On July 19, 2018, the expert review meeting for the international call for proposals on the conceptual planning study of Beijing South Central Axis Area and the detailed planning and design of Yongdingmenwai(Outside Yongdingmen Gate)-Dahongmen-Nanyuan Wetland Park took place at the Beijing Auto Museum. The joint program presented by the consortium of CAUPD and AECOM emerged as the winning program, receiving unanimous support from the jury. Notable participants in this call for proposals included renowned domestic and international planning teams, such as the China Architecture Design and Research Group, Shanghai Tongji Urban Planning and Design Institute, in consortium with TER in France and AND studio, Southeast University Department of Urban Planning, in consortium with SWA, and Beijing Tsinghua Tongheng Urban Planning & Design Institute.
The planning and design call for proposals encompassed the conceptual planning of Beijing South Central Axis Area (a total of 99 square kilometers) and the detailed planning and design of Yongdingmenwai-Dahongmen-Nanyuan Forest Wetland Park (a total of 28 square kilometers). The planning and development of the area is a key endeavor in implementing Beijing’s overall planning objectives. It holds great importance in the orderly dissolution of non-capital functions for better functional layout of the capital, more balanced development between the north and south of Beijing, and preservation of the central axis culture.
To ensure the completion of this call for proposals with high standards, CAUPD established a working team led by President YANG Baojun and Chief Planner ZHU Ziyu, with the Second Planning Institute under CAUPD Beijing Planning and Design Consultants Ltd and the Institute of Landscape Area Planning as the main contributors. Drawing upon the collective wisdom of all parties involved and leveraging the research results of CAUPD, the planning process was completed after an intense period of three and a half months. Throughout the process, Vice President WANG Kai, Deputy Chief Planner YIN Qiang, and Deputy Chief Planner ZHAO Zhongshu provided meticulous guidance.
The plan introduces the development vision to create a new living room for the capital city of a great nation and a garden city for green walks. It incorporates three core strategies: shaping the axis with culture, blending gardens with nature, and weaving a network of footpaths. These strategies emphasize five main features:functional layout for the rise of a great capital, spatial designs that highlight China’s attributes, space created to convey a spirit of boundless friendliness, parks designed for harmony with nature and smart implementation strategy aligned with long-term planning.
Nanyuan Forest Wetland Park embraces the theme of Boundless Nature, Green Park for a Millennium. It highlights three features: natural ecology, cultural heritage, and people-oriented services. The park aims to establish itself as the structural and ecological green lung of the capital city and a world-renowned Green Park for a Millennium. The precise articulation of the vision, clear spatial expression, and effective communication of the concept garnered unanimous praise from the jury experts.
The Beijing Municipal Commission of Planning and Natural Resources has already designated CAUPD and Beijing Municipal Institute of City Planning and Design as the undertaker of the comprehensive program. Subsequent program integration and in-depth design efforts are well under way.
