Taiyuan Masterplanning | United Design Practice UDP

We were tasked to deliver a masterplan for a residential development in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province in China. Due to ecological devastation from coal mining, there are intensive efforts to restore the greenery in the region, whilst creating sustainable economic communities in the outskirts of the city. The site is a mountainous one, our road cuts across and provide access to two different plots, one at a lower elevation (right) with a higher plot ratio comprising of town houses and low rise apartment blocks, and at a higher elevation (left) with lower plot ratio of villas and detached houses. The middle of the area is where the terrain is most steep, which we designated as a key landscaping belt. Tree top walkways connect 5 landscape highlights and a clubhouse. • The 5 landscaping highlights are civic spaces inspired by local culture and history. Each is drawn from a different time period in the city's 5000 years of rich and colorful heritage. The tree top walk that connects the highlights is on a constant, facilitating access for the young and old. The undulating terrain beneath gives the residents an opportunity to observe the crown ecology of different plant species, giving a variety to the planting strategy. It is also designed to give the best vantage point of the city, as well as the highlights below, as influenced by the topography it is traversing.