducted interviews with over 60 households.

Stewart Brand, co-founder of Global Business Network and author of How Buildings Learn, gave a fascinating talk on urbanization and innovation at San Francisco’s Commonwealth Club on June 14, 2007. The video of Brand’s presentation, titled How Urbanization Will Drive Innovation on is available on FORA.tv.

Photo credit: Mike Lee