Chengdu re-imagines what a CBD is capable of

Emerging Tianfu New Area stands out from the crowd with innovative design that seeks to create a 'park city'

Chengdu Tianfu New Area, the 11th national new area in China, is setting an excellent example in terms of sustainable urban development.

Drive 25 kilometers south from downtown Chengdu, capital of Southwest China's Sichuan province, and you'll see a new central business district emerging in the Tianfu New Area. The CBD, planned to cover 28.6 square kilometers, will become a new core of the city.

The CBD is becoming a crucial zone, with an intensive cluster of traders and businesses, as well as a widespread transport network.

The Shanghai Lujiazui CBD is home to 93 office buildings. Each has at least 100 million yuan ($14.01 million) in annual combined revenues generated by the companies based there. At the Guangzhou Tianhe CBD, the number of such buildings is 62. In comparison, these profitable buildings are scattered across Chengdu. From this perspective, the southwestern city is still short of a real CBD, local officials said.

The Tianfu CBD under construction has advantages in location, transport, environment and infrastructure, which are conducive to creating a top-class CBD. To date, the emerging Tianfu CBD has attracted a group of highly profitable industrial projects, which are helping the area move up the industrial value chain and boost its global competitiveness, they added.

Local authorities have put forward a new concept - a central business park - in the new CBD design. It emphasizes a balance between industrial development and environmental preservation. The concept also highlights the area's rail traffic, culture and attractiveness to high-level professionals, while helping industries better serve the city's development.

About 45 percent of the Tianfu CBD area will be covered by greenery. It will be built around waters, grass and trees, with the Tianfu Park at the center. Traditionally, CBDs are built near roads.

"At the heart of the Tianfu New Area, the CBD will feature an urban rail transit system," said Du Xinyu, deputy head of the investment promotion department of the headquarters economy bureau at the administrative committee of Chengdu Tianfu New Area.

The new CBD will make use of the underground and above-ground space to construct a convenient traffic network, Du said.

Green transport is planned to make up about 85 percent of the area's network. Eight subway lines with 18 stops will crisscross the area, outnumbering other renowned CBDs in China.

The new CBD in Chengdu will be located between two airports in Chengdu and near a high-speed railway station. A convenient transport network has great business potential, officials said.

The district has also set a threshold for industrial investment in a bid to achieve high-quality development. It will focus on the headquarters economy and the convention and exhibition industry, Du said.

Many companies have moved their core departments to the district after seeing business opportunities and advantages, the official said.

Construction of a headquarters center began in the CBD in June, which is planned to cover an area of 1.23 sq km. On the groundbreaking day, the center attracted 30 major companies, such as China Merchants Shekou Industrial Zone Holdings, Dongfang Electric Corporation and New Hope Group, with a combined investment of 111 billion yuan.

The Western China International Expo City, which opened in June 2017, has hosted a series of high-profile international events. These include the Western China International Fair and the China Food and Drinks Fair.

Construction of another key venue, the Tianfu International Conference Center, is expected to be completed in the CBD by the end of this year.

The Tianfu CBD will include residential areas, commercial areas, hotels and culture-related facilities, as well as medical care and education-related infrastructure.

In February 2018, the Tianfu New Area announced the idea of building a "park city", of which the CBD is a typical example.

The new area increased its efforts in building itself into a park city, adjusting its development plan to better integrate with the natural landscape and create a livable environment.

In April, the first Park City Forum was held in Chengdu Tianfu New Area. During the event, an academic book on research into park cities, as well as their ecological value and planning, was released.

Wang Bo, head of a park city research institute in Chengdu Tianfu New Area, said the institute's focuses are biological diversity and commercialization of ecological value.

About 70 percent of the area will be put into ecological and agricultural use. It will also build a natural habitat for wild animals, Wang added.

The idea already exists in the area. Xinglong Lake has become a paradise for birds and fish after its water quality was improved. The lake is home to 52 species of wild birds.

At the same time, high-level professionals from around the world live beside the lake. At weekends and holidays, many residents go walking, jogging or enjoy the sunshine and natural beauty.

In the future, the area will open more commerce, cultural and sports-related facilities to stimulate the economy, local officials said.

The area will explore theories and practices in creating a park city, and provide a solution for future urban development for cities around the world, they said.