I. Location of Project

Shenzhen, Guangdong Province

II. Main Work

The chief designer system is a new area of urban design practice in the new era, and an important breakthrough point for improving the urban governance ability in the field of planning and development. CAUPD has made exploration in two forms.

First, quasi-chief designer service. Since 2005, CAUPD, taking the project of Shenzhen Bay Park series planning as an opportunity, set up the quasi-chief designer service platform. From 2005 to 2010, our main job was structural design, that is, the development of planning frameworks for urban design. From 2010 to 2020, our main job was to provide valet services, and the revision and site selection of headquarter projects.

Second, chief designer service. Since 2017, CAUPD has participated in the project of Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Center in the capacity of chief planner, playing the special role of the fourth party (Party A, the construction party, the design party) by offering technical consultation and design and providing advice on various professional findings and judgments for the reference of decision-making. Our main work is to coordinate at the design level, optimize at the planning strategy level, and assist in solving problems in planning, municipal administration, road, landscape, etc.

III. Reflections

First, the chief designer service is a kind of product, aiming at solving the problems of users in ensuring the public interests of planning and implementation, promoting the coordinated development of buildings and urban spaces, improving the image and quality of the city, etc., and providing professional technical support for refined management. This is a new field of urban design practice and an important starting point for improving urban governance capabilities, which needs to be institutionalized.

Second, user requirement are characterized by such attributes as temporal, directional, systematic and structural. Given their complexity, it is imperative to offer valet planning service and design guidance, and make constant revision.

Third, regarding the team, the form of chief designer system should be decided on a case-by-case basis, and so would be the professional structure of the team. In addition, the team should be skilled in coordination and communication, and demonstrate sufficient professionalism and positive attitude.