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XIAMIX A Knowledge and Social-Cohesive city for the developing world Juan Yunda Bauhaus-Universität Weimar Institut für Europäische Urbanistik Tongji University, Shanghai College of Architecture and Urban Planning Master’s Thesis, August 2009 XIAMIX A knowledge and Social-Cohesive city for the developing world Master-Arbeit vorgelegt im Sommersemester 2009 Master thesis submitted during summer semester 2009 an der Bauhaus-Universität Weimar at the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar Fakultät Architektur Faculty of Architecture Studienprogramm Integrated International Urban Studies im Studiengang Europäische Urbanistik Master programme Integrated International Urban Studies in the study course European Urban Studies Verfasser: Author: Arq. Juan Guillermo Yunda Lozano, Gutachter Examiners: Erstgutachter: Prof. Dr. phil. habil. Max Welch Guerra 1st examiner: Prof. Dr. phil. habil. Max Welch Guerra Zweitgutachter: Rainer Johann M.Sc. 2nd examiner: Rainer Johann M.Sc. Weimar, 08.08.2009 CONTENT Introduction .............................................................................................................. 02 Xiamen, a global city under construction ................................................... 04 Brief History ........................................................................................... 04 Economy ................................................................................................ 06 Xiamen University .................................................................................. 06 Recent urban development in Xiamen. Achievements and Problematic ...................................................................... 08 Housing model for the industrial enclaves ............................................ 08 Illegal settlements, a response to an inflexible model ........................... 10 Is the Divided City inevitable under a market-driven urbanism? ...... 14 Knowledge-city Xiamen ......................................................................... 14 Knowledge and cohesive-city in Xiamen, is it possible? ........................ 16 The Open, Mixed, Flexible and Dense City ................................................... 18 The Open City .........................................................................................18 Mix of Clusters ....................................................................................... 20 The Flexible city ..................................................................................... 20 Density .................................................................................................. 22 The Xia-harbor ......................................................................................................... 24 Project scenarios .................................................................................... 26 XIAMIX ........................................................................................................................ 30 Conclusions ............................................................................................................... 32 Index of Figures ........................................................................................................35 Bibliography ............................................................................................................... 36 The present work was supported by the programme AlBan, the European Union Programme of High Level Scholarships for Latin America, scholarship N0. E07M400422CO. Abstract Xiamen, a city in the south eastern coast of China, is experiencing and accelerated urbanization. Unfortunately, recent urban improvements are being done on behalf of the displacement of tra- ditional population and clearances of the old urban fabric. In frame of a rapid economic growth is important to ask if the new Chinese city addresses the specific problematic of the site and the future trends of economy. Through an analysis of the current urbanization in Xiamen, this work pretends to find new alternatives of urban development; taking into account, the country’s chal- lenges in the fields of innovation, knowledge economy and social-cohesion. A spatial proposal for a redevelopment in the city will be formulated, aiming to trace alternatives of urban renewal that could be implemented not only in China but also in other Developing Countries. Keywords Urban Renewal, Post-fordist city, Social-cohesion, Xiamen, China. XIAMIX | Juan Yunda 02 China choose to open its market and became the factory of the world in behalf of improving Introduction the conditions of the nation, quality of life and infrastructure. But the opening is bringing also Cities are a collective construction of human crescent inequalities to the former equal com- groups. Their forms depend strongly on the cul- munist society. They are produced as the larg- ture, economic system and climate conditions est part of population is employed in low-sala- of society in a place. But not infrequently also ries production. But the Chinese rule is aware on foreign influences. These influences appear of the risks of this model. They want to avoid as nations are conquered, colonized or recently, the case of Latin America. A continent that spe- by the influence of mass culture. The technology cialized only in the cheap exploitation of natural and communication revolution of the 20th cen- resources and agricultural exports. The result tury has expanded the realm of mass culture is a highly segregated city and society. Inequality worldwide. Since then, city construction doesn’t and segregation similar to the Latin American follows strictly the specific conditions of a place, can be seen already in China as population is but is also being shaped by market. Market is displaced in old village clearances to make way strongly influenced by the mass culture. In the to highways and residential towers. The urban developing world, market-driven urbanization is poor are starting to settle in informal dwellings perceived as the only way to achieve develop- and slums. The communist party agreed by the ment. The same phenomenon can be seen from beginning of the 21th century on achieving a Latin America, to Asia and recently in Africa. knowledge-economy. Selling knowledge instead The same mass culture products like the sub- of labour would bring to the large part of popu- urban villas, gated compounds and shopping lation enough purchase power to improve their malls are being built from Shanghai to Mumbai living conditions. But the challenges are high, or Bogota. not only in education, but also in building from scratch a creative and innovative society. Those cities that in the developed world wer built in a certain time and under specific social Xiamen is a Chinese city with long market tradi- and economic conditions are being reproduced tion. Its strategic location and recent turnover in the developing countries. Often these models to a high-tech cluster put it in the vanguard of are totally alien to the places and doesn’t fit to the innovative cities in the country. The purpose their needs. The Fordist city model was a result of this work is to analyze Xiamen’s current city of the specific conditions of industrialized na- development in order to identify its weaknesses th tions and welfare states in the 20 century. But and advantages into achieving knowledge econ- these image of city entered the mass culture omy and social-cohesion. In addition it is also a as sign of progress and economic success. In goal to successfully create a spatial sketch of the present, countries like China which is experi- an urban model for Xiamen. A model that could ence an accelerated urbanization, perhaps the foster innovation and equality. Therefore the fastest in history, is becoming a market-driven work is divided in three parts, the first one will ground in which old Fordist models are inten- focus in a socio-spatial research of Xiamen; the sively built. Questions then arise, if these old and second, will deal with the of social theories to foreign models fits to the contemporary urban formulate a coherent proposal. Finally, the third debate and new economic models. Does them part is Xiamix, the design itself, an attempt to also cope with the specific challenges of the create a knowledge and social-cohesive urban largest developing nation. project in the Xia-harbor. 03 XIAMIX | Juan Yunda Fig.1: Xiamen sight from Gulangyu island XIAMIX | Juan Yunda 04 Xiamen, a global city under 16th century. Xiamen town was therefore from those times enclosed by a defensive wall, de- construction molished in 1928. The Portuguese merchants Xiamen city, also known as Amoy is a sub-pro- arrived around 1516, and the Spanish follow vincial city located on the southeastern coast them from the Philippines on 1575. But were of Fujian Province in China. It has a population the Dutch who came on 1604 who challenged of 2’330.000 permanent residents1 and much more strongly the Chinese rule. They seize Tai- more including the illegal settlers and tempo- wan in 1624. The Dutch smuggled sugar and rary workers from the countryside. Xiamen is silk from China until the Chinese national hero becoming nowadays one of the most successful Zheng Chenggong (1624-1662), known as mid-size Chinese cities. It was one of the first pirate Koxinga by its enemies, and his army four SEZ, Special Economic Zones in China and of 25.000 returned Taiwan to motherland in since then, it has been experience continuous 1662. Koxinga is remembered in Xiamen nowa- growth and is being