We are always thrilled to stumble across green building projects, Tianjin, originally a toxic dumping ground, is to be transformed into an entire eco city. What's great is that they have approached it very realistically with successful adoption in mind. See below for more info:
Tianjin, 93 miles southeast from Beijing is a coastal port city undergoing an amazing transformation.
The site chosen for the project was an industrial dumping ground for
toxic waste, barren salt flats abutting one of the world's most polluted
seas. This was deliberate, says Ho Tong Yen, head of Sino-Singapore
Tianjin Eco-city Development and Investment, the firm charged with
building the city. "In the past, so-called ecocities have been built in
ecologically important areas or on useful arable land. We wanted to show
that it's possible to clean up a polluted area and make it useful and
liveable."
A green spine, called the “eco valley” runs through the heart of the
city with cycle routes and a tram. Residents will be encouraged to use
regular low-carbon transport or walk, rather than driving. Cars won't be
banned, Ho says. "We don't want to create obstacles for people, but
rather make it conducive to use alternatives." Niche designs that have
focused blindly on eco-technologies have not worked, he thoughtfully says. "This
eco-city will be practical – it will work."
Water provision is one of the bigger challenges in this naturally arid
area. Tap water will be drinkable and piped in, although the city is
planning a possible desalination plant too. A lot of effort is being put
into conserving water and recycling it for irrigation and toilet
flushing. "The lakes and water pipes have been lined in clay or concrete
to prevent salt water incursion, and all waste water is being sent to
plant for anaerobic biodigestion," says Ary de Koning of the
EU-China River Basin Management Programme,
who is advising the city on water issues. "The methane emitted in the
digestion process is then used to produce energy," he says.
Read the full article
here.
The designers involved here probably won't be sourcing from our
boutique - in this instance - it's definitely more eco friendly for them to buy 'Made in China' :)
