PLAN Magazine 6#: UPAT Ningbo, China - Urban Conservation in Xinmalu historical district

PLAN

Issue 6 February 2019

Ningbo Urban Conservation in Asia Xinmalu Historical District - In Search of a New Identity Shikumen Style Culture Nature Journey

ISSN: 2414-3463

Editors’ note

A Culture Nature Journey in Ningbo: Planning for Growth While Respecting the Past

Nupur Prothi Khanna

Publishing organisation International Society of City and Regional Planners (ISOCARP) Urban Planning Advisory Team (UPAT) Programme P.O. Box 983 2501 CZ The Hague The Netherlands www.isocarp.org

Photography Cover Image: NBPI Pages 5, 21-22, 38-39, 47, 54-55, 66-67: M. Ivkovic

Organisers International Society of City and Regional Planners (ISOCARP) ISOCARP Institute, Center of Urban Excellence Ningbo Urban Planning & Design Institure (NBPI)

Illustrations Icons from The Noun Project by: Pierre-Luc Auclair (human), Julio Yanes (wheel), Deemak Daksina (lake), Sophia (building), Saifurrijal100 (book), Aha-Soft (bank): 20-21.

Editors Nupur Prothi Khanna, Martin Dubbeling

All other illustrations were supplied by the respective organisations or authors of the text.

Design and Layout Zivile Simkute

ISSN 2414-3464

A WORD ON YOUTH

All other photos were supplied by the respective organisations or authors of the text, or a reference to the author has been made.

Š 2019 ISOCARP All copyrights, commercial rights, design rights, trademarks or other elements considered intellectual property that are published in this report are reserved by the International Society of City and Regional Planners. You are permitted to use the contents of this report online, offline and social media and other publication channels for non-commercial purposes with clear reference to International Society of City and Regional Planners as its main source. You are not permitted to modify, compile, adapt, or use any part of this report in any way for commercial purposes without a written agreement from International Society of City and Regional Planners. For more information please contact isocarp@isocarp.org.

This year, eight specialists in heritage, architecture and landscape got together to discuss how to create a plan for the Xinmalu Heritage District, Ningbo that would allow for growth while protecting a history that extends back to 4800 BC. It is no surprise that the conversation returned to the root of the city – water. The very name of the city embraces this. The character for Ning means “serene� while “bo� means waves. What was surprising, and welcome, was how this group and many of its findings were driven by youth. The digital age and the next generation will be at the heart of the planning that drives this city forward while nodding to the past.

This

magazine is a collection of articles written by specialists about the challenges that face Ningbo and how

they might be addressed. The UPAT group met in April

2018. The articles presented here are a glimpse into the

preparation for that week at Ningbo and what each expert took away from their experience to give back to Vision

Ningbo. The UPAT members processed information related to the redevelopment of the Xinmalu Historic

District, planning vision and projections for its prosper

ous future one on hand and engaged with the on ground reality and aspirations of the citizens on the other.

It was very encouraging to see the contribution of the Young Planners during the workshop and in the production of this magazine. The idea of a UPAT is to give a fresh international perspective to a local urban challenge.

What better outcome than to engage and empower a set of young planners and urbanists from China to chart the way forward. So, cheers to our young team ‌ Helen (Wenjing Luo) for coming up with the term ‘Y-town’ symbolising Youth, Yours and the Yong derived from the Y form of the river system. Liao shared his local experience through a series of Chinese case studies on urban renewal. Zhongyi played a pivotal role in the production of this magazine. Thirteen students of Ningbo University, Department of Architecture and Urban Planning under the guidance of Prof. Yu Pan and Prof. Yanli Liu partly ensured the success of this collaboration by setting the stage with their studio work. Their preparatory studies related to historical background, analysis of key planning measures, spatial analysis, historic building analysis, analysis of site features, and study of social and economic backdrop formed an important base for the proposals. Haiming’s piece lays out in detail the significance of the Grand Canal and the methodology adopted in the preparation of its nomination dossier for world heritage.

A WORD ON WATER The characters in Ningbo suggest the meaning serene waves. Its earlier name Mingzhou suggests two parts or two lakes that were within the city wall. Water, as we learnt, was central to the Ningbo of the past but had disappeared or lay hidden today. Sven our urban design expert brought forth the design perspective on water and the constant innovation in Dutch urbanism having its long legacy of water and climate related challenges.

From his experience of designing water sinks as part of public space, he was able to put forth a strong case for the modern city to rediscover its water heritage. Bringing water back is not about physically bringing the water back to the canals, streams and rivers that once impossible crisscrossed the landscape. This is usually in dense cities. The idea is more about bringing to the

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The Ningbo Urban Planning and Design Institute (NBPI) forefront the concept of tangible but intangible water.

The urban culture is Ningbo still retains it water-based stories. A recent emphasis on natural and cultural heritage within Chinese governance offers an opportunity to invest in both these pivotal aspects as identified in AnaPaola’s and Marie-Noël’s interview. The two WHITRAP colleagues bring forth the case of the Historic Urban Landscape, which reinforces that tourism and development make long-term sense if we respect and protect the unique potential of the place. This responds to Ali’s deliberation on authenticating the fake where so much of the heritage and cultural diversity still exists.

Detlef’s article lays out the historical evolution of conservation practice in the West and in the context of world heritage. Citing global examples addressing similar challenges, and in the context of his long drawn experience with China he notes that this is a ‘great opportunity for wise solutions’. Yassine builds upon this highlighting the importance of intangible alongside tangible heritage.

He reiterates that planning process and practice has to move beyond its technical boundaries to imbibe and reflect the narratives, art and memory of the local communities. Milena and Martin lay out the significance of the UPAT and its objectives that help achieve a possible way forward in a short time intense format.

The inspiration for the future of Ningbo came in many forms. The prosperous heritage of maritime trade, foreign concessionaires, business houses, and an intermingling of diverse cultures from in the past inspired the expert team. The vision for the Xinmalu emerged from the interaction with the local stakeholders, community members, and present occupants whose memories

revealed a personal narrative as addressed in Helen’s interviews in Yassine’s article. They spoke of the terrain intertwined with water channels, ranging in size from the Grand Canal a few kilometers away to the smaller streams flowing through Xinmalu on which they remembered riding with their grandparents. A third perspective, covered in Jonas’s article is the various possibilities that emerge in creating new urbanism that respects the historic principles and design. New design emerging out of a respect for traditions, culture, vernacular and community based narratives such as the Ningbo Museum (or Yinzhou Museum by Wang Shu) offers a good practice for the way forward. At the end of this week-long intense engagement, the experts left with these vivid impressions that form the basis of their contribution for the Xinmalu.

MAKING IT HAPPEN In the end, however, inspiration, youth and vision are not enough. The success of the UPAT comes from the openness of NBPI and the senior government officials. A sustainable future for China relies on what Shi Nan emphasized as the historic and ecologically sensitive model of development. Sound governance coupled with expertise on global good practice and local perseverance to translate will position China to reap rewards as it grows into a great future while celebrating its heritage. My journey with ISOCARP began in the autumn of 1998 with an ISOCARP Young Planners Award on water and heritage at Azores. This UPAT is an inspiring moment on this two decade long journey of engaging with and working towards integration of our water, natural and cultural heritage within our dense cities.

The Ningbo Urban Planning and Design Institute, founded in 1988, is a very active and dedicated partner organization of ISOCARP. In 2014 NBPI was one of the laureates of the Awards for Excellence for the spatial strategy for the conservation and development of the Ningbo Xiangshan Harbor. Since 2016 NBPI is an institutional member of ISOCARP. NBPI is responsible for major tasks in regional and urban planning as well as master and zoning planning in Ningbo and other cities in China. NBPI also produces detailed urban and landscape designs, comprehensive plans for districts, sites, transportation networks and infrastructure, architectural design, and provides services in GIS, planning consultancy and research. NBPI has received many domestic and international prizes for its work. The office of NBPI with 180 employees is situated in the core of Ningbo Eastern New Town, one of the two developing CBDs assigned in Ningbo Master Plan. NBPI has opened a special department for international projects and cooperation. This department prepared and hosted the Xinmalu UPAT Workshop.

Team Leader Prof. H. Detlef Kammeier with Nupur Prothi Khanna

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Plan Ningbo

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Content

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Editors’ notes Nupur Prothi Khanna

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Contributors

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Introductory remarks Martin Dubbeling

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Facts and figures

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Snapshot Ningbo

The Challenge of Fake Heritage Authentication

Contesting the Fake and the Authentic

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Dr. Ali A Alraouf

3. THE WAY FORWARD Urban Renewal Strategies

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1. PERSPECTIVES ON HERITAGE 22

Future development of the Shikumen Style Jonas Bjørklund

Heritage narratives in spatial planning

Between Preservationism and social constructivism - The case of Ningbo

From Past to Present

Haiming Yan, Nupur Prothi Khanna

Table of Content

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The Grand Canal

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Learning from international practice

Bringing back the notion of water Sven van Oosten

English translation by XXXXXXXXXX

Viewpoints from Mrs. Zhang Ying and Mr. Yang Bin

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Planning Historic Districts in Chinese Cities

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Strategies for New Commercial Developments

Filling Old Bottles with New Wine Wenjing Luo

4. LEARNING FROM ELSEWHERE

Urban Conservation in Asia

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Ningbo UPAT within a broad Asian (and global) context Prof. H. Detlef Kammeier

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Recommendations on Historic Urban Landscapes

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Expert voice: Shi Nan

Learning from local practice

Nupur Prothi Khanna, Zhongyi Shi, Martin Dubbeling

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2. DISCOVERING NINGBO Xinmalu in Perspective

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Setting the context for Xinmalu Historic District

Interview with Marie-Noël Tournoux and Anna-Paola Pola

Expereince of Guangzhou Industrial Heritage Protection and Utilizaiton Mechanisms Liao Xinlong

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Xinmalu District Deep Dive Milena Ivkovic, Tjark Gall

Dr. Yu Pan

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Plan Ningbo

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Contributors

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ALI A. ALRAOUF is an architect, urban designer and planner from Egypt, interested in research and practice related to architectural and comprehensive sustainable design and urban planning.

He is professor of Architecture and Urbanism at Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar.

And Head of capacity building, training, research and development unit at Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME) in Qatar.

MILENA IVKOVIĆ is ISOCARP’s Vice President UPAT. Milena is a researcher and designer with more then ten years of both academic and practical experience in the field of urban planning. Within her own practice called Blok74, in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, Milena is developing new urban planning tools, based on gamification and collaborative design.

NUPUR PROTHI KHANNA has two decades of experience as a landscape architect. With graduate and post-graduate degrees in Physical Planning and Landscape Architecture from SPA Delhi and Heritage Conservation from University of York (UK), her work through Beyond Built Pvt Ltd, a research-based design practice in Delhi, seeks to bridge these diverse interests. Currently she is based out of Stockholm.

ZHONGYI SHI has grown up within walking distance from the Xinmalu District in Ningbo. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture is studying city design and social sciences at the London School of Economics aiming at visions for cities, incorporating social, political and economic perspectives into the process of urban planning, and critically evaluate the successes and failures of urban regeneration projects around the world.

MARTIN DUBBELING is a senior consultant active in the fields of urban planning and design, landscape architecture, and the environment in the Netherlands and abroad. He is President-elect of ISOCARP (2018-2021). As Vice President UPATs and as UPAT Programme Manager, Martin organised various UPAT workshops in Asia, Europe and South Africa.

HANS DETLEF KAMMEIER is a German urban and regional planner with more than five decades of practice in many countries. His academic experience was largely as faculty member of the Asian Institute of Technology in Bangkok but also as visiting professor in Germany and - at present - as invited professor of the International Summer School of the Ren Min University of Beijing.

MINDONG NI graduated as a Master in Urban Planning from School of Architecture and Urban Planning at the Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan. After his studies he worked as an urban planner in London and Paris. As vice director of the International Cooperation Centre of the Ningbo Urban Planning and Design Institute (NBPI) he coordinates cross-border projects.

WENJING LUO works as an urban planner at the Wuhan Planning & Design Institute (WPDI) where she focuses on urban renewal, sustainable urban design, planning history, and cultural heritage conservation and utilization. She has worked, published papers and won prizes on the topic of planning history and heritage conservation as well as urban renovation and ecological restoration.

JONAS BJØRKLUND is an architect and urban planner at the Municipality of Bodø.

He received a Master’s degree in Architecture from Bergen School of Architecture in 2008 and a Bachelor’s degree in Art History from University of Bergen in 2001. Jonas is the chairman of Bodø Housing and City Planning Association. Currently, he is working on zoning and master planning Bodø’s city centre.

YASSINE MOUSTANJIDI is an urban planner and architect from Morocco. He is a practitioner and researcher on the issues ofa urban sustainability and mega-urbanization.

He has worked intensively on urbanization challenges within the Middle East and North Africa region, China, and Europe.

Presently Yassine is lecturer and researcher at the Institute of International Urbanism at the University of Stuttgart in Germany.

XINLONG LIAO holds a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture and a Master’s degree in Urban Planning at the Tsinghua University in Beijing.

He works as a planning assistant at the Guangzhou Urban Planning & Design Survey Institute (GZPI) and focuses on the conservation of historic and cultural resources and industrial heritage as well as urban design and urban renewal.

SVEN VAN OOSTEN is an urban designer with a Master in Urbanism from Delft University of Technology and an extensive experience in both the Netherlands and China. Sven worked as urban designer at the International Cooperation & Exchange Studio (ICES) of Wuhan Planning & Design Institute (WPDI). Presently he works on research by design studies and interdisciplinary research projects at buro MA.AN in Rotterdam.

Plan Ningbo

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Contributors YUXIAO XU (HARRY) is an urban planner in Ningbo Urban Planning and Design Institute. Yuxiao received his Master of Urban and Regional Planning in University of Michigan, Ann Arbor in 2016. His focus is local strategic plans, planning researches and new planning approaches such as big data analysis. He is currently working on an ecological restoration and urban refurbishment plan for Ninghai.

Working Team Members NINGBO URBAN PLANNING AND DESIGN INSTITUTE Nenggong Zhang Rong Chen Ming Luo Zhehua Xu Xiaoyuan Mei Wixuan Wang Feifan Chen Pei Wang Yingyi Hu Yuan Yu Jincheng Lu Chengqiong Gu Menglin Lou Xubiao Hu Liming Zhu Shuying Fan Lei Zhang

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NINGBO UNIVERSITY Yuli Wang Yanli Liu JIANGBEI PLANNING BUREAU Haifeng Jiao

DR. YU PAN is an urban designer and city planner. Educated in the UK, he participated in a wide range of urban design and planning projects in the UK and China, from city centre regeneration, historical reservation and new towns, to urban sustainable assessments and village design.

His current research focuses upon historical regeneration for Chinese cities and the design of sustainable new towns.

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Plan Ningbo

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ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION AND URBAN RENOVATION In 2016, the Central Economic Working Conference of the Chinese Government adopted the strategy to strengthen urban and rural planning and design, to restore natural and ecological vital areas and to encourage renovating urban areas. This new policy, developed by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Rural Development (MOHURD), marks the beginning of a new phase in China’s urban-rural planning and reconstruction. The Ecological Restoration and Urban Renovation Act emphasises the need for nation-wide tasks and targets on a local and city level. In effect, MOHURD directs regional and local governments to retrofit and redevelop cities to improve the quality of life for citizens.

Introductory remarks Martin Dubbeling, ISOCARP President Elect

Ningbo is an exciting and complex city. It has outstanding heritage, successful new developments, beautiful bridges, high quality museums, with a well-developed and continuous network of green ways and public spaces. During my many visits to Ningbo in the past years I have experienced that Ningbo is a city that embraces new spatial concepts that improve the ecological quality and living conditions for its inhabitants.

Ecological Restoration and Urban Renovation is a combined transition in both the urban development policy as well as the administration of urban governance. Ecological restoration encourages the repair of damaged natural features and the enhancement of ecological qualities and landscapes. It also emphasises the relationship between urban and ecology, between protection and development, and between human and nature.

Urban Renovation, on the other hand, aims to upgrade urban functions and infrastructure and to improve urban identity and vitality through organic urban renewal.

For more than two thousand years, Ningbo is one of the starting points and important trading cities of the Silk Road that connects China with other parts of Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Europe. Ningbo is one of the busiest trading ports since the Tang (618-907) and Song (9601279) Dynasties and serves today as the second Chinese harbour after Shanghai. Today and in the coming decades, Ningbo is one of the key cities in the ‘One Belt, One Road Initiative’ that will boast international trade and cultural exchange. Today, Ningbo is very well connected to the high speed railway network that connects to Hangzhou amongst other cities.

Ningbo’s historic city and urban core is centred on the confluence of the Yong, Fenghua and Yuyao Rivers. Located along the eastern coast of the country, it developed as a port and maritime trading centre. Like many other Chinese cities, it has experienced rapid urbanization and urban expansion resulting from the creation of development zones established in the 1980s and 1990s.

The city now has a population of 7.6 million and spans over an area of 9.816 square kilometres. Ningbo’s GDP reached 985 billion Yuan (128 billion USD) in 2017 and ranked as the 15th city in China. The manufacturing and services industries are the two major components of modern Ningbo’s economy.

XINMALU HISTORICAL DISTRICT Xinmalu Historical District is located in the centre of Jiangbei District with a total area of 22 ha. It is one of the best parts of the city because of its central location, heritage, and relation with the river. Ningbo is the major eastern starting point of the JingHang or Grand Canal that connects Hangzhou with Beijing. The history of Xinmalu District dates back to the end of Qing Dynasty

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COOL PLANNING The task of the ISOCARP UPAT Team was to assist the NBPI in their visioning process for the new identity and

urban renovation of Ningbo’s Xinmalu Historical District.

The ambition of NBPI is that Xinmalu Historical District will become an example of urban renovation and ecological restoration that combines the restoration of urban functions, the improvement of living conditions and that utilizes potential spatial, social, cultural, ecological and economic values. In short, the task of the UPAT team is to enhance ‘Cool Planning’. ‘Cool’ in both senses of the word, as places desirable for living and doing business, and as places that our planet can support for the next generations.

The Urban Planning Advisory Team (UPAT) programme is a service that ISOCARP, the International Society of City and Regional Planners, provides to cities and regions worldwide. The strength of ISOCARP’s approach lies in the diversity of each team, with a context and perspective that is specific to a certain location and point in time. Bringing together ISOCARP members and local professionals creates an alchemy that leads to creative and robust urban strategies.

The results of the UPAT team visiting Ningbo between 26 to 31 March 2017 are reflected in this PLAN Magazine.

Other editions of PLAN Magazine present the results of other UPAT workshops in Gaza and West-Bank, Wuhan, Bodø, Durban and Guangzhou.

I thank the NBPI for preparing and hosting this excellent UPAT workshop and I thank the Ningbo UPAT Team for their contributions in the production of this Magazine.

(1642-1912). When foreign powers forced China into trading concessions after the First Opium War (18391842), Ningbo became one of the five international trading ports in China. The other four open ports in that era were Shanghai, Guangzhou, Fuzhou and Xiamen.

Xinmalu Historical District is situated adjacent to the Old Bund on Jiang Bei An, the north bank of the Yong and Yuyao Rivers, where foreign traders settled and where they had their trading posts. In 1914 Yongcao Railway connected Ningbo with Hangzhou and Shanghai. In the end of 1900s, Jiang Bei developed into an important business centre with a large number of successful Chinese and international financial, trading and shipping enterprises. Today, the urban fabric and the mansions, warehouses and offices built under eclectic Sino-European architecture remind us of the British, French, German and Dutch presence in Ningbo. Most of these historical buildings, streets and infrastructures in Xinmalu Historical District are in need of renovation and reuse.

Group picture Ningbo UPAT Team

Plan Ningbo

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NINGBO

PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA

ZHEJIANG PROVICE

NINGBO

FACTS AND FIGURES

TU YOUYOU

SIR YUE-KONG PAO CBE

CHIANG KAI-SHEK

The recipient of the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

The founder of Hong Kong's World-Wide Shipping Group, one of the largest shipping companies in the world

The former president of the Republic of China from 1928 - 1975

Maritime Silk Route

3,5 mil Urban population

Famous trade city, the Port of Origin of the Maritime Silk Route

7,8 mil Metropolitan population 2400 km

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Total Area of Ningbo

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Yangtze Delta

Entrepreneurship

Ningbo lies in the Yangtze Delta, at the mouth of the Hangzhou Bay.

80%

Three rivers

Trade History

The inner city is situated by the confluence of three rivers -Yong, Yuyao and Fenghua rivers

Intensive trade port since the 15th century. One of the 5 foreign ports open for foreign trade in the 19th century.

of the

total GDP of Ningbo comes from private entrepreneurship

Hemudu Archaeological Sites

The earliest Neolithic site discovered in China, dating back to 7000 BC. The Rice grains unearthed were the earliest evidence of rice cultivation in the world.

4th busiest container port

4th

busiest container port in the world, after Shanghai, Singapore and Shenzhen

Dongqian Lake 20km2 The largest natural lake in Zhejiang providence with a surface area of 20 km2

Tianyi Pavilion The oldest existing private library in China, and one of the three oldest family libraries in the world.

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Plan Ningbo

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1 PERSPECTIVES ON HERITAGE Conservation of our cultural environment across geographies illustrates that the significance of tangible and intangible heritage is playing a pivotal role in development of our urban environment. For a long time, sustainable future it is important to analyse the historic setting of the Xinmalu District within the city of Ningbo within the parameters of heritage conservation in China. In the absence of a longterm vision to protect its natural and cultural heritage, the Xinmalu Historic District lost its waterways that were converted to vehicular streets with time. The absence of these canals in the proposed planning for Xinmalu is seen as a missed opportunity especially in the proximity of the Grand Canal. A reintroduction of the notion of water through water features, visual connections, signage and other means of interpretation, intangibly linking the site to the river may give this district a much needed boost both from an imageability and liveability perspective as expressed by the stakeholders. Governance and public policy plays a critical role in collaborating development with the historic environment. The officials, leading planners and decision makers in the district are commitment to moving into a future with stewardship and responsibility.

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Plan Ningbo

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Heritage narratives in spatial planning

Between Preservationism and social constructivism - The case of Ningbo Yassine Moustanjidi, Wenjing Luo

Cultural heritage is a contested field whose malleable meanings and approaches are in constant flux. This is mainly due to the dynamic nature inherent to culture, society and institutions as such, which is reflected in the high level of complexity in dealing with the Past within the modern urban development.

Through its constant evolutionary process, the notion of heritage has gone through radical reframing that influenced the way planners and cities deal with their historical relics. The first approach dates back to the early years of the 20th century, during which the rapid modernization of cities began to pose a real threat to what was perceived then as historical heritage. Consequently, a common preservationist ideal had emerged as a way to preserve these scarce monuments from the major socio-economic transformations that cities were experiencing. Consequently, the historical relics were treated as physical “collections� that needed to be highlighted and contrasted to the disruptive manifestations of modernity.

NEW PARTNERSHIPS The response of planners was therefore to engage in an intricate task of classification and listings that privileged the architectural values of individual buildings, but detached them from the immediate urban context or their potential as an economic or spatial resource for the city.

At this stage, urban heritage preservation mainly served as a therapeutic treatment in times of relentless modernization and rapid social change. By the 1970s, a more flexible approach in dealing with heritage has gained ground. The experience from the previous decades had proven that not all historical objects can be totally preserved in the same way. This has opened the door to nuanced approaches that aimed at a more holistic integration of cultural heritage in the economic and spatial context. The acknowledgment that historical buildings not only retain value but also use value and therefore

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can be assimilated as distinctive elements of a larger contemporary urbanization has shifted the focus from object-centered conservation to the regeneration of entire urban areas. This has made it possible to bring in new stakeholders in the process of urban regeneration, and new partnerships between the public, private, and civic actors.

However, it wasn’t until very recently that the discourse on urban heritage transcended the mere physicality of the object or area to encompass the notion of intangible heritage. Spatial development is believed to have an effect not only on the physical structures of a place, but also tends to root out stories and meanings that shape its social and physical imaginary. Traditions, narratives, and performed culture are therefore seen as fundamental components of the urban heritage repertoire, and should serve as an inspiration for future urban development. By tracing the narratives and traditions around urban heritage, the planning process assumes the role of a carrier of cultural significance, and a tool to enact, transmit, and reproduce heritage values.

PLANNING AS CREATOR OF NARRATIVES The recognition of space as a social product emphasizes the importance of these intangible processes inherent to the social condition of space. More importantly, it marks a shift from preservationism to a social constructivism where spatial planning is a creator of associative narratives inserted in a dynamic temporal continuum. This does also imply a radical repositioning of local communities as providers of orientation and inspiration in the planning process, and allows for various forms of heritage appropriation. These three evolutionary perceptions of heritage remind us of the difficulties that face cities and planners in the management of change regarding cultural relics. In rapidly growing cities, dealing with the past is a tremendous challenge not only due to the forces of urbanization, but also to the radical social

UPAT team exploring the heritage of Ningbo

UPAt team discussing the model of Xinamlu District development

and economic transformations. Cities such as Ningbo are no exception.

ic value, it was still unable to operate beyond the mere physical components of the area. In my opinion, the real strength of Xinmalu resides in its rich repertoire of narratives and spatial imaginaries that the old residents expressed during our stakeholder meeting. It is a dimension that not only links the current development to the past, but also serves as inspiration for future planning.

The question of identity here is fundamental, and it can only be answered within the temporal continuity of the urban ensemble. Therefore, it is crucial to reconsider the current approach followed in the regeneration of Xinmalu by expanding the definition of heritage in the context of Ningbo as whole. The recognition of immaterial heritage and its social layering is pivotal in this case as it helps to understand how people identify and associate value to heritage. Without this associative narrative, the historical context and physical forms become emptied from their meanings.

During our visit to Ningbo, it was clear to us that the city is struggling to find an adequate model to integrate the remaining fragments of its past in its modernizing urban structure. This case is revealing of a strong conflict between urban development and historic heritage, but also of the dynamic evolution of the meaning of heritage. The relentless urban growth that the city witnessed in the last four decades was widely seen as a disaster for many of its urban heritage sites. The once historical river city has seen most of its old urban structures replaced by new developments, scraping not only its irreplaceable architectural monuments, but also its rich repertoire of narratives, stories, and values.

INSPIRATION FOR FUTURE PLANNING Unrooted from its context and deprived from its identity, the city of Ningbo is now facing the threat that the conflicting forces of urban development pose to its cultural heritage, and senses an urgent need to relink to the past through the conservation of the very few vestiges scattered here and there. The urge to save what can be saved has been clearly reflected in the proposed master plans of the Xinmalu historical district. The latter has been recently listed as historical heritage shortly before its total demolition and the complete relocation of its residents. The proposed master plan follows a functional approach, which seeks to maximize the economic and spatial potentials of the area by capitalizing on its historical value. A list of individual historical buildings has been elaborated to assess the architectural qualities to be preserved or restored, while new structures that mimic the original ones were planned to host commercial and entertainment activities.

While this new development tries to make use of the historical qualities of the site as a generator of econom-

RESTORING THE COMMUNITY STRUCTURE By integrating this intangible dimension of heritage, spatial planning can turn from a mere technical tool to a bearer and reproducer of historical values to the extent that it becomes itself part of that heritage it represents.

Such approach tends to perceive heritage as a source of inspiration rather than objects stuck in time and space, but more importantly encourages local communities to engage in a process of co-production of heritage, where narratives, stories and performed culture are as important as historical buildings. In the case of Xinmalu historical district, I believe that restoring the community structure of the neighborhood and reconstructing the associative narrative of the place is a first step towards the elaboration of a holistic regeneration approach. This will also mark a fundamental shift from the preservation of isolated objects to a socially centered approach, allowing scope for stories, representations, and various forms of appropriation of heritage.

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A place for Nostalgia A local resident born in 1953, one of the stakeholders lived on Shengbao Road. To visualize the setting of his house built in 1961, made with bamboo and fenced with wire netting, this was a place veined with small waterways that connect with the river. A decade later when workers’ living quarters emerged on the landscape, farmers stopped engaging in agriculture and instead began to help build houses. Over time the streams were filled in and built upon, as was the case with the current Shengbao Road. This street was initially laid over with flagstone but subsequently

Interviews with Stakeholders The Xinmalu Historical District will witness the departure of the older generation that has lived here for two to three generations, and possibly be inhabited by the millennial community. How can we plan for this transition from one generation to another, keeping what we value from our past and cater for the needs and aspirations of the future? Xinmalu Historical District is envisioned as a place that belongs to all. It represents diverse perspectives, of people who lived there or of those who will move here from elsewhere. To incorporate the different views in its vision setting, a stakeholders’ meeting was held on the morning of April 17th attended by local residents, entrepreneurs, real estate developers, UPAT experts and members of NBPI.

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It was apparent at the meeting that there is a disparity between the nostalgia of the older generation and needs of the younger aspirants at Xinmalu. With our experience we know that cities can be diverse, sustainable and resilient when they interweave the new with the old.

The older generation laments the loss of the unique identity of the Xinmalu Historical District. A vision for the future can be successful if it incorporates the traditional and historic to revitalize this place to in turn seem attractive to new companies and younger talent. Not only does the vision need to focus on bringing in the new and young but also to make it inviting and lucrative for the earlier residents to opt for returning here to live and set up their local businesses. Only then can this be a winwin solution of balancing the new with the old.

dug out and rebuilt because of water logging problems. To improve living conditions, many houses were torn down in the name of urban regeneration. Although he has since relocated, he reiterated that water was the missing element in the site today and there was a need to bring back water and the related bridges and urban scape associated with it. Another local resident living here since the 1970s expressed nostalgia on the disintegration of the old neighbourhood due to rapid urban development. Not only did he wish to restore the original landscape of rivers, but also expressed the desire to invite the local residents to move back to live here or engage in local business.

A place for new aspirations One participant at the meeting has been running a team of 20 or so designers from within one of the restored residences in the Xinmalu Historical District. As the company has a cooperation contract with a local Fashion Institute of Technology to train their graduates there is a regular flow of youngsters who aspire to live and work in lively places. Does the restored house currently a platform for designers, provide an opportunity for expansion when such a need arises. Does the area address the other needs of small-scale creative industries to flourish, as also the right industrial environment to flourish? He expressed that for the area to attract design start-ups like his own, other companies in the field of finance, consulting and other services needed to be encouraged. A convenient transportation hub, this area has great accessibility and an appealing environment to work during nights as required by many designers. However, public facilities such as retail, dining and other services were poor and did not fulfil the young lifestyle. To fill in this gap, the representative of the local developer of Lujing Xintiandi Project elaborated that their project addresses the aspirations of the millennial.

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Viewpoints from Mrs. Zhang Ying and Mr. Yang Bin

Planning Historic Districts in Chinese Cities

Chinese cities have lately been focused on conservation of historic districts and ecological sensitive planning. Nowadays, people all around the country attach great importance to historical protection. Mrs. Zhang Ying, Deputy Chief of Jiangbei District, and Mr. Yang Bin, Vice Director of the Ningbo Planning Bureau and Director of the Ningbo City Planning Society, reflect on Xinmalu Revitalization District as a vital part of Ningbo Historic and Cultural city.

Mrs. Zhang Ying

Xinmalu District is strategically located within Ningbo. We have suggested that it should not be an isolated but a citywide development. Do you agree with this concept?

Mrs. Zhang Ying: As it is located in the core area of Ningbo, the protection, utilization and development of this area will a great influence on the Jiangbei District, and even on Ningbo city as a whole. In our proposals we should emphasize the protection of Xinmalu Historical District.

trict is in fact the origin of the open port of Ningbo, and the carrier of the identity and spirit of Ningbo. A lot of people emerged from Xinmalu and the Old Bund area, moving across the nation, and becoming business legends. It is important for us to think about how to revive this spirit, and how to protect the importance and identity of this heritage. We should promote the concept of respecting history, assessing the current situation and prioritising protection as we formulate strategies for the future revitalisation of the Xinmalu District.

Since it comprises of historic treasures and legacy of earlier generations, we should protect them well.

At present there are 3 historical units, 12 historical points, and 31 historical buildings, and a series of Shikumen (Stone-gate) buildings that showcase historical characteristics of the time, so Xinmalu Dis-

Mr. Yang Bin: The protection and use of the historical site is certainly worthwhile and meaningful. This process is a gradual for Ningbo and China. The Planning Department has done a lot of work related to the historical and cultural city. I feel that this consensus towards protecting our heritage is gradu-

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Mr. Yang Bin and Mrs. Zhang Ying

ally being formed. For example, I recently posted a photo of Minghe Ancient Town in Cixi, Ningbo. Those who saw asked me where it was as it looked like a dream town. Actually, when I went there for the first time, I realised that it was so valuable that people would themselves like to protect it.

In which way does this change the way of planning, decision-making and development of Xinmalu District?

Mrs. Zhang Ying: Our district single-mindedly followed the dictum, “development should obey protection, demolition should obey protection, and maintenance should obey protection”. Scientific planning should address inheritance through protection, and utilisation of historical buildings and culture alongside the process of development and expansion. Personally, I

consider reasonable utilisation as a practical means of protection.

Therefore, to make the revitalisation of the Xinmalu District successful, we need to consider it within the larger context of the city and region. Similarly, decision-making on the development of this district should reflect the larger development context of the area and further the city. If we analyse the history of the region, study the connection of space, transportation system, etc. from a larger perspective, based on the whole Jiangbei District, the entire Ningbo City, and so on, we will find that the solution will be workable and successful in the long run.

forms of business, what is the value they bring to the site? Value is not commercial, but value cannot be separated from commercial either.

What is the dominant function of the site? It is usually a mix. How do you continue that mix? On the practical side, how does political will work towards forming consensus on such projects? How do the many agencies work together to solve practical problems, such as municipal infrastructure, drainage etc.

Mr. Yang Bin: From an operational perspective, it is feasible to remove the local people and bring developers to create higher value. However, it actually disrupts the original culture. How do we arrange new

Mrs. Zhang Ying: We should emphasize the idea of expanding the Old Bund Area to refine function and development goals, as well as to perfect spatial form and function, analyse business and opera-

The Xinmalu District and the Old Bund are historically and geographically closely related to each other. Is it an idea to combine future developments?

tion of this larger area. We should give ample consideration to public facilities. It is only by providing a diverse range of functions in this area, can the city attract people, and its resources be adequately utilized and in turn protected. Thus, we should also learn from successful domestic and foreign experience for exposure. In the UPAT presentation the designers illustrated how to inject functional vitality into this area. I think it’s a very good idea, and it helps us to clarify the development positioning of Xinmalu Revitalization District. It’s a valuable input for future development and utilization of this area.

Mr. Yang Bin: In a historic area, it is easy to see a lot of existing relics, and special elements. But in fact, the real historic and cultural value is inherent and intangible not only addressed in the physical form.

Historic sites offer an opportunity

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to communicate across time and space. We discover life at that time and compare with how we live now.

Therefore, these sites are a platform for dialogue, across the realms of urban diversity. An attempt to understand and protect the value of historical sites will help in a clearer understanding of the value itself. In addition, it is helpful to analyse the site from the perspective of the regional, from a large scale to a micro scale. In this way we will be able to capture some elements of connectivity such as transportation, water connections, open space networks and site integration using layer-by-layer analysis.

From your experience, what are the challenges to implement regeneration projects like Xinmalu District?

Mrs. Zhang Ying: In Xinmalu District we could emphasize the showcasing of our culture. I think culture is the soul of a city and an area.

Sound planning and construction should embody a theme, a soul, which is culture. It’s of great importance to delve deeper into historical information and the human story, so that we can understand and protect it adequately in the face of development. I also think through such a study, we can showcase the cultural heritage of the district and inject our city with a soul leading to human wellbeing.

Whether a place can be successfully developed depends on collation of open, combine and coordinate thoughts related to the function of government, operation of market and participation of public, etc. We should design an operating system to specifically address the needs of this district and connect it with the

overall development and renewal of the city.

Urban Conservation in Asia

Mr. Yang Bin: Different countries, regions, institutional mechanisms employ different ways to implement regeneration projects. The coordination and handling of the relations between government, market forces, and citizens is a long-term challenge that is particular to each context and needs to be continually addressed. I look forward to learn more from the experiences and suggestions from the international team.

Ningbo UPAT within a broad Asian (and global) context Hans Detlef Kammeier

The Ningbo UPAT workshop gave all participants a splendid opportunity for viewing current practices of urban conservation in a Chinese city - not just any city, but an important historical city for hundreds of years, which has also emerged as an important modern city and one of the many centres in the Greater Shanghai Metropolitan Region. How much authentic historical substance has survived, how is it being conserved, and how does that compare with current trends in other parts of Asia?

I have written many papers on what I have described as “changing motivations, patterns, and achievements” over the past forty years where I have witnessed how Asian countries have been dealing with the challenges of their built environment (Kammeier, 2013).

In recent decades, most countries in Asia have achieved considerable progress in the often-contradictory field of urban conservation. This is in contrast with Europe where the difficult equation of “conservation with development” has generally become part of the mainstream in urban development policies, after decades of serious controversies and losses.

The translation of the text on the red banner in this group picture is: “Presentation of UPAT Ningbo Xinmalu Historic District”

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It may be stated that urban development through history tends to follow broad stages that are associated with the changes in socio-economic and political development. Similarly, society’s interest in, and support to, urban conservation and its integration in urban development policies, moves through certain stages. They reflect the more general conditions of urban management: In times of fast economic growth, the emphasis tends to be more on re-building and hence, neglect of older city fabric, whereas in times of slow socio-economic development, the principles of conservation, i.e. integrating old and new fabric, tend to become much stronger. The experience of Europe shows that the economic boom after World War II destroyed more historic fabric than the bombing during the war. Similarly, China’s many historic cities were in relatively good shape in 1949 but the competitive drive for industrialization and modernization has destroyed much of the centuries of historic substance that could have been preserved for future generations. The old saying that “a city without visible history is like a man without a face” painfully applies to most of Asia’s` modern cities.

URBAN DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT Urbanization constitutes the most radical transformation of social and economic structures all over the world, and with it, the dramatic and rapid transformation of landscapes and cityscapes that used to grow and change more slowly and gradually. China’s mind-blowing experience of the past 30 years speaks for this generalization.

However, it is not appropriate to compare urbanization effects in East and West directly because the industrialized, i.e., often post-industrial, part of the world is now at a very different stage of the urbanization processes than the recently urbanizing one, notably China. All of Southeast Asia is now part of these fast growth and transformation processes, not quite at the same pace and scale as in China, but not much slower either.

In Europe at present, 70 per cent of the city is already there, with buildings and infrastructure of 50 to 100 years of age; in addition, urban growth is found to have stagnated with shrinking cities contrasted with few fast growing centres of economic innovation. The style of urban planning and management has moved from emphasis on new structures and re-building to managing and improving the existing cityscape – and this includes conservation. In contrast, the newly urbanizing countries display fast growth and change, so their cities consist primarily of new fabric. In such cities, the understanding of older structures and the respect for traditional city fabric tend to be much lower than in countries at the end of the urbanization process. Therefore, in most Asian countries, conservation is only beginning to take root in the public discourse.

Along this journey of planning and development, the city and its quarters undergo almost natural aging processes related to materials, but furthermore to societal values attached to their built form. Such values are determined by political power, religion, and functional use (such as the fortified walls and gates that are useless to any modern city except for the tourism industry seeking picturesque decoration).

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NATURAL

Figure 1: A comprehensive classification of heritage resources

INTANGIBLE

Phenomena

TANGIBLE

Natural Objects

History is replete with dramatic cases of the changing ‘use values’ of previously grand structures, and re-defining urban space. Here are three examples to illustrate this: •

•

•

After its heyday as the centre of the ancient Greek democracy, the Acropolis of Athens lost its significance. During the Ottoman occupation of Greece, Athens was a dusty provincial town, and the Acropolis was used as a gunpowder magazine that then became the target for a destructive attack by the Venetian army (1687). It took another 150 years for the Acropolis to be re-valued as a symbol of the newly independent Greek kingdom (and finally inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1987).

In the sixth century AD, after the Forum Romanum, a market place in ancient Rome, had lost its dignity as the centre of the most powerful empire of the ancient world, it became a quarry for building houses and streets. Some of the marble was recycled to build the largest Christian church, St Peter’s Cathedral.

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MAN-MADE

Larger areas such as city quarters and historic centres include ordinary city fabric that would hardly be worth conserving as such but it is now important in the context of the more outstanding buildings, streets and public spaces and their overall historic values. The limited historic fabric of the UPAT project site in Ningbo does need the well protected historic buildings along the river for reminding the contemporary visitors of the historic context of the “Xinmalu” area where history (of many hundred years) met modernization (of 100 years ago). This is clearly expressed in the sketches of the UPAT team.

Activities (Cultural / Social)

Artefacts (Movable / Immovable)

FOCUS ON URBAN CONSERVATION

Within and outside the World Heritage system, there is considerable progress in implementing projects where development and conservation principles are effectively integrated in some kind of win-win solution. It must be said, however, that this continues to be extremely difficult – not only in the developing countries where this is beginning to be tested but also in countries with decades of experience with this approach. Multiple interests and conflicts include the landowners’ profit expectations, poor tenants’ needs for staying on, and cities’ interest in modernization, which is often stronger than that in favour of conservation. Therefore, rehabilitation projects are usually more demanding and time consuming than ordinary development projects. It is true that public investments in urban conservation projects usually trigger private investment but in many countries, the necessary incentive schemes do not exist yet and banks are there-

A general classification of heritage types and their values is outlined in Figure 1, below. Quite obviously, most heritage conservation projects have more dimensions than just the physical structures that need repairs and maintenance. The treatment of the physical fabric needs to take into account the intangible associations, meaning and value of a building, and generally, address the social and cultural issues that are involved.

Heritage, tangible or intangible, man-made or natural, movable or immovable, come in different sizes – ranging from the familiar single building (or part of a building complex like a sacred shrine) to larger areas like an en-

fore not interested in supporting for example, the owners of historic houses.

From its beginnings in the 19th century, cultural conservation was conceived as a movement against the growing large-scale industrial development, where modernity was seen as being incompatible with and overtaking too fast the traditions in society, settlement design, and craftsmanship. During the early phases of the European conservation movement, the restoration of cathedrals, castles, and entire historic towns sought to “clean” the alterations from the historic substance, removing the materials or interventions that had been added over the centuries. Thus the aim was to re-create an “ideal” and bring back the purity against the reality of multiple layers of developments and modifications, as in the work of the famous French architect and conservationist Eugene Viollet le Duc. Some decades later, the ideals had shifted to carefully reading and visualizing the “palimpsest” of historic buildings and city quarters, and understanding authenticity in materials and style. The Charter of Venice (1964) emphasizes such principles, in conjunction with growing concerns about the non-physical aspects of conservation such as gentrification and protection of poor tenants of old quarters.

THE IMPORTANT ROLE OF WORLD HERITAGE In response to similar European centric principles of Conservation, it was realized that purely material authenticity was at times in contradiction with the ideal of maintaining the spirit and meaning of a historic place, which was, and still is, more important in an Asian context (hence the Nara Document on Authenticity, 1994).

Expanding the scope of „Heritage Resources“ and „Heritage Sites“ implies growing community involvement as well as increasingly complex institutional arrangements

After the Siamese capital of Ayutthaya had been sacked by the Burmese troops in 1767, a new capital had to be founded in a safer location. What had been left of the proud capital was the memory, and the bricks, and they were shipped down the river to be used in erecting the new capital, Bangkok, after the image of Ayutthaya.

Another example may be added for contrast related to the two plans for Paris. First, Baron Haussmann’s grand transformation of Paris (1853-1870) was widely praised even though it amounted to drastic changes in “cutting up the belly of Paris”. In contrast, Le Corbusier’s modernist destructive fantasy (1930) that proposed demolishing the entire core area of Paris to rebuild it with 18 giant skyscrapers was luckily never considered for implementation demonstrating the transformation of the values attributed to built form and its impact on what survives of the historic fabric.

tire monastery, or a historic city centre, or even a whole region of historic relevance (cultural landscape). Figure 2 illustrates the increasing size and complexity of heritage sites over the past 30 years.

Ecosy

stem

Cultur a

l Land

scape

Herita

ge Sit e

Monu

ment

Figure 2: The expanding scope of conservation objects

Figure 3: Singapore Botanical Gardens World Heritage Site

!

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Thus ICOMOS similarly promoted the so-called China Principles (2004) to support the growing conservation movement in China.

Soon after its launch in 1972, the World Heritage system became the most visible and prestigious framework of conservation worldwide, daunting as a model but in essence, setting the way forward for guiding national policy formation. It is important for each country to come to grips with the local and national issues of each site where the difficult integration of conservation and development must be achieved – often amounting to the proverbial squaring of a circle. The World Heritage system has grown in complexity to reflect increasing international competence in heritage protection, reflecting the evolution in knowledge and perception in many disciplines. Since its inception, there have been many shifts in defining heritage values and their translation into protection policies (UNESCO Operational Guidelines, 2008).

SOME ASIAN REFERENCE CASES Considerable differences exist in the approach to conservation between the most advanced economies (Japan and Singapore, e.g.) and the latecomers in development (for example, Laos and Cambodia). Singapore embraced heritage conservation only in the early 1980s, after having re-developed most of its former traditional shop house fabric. Within the past 20 years, China probably achieved the greatest progress in catching up on state of the art conservation methodology with many interesting results, including some last-minute decisions for active conservation in Tibet, after most of the extant buildings

had been demolished. Cambodia and Laos have not had enough time and opportunity for updating their heritage legislation but there are some modest projects of urban conservation, apart from the special case of Angkor where large-scale historic preservation meets an increasingly unmanageable influx of tourists and with it, urban expansion.

In 2005, the city of Seoul surprised the conservation world with the signal case of demolishing an elevated expressway, which had been built over an inner-city stream (Cheonggyecheon). The reversal of traffic policy is a most visible sign of taking the Agenda 21 seriously (and it made Lee Myong Bak, the mayor, so popular that he became president in 2008). Thailand has its share of successes and failures, in terms of historic substance rescued, long-term policies, and some intelligent projects.

One of the most successful long-range programs must be that of Rattanakosin Island which was launched at the 200th anniversary of Bangkok. When the program began in 1982 very few observers would have believed it could become the success it is today, showing what a consolidated and continuously refined policy can achieve over a longer period of time. Cross-pollination of such conservation sensitive approach and strategies across this region can also have a long lasting and far-reaching impact. For instance, to some extent, the mixed success of Bangkok could serve as a positive example for Yangon although the colonial commercial centre of the city is obviously different and probably more difficult to handle than the historic centre of Bangkok which is less important commercially than the newly developed downtown areas east and south of the historic Rattanakosin area.

THE ASIA-PACIFIC AWARDS FOR HERITAGE CONSERVATION The Director of the Cultural office of UNESCO Bangkok launched an innovative programme of Best Conservation Practices in 1999. The idea is to award privately funded cultural heritage projects in the Asia-Pacific Region (which includes Australia and New Zealand), avoiding any inappropriate competition with government- sponsored programmes. Typically sponsored by individual property owners or by non-government agencies and often managed by communities, the projects represent an extraordinary range of interesting and competently managed cases of heritage conservation.

The annual competition has been running successfully for nearly 20 years, with very encouraging results. It can be stated with confidence, and that is a very important message particularly for the developing nations in Asia, that privately sponsored and competently executed conservation projects are the most effective promotion of broad based heritage management (Engelhardt, 2007; Chapman, 2013; and UNESCO (Bangkok) Website, 2011 or later).

Figure 5: Singapore skyline

CONCLUDING REMARKS

REFERENCES:

Conservation activities have grown much more over the past 40 years than any earlier conservation movements with their typically 19th century roots. The reason for this is that the speed of change in recent decades has been much faster than in the past. There are serious threats, losses to the finite heritage resource (natural and cultural). Across the world, there is a growing concern on disappearing cultural identity, which is being substituted by the levelling effects of economic and cultural globalization.

Chapman, William (ed.), 2013. UNESCO Asia Pacific Heritage Awards, Vol. II (2005-2009), Bangkok: UNESCO (actual publication February 2014 Engelhardt, Richard A. (ed.), 2007. Asia Conserved: Lessons Learned from the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation, Vol. I (20002004), Bangkok: UNESCO ICOMOS China, 2004. The China Principles. English-language translation and photographs copyright Paul Getty Trust, Los Angeles. www.getty.edu/conservation first printed 2002, second printing with revisions 2004.

Kammeier, H. Detlef, 2013. “Heritage conservation in Asia: shifts and developments, 1972-2012”, in Chris Baker (ed.), Protecting Siam’s Heritage, Siam Society, Bangkok, and Silkworm Books, Chiang Mai, 2013, pp. 281-294 Nara Document on Authenticity, 2007 (first published 1994). http//:whc.unesco.org/events/gt-zimbabwe/nara. htm UNESCO Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention, 2008. http://whc.unesco. org/archive/opguide08-en.pdf UNESCO (Bangkok), 2011. Website on Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation http://www.unescobkk.org/culture/world-heritage-and-immovable-heritage/ asia-pacific-heritage-awards-for-culture-heritage-conservation/2011-heritage-awards/award-regulations/

The growing conservation movement all over the world is in fact a counter movement to the widespread, naively unreflected faith in unlimited economic progress. This may however only apply to the post-industrial countries of the West with considerably longer experience with that form of progress. The scope of conservation has been broadened considerably, linking the formerly unconnected fields of cultural conservation, urban development, and environmental protection with the common goal of protecting fragile and finite resources, both natural and cultural. The tasks of urban conservation in Ningbo are quite challenging but there are great opportunities for wise solutions, and it would be helpful to see the UPAT input as a way forward, an appropriate and timely trigger for China.

Figure 4: Singapore

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CULTURAL PERSPECTIVE

Expert voice: Shi Nan Nupur Prothi Khanna, Zhongyi Shi, Martin Dubbeling

Dr. Shi Nan, Vice President and Secretary General of the Urban Planning Society of China, Vice Director of the National Steering Board for Planning Education, National Commission for Planning Education Accreditation and National Board for Certified Planner System, addressed the final meeting of the Ningbo Xinmalu Historic District UPAT workshop. His 30year career in the planning area has focused on policy analysis and city master planning, which has seen him actively involved in major planning and research projects including Revision of National Planning Act of the People’s Republic of China, National Standard for Planning Terminology, Innovation in Master Planning, amongst others. In addition, Dr. Shi Nan has worked with major international organizations such as the World Bank, UN-Habitat, the UNDP, British Council and Rockefellers Foundations, and is a former Vice President of the International Society of City and Regional Planners.

Dr. Shi Nan Vice President and Secretary General of the Urban Planning Society of China.

Thank you very much for the invitation to this ISOCARP UPAT presentation, which has been fruitful for me. I have participated in previous UPAT workshops before so I am quite familiar with the event.

It is a great opportunity for foreign advice and expertise in a very short period of time, during which our

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foreign peers also experience how Chinese Planners work. Foreign friends have frequently asked me that what is the key to China’s rocketing development in the past 40 years. My answer is simply: this is a product of our hard work, we work days and nights, weekdays and weekends though our coffee breaks

as well. Such workshops guide us into a vast space for thoughts: what are our perspectives towards this site, towards this workshop, and towards planning today. The UPAT team is a great inspiration for our work, and the Xinmalu district demonstrates, in Ningbo and for China in general, the assets as well as conflicts between heritage and development. Therefore, this workshop is undoubtedly valuable and I offer my gratitude toward NBPI for their outstanding organization and support for this event.

As Director Yang mentioned, UPSC (Urban Planning Society of China) has set up a service branch in Ningbo through the Urban Planning Society of Ningbo. This is also an important work and collaboration with ISOCARP for our service branch. UPSC is always seeking opportunities for city level cooperation to address the requirements emerging from cities and clients.

Today I share some thoughts after listening to the presentation and comments. The first one is how to look at Xinmalu District and how to look at Ningbo through Xinmalu District. Ningbo is one of the earliest international port cities in China as well as one of the first coastal cities opened up to the world after the Reform and Open-Door Policy. Therefore, Ningbo played a very important part in the development of modern China in terms of not only foreign trade but also industrialization. In the past, we focused more on the economic value of Ningbo, its relations with Hangzhou and Shanghai, and its significance in the port industry. These are all very important features.

But today, I think we need another perspective for Ningbo, which is culture. This region is a source of modern Chinese-Shanghai culture. The Shanghai-Style Culture played a significant role in modern Chinese cultural development and within this district is the very origin of this particular culture. When we talk about Shanghai-Style Culture today, we always talk about its Bund and its tourism features. The Shanghai Bund is more of a collaboration of Eastern and Western culture. The neighbourhood alley architecture and culture, on the other hand, is more of a physical showcase of traditional Chinese lifestyle. This neighbourhood alley culture originated from Ningbo, and exactly from within our Xinmalu District. So, I think we should dig deeper in the cultural perspective for realising the importance of this district and even the importance of Ningbo city.

On one hand, this region is known for pioneering the collaboration between Chinese and Western culture, showcasing the inclusiveness of Chinese culture. While on the other hand, it is the birthplace of modern Chinese culture. Therefore, the significance of this site is quite elevated from a cultural standpoint. While deliberating on competitiveness of a country, a region, or a city under discussion, we tend to inspect a lot of factors such as marketing, technology, capital, and human resources. In my opinion, culture is the most important one.

Many modern competitions are not merely market or technology related; they show culture-based competitiveness. To me, the power of culture is what sets the ball rolling defining the success of a city, region or nation.

MORE HOLISTIC APPROACH China is the largest exporter in the world since 2009. It is also the largest pollutant discharging country within the context of a robust economy. It is so obvious that China used to be ignored in past because of poverty and suddenly this changed and the nation attracted a lot of attention in these past years.

People from all over the world are interested in what China might do now. Today we are facing a new situation of cross-cultural collaboration and a balance of globalization

and reverse-globalization. Under the status quo, we need a more holistic approach when looking at a city, or a district or site in the city, otherwise we may find ourselves struggling with some very practical and frail situations where irreparable problems could be left in the end. Therefore, our UPAT team gave me great inspiration that we need another perspective when we discuss the plan of Xinmalu District.

We should not only focus on its land uses, economics, or transportation of the district, but more importantly focus on its cultural values. Ningbo is not merely the fourth largest port city in the world, or our most important coastal economy centre, or a core city in the Yangtze River Delta, it is, very importantly, an origin of Chinese multi-culture.

In the new era, culture should be a major engine for development.

And from this point of view, we would find this district so unique and precious. What does Ningbo have as a national historic city beside cultural relics such as Tianyi Pavilion? The historic districts have much more than the architecture of structures and spaces.

People and their genuine lifestyles and traditions are more important features in the historic districts.

This is a very important perspective where I would very much expect more analysis and inspiration from our international colleagues.

Site visit of Xinmalu Historic District with Ni Mindong and Ming Luo of NBPI, Shi Nan of UPSC, and Dai Xuerong and Jiexin Hu of the Baisha Area in Jiangbei District.

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The central government as well as President Xi also emphasized that urban planning offers strategic guidelines and strict controls for urban development. Within this statement lies an international narrative. ISOCARP and UPSC are all participating in the preparation of Habitat III and the draft of New Urban Agenda. A noticeable logic in it is that we are experiencing rapid urbanization globally facing challenges within the realm of economy, natural resources, and culture as well. From a global perspective, the prescription to this situation is to achieve sustainable urbanization by strengthening urban planning with adequate financial and political support. So, I think we should pose this question in the new era, especially when we talk about human being as a whole, about the Road and Belt Initiative, about post-navigation era, the high-speed train era, the aviation era. When time and space has undergone such drastic change, then what role does Ningbo play in the current reality? We might find the answer through culture.

PROTECT FIRST I totally agree with what the district chief Mrs. Zhang emphasized, which is to protect first. If we do not protect the history now, we will have nothing left in the end.

The remains of national historic fragments cannot bear the weight of the entire historic city or origin of multiple cultures. They are only relics. The protection of the whole block should be set in the first place. First of all, I think we should figure out what is the bottom line of historic preservation. After that, we could think about how to revitalize and develop the historic district.

Thus, we should have more discus-

Site visit of Xinmalu Historic District with Martin Dubbeling of ISOCARP, Dai Xuerong of the Baisha Area in Jiangbei District , Ming Luo of NBPI, Shi Nan of UPSC, and Ni Mindong of NBPI.

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sion about how to preserve and we want to receive further recommendations on that.

Traditional buildings in China are extremely different from traditional buildings in Western countries in terms of form, technology and materials. Due to the differences in building materials, traditional buildings in China are primarily timber structures therefore vulnerable to destruction more than structures elsewhere. As we have learnt that a large number of traditional buildings in historic districts have disappeared in the past few decades. We want to rebuild. However, the rebuilt structures should not be mistaken for authentic traditional buildings. So how do we deal with this contradiction? We invite the international experts to put forward some technical solutions.

LEGISLATION MECHANISMS

AND

MARKET

From the perspective of urban planners and the local government, there are a few aspects we could address. Firstly, a strict legislative and administrative framework should be approved for overall conservation. Today, the local government is facing immense pressure to conserve holistically. There is a mandate to consider preservation, development, and needs of citizens into overall planning. To deal with

these contradictions we require strong legislation and administrative procedures to ensure overall preservation and create a balance between new demand and development without destroying traditional buildings.

Secondly, we should consider issues from the perspective of market mechanisms. Other countries have such experience. There are relevant domestic practices, such as the use of certain government platforms and some funds, to undertake basic repairs and maintenance. The property right here in Xinmalu is very complex. It is important to make the property owners realize that these timber remnants here are the most valuable buildings in Ningbo city. It is also a key issue to make them start thinking about how to protect the buildings. The public participation we emphasize is not only related to questionnaires but it is about the realisation that the property owners are the main stakeholders.

What’s the next step in the cultural transformation in Ningbo? Where is the cultural space in Ningbo, which can incubate this transformation?

The answer lies within Xinmalu District. The dilemma would evolve into a constructive dialogue about the cultural future of Ningbo if all take part in its conservation.

buildings. How to solve this space conflict? The traditional architecture is totally different from new buildings in terms of built forms, scales, and styles. This is a fact.

This is a status quo, old buildings cannot be demolished, and new buildings cannot be demolished. I think we should use our imagination, especially our spatial creativity and undertake urban repair and ecological restoration.

RELATIONSHIP WITH WATER

Ming Luo of NBPI, Shi Nan of UPSC, and Dai Xuerong of the Baisha Area in Jiangbei District studying the maps of Xinmalu District.

FUNCTION, SPACE AND VALUE To plan ahead we need know the change of demands that accompany different periods of time. At the national level, it is evident that the nation would achieve a comprehensive well-off life in 2020. However, Ningbo had already achieved that a few years ago. Then what is the real need of citizens in Ningbo today? This should not only address the physical aspect, but also the cultural one. We should aim on how to make Ningbo recognized in the world, not limited to a local conservation effort. I strongly recommend that the international team and local planners should do research about the evolving needs in the new era, with a concrete legal, administrative, and technical basis relevant to the Xinmalu District.

Thirdly, we should also focus on function. The space is not only a space. It has its own value. The need of the hour is the promotion of new functions we can introduce into the space, transforming the district into a place for cultural innovation. Food, shopping, leisure are generic uses that can be introduced anywhere. What more important role can this area play with the cultural value and land value?

We can consider new functions such as international education, multicultural education, traditional cultural education, interpretation of lost traditions in the modern world, new international contacts, design, and creative industries, which are suitable for small spaces and can contribute to cultural innovation. What we lack is not manufacturing capability but creative thinking. From this perspective, not all of these endeavours need space.

Can we introduce world-class manufacturing? People in the design and innovation field need a creative environment. This space can serve as an incubator. Simply using it as a restaurant or a tourist centre is underestimating its cultural and land value.

In the fourth aspect, it is clear that space conflict is a huge challenge. I agree with the experts’ analysis of this area. Due to historical reasons, this block suffered tremendous damage. This is unfortunate. I don’t think this kind of thing should be allowed to repeat. Once lost, whatever is recreated is false and it is a reinvention. We emphasize the authenticity from an academic point of view and emphasize the clear distinction between reconstructed

Finally, I suggest that we must consider the Xinmalu district and its water surface adjacent to the Yong River, both from the perspective of spatial integration and function.

Traditionally, this development originated due to its proximity to the water and developed further because of the water. Thought the link was lost in between, today we should pay more attention to its original intent. This is a new era.

We can rethink the relationship between humans and water. We should use this as a case on how to integrate land, space, and water resources into making this the most important asset and not merely a resource for Ningbo today. Seeking solutions for the problem has just begun, and needs further design practice. Design is not just related to simple construction.

Through environmental design techniques, space conflicts can be transformed into coordinated collaborative spatial dialogue. It takes more time and energy to study in depth and compare with similar domestic cases on this subject.

President Mrs. Zhang of the NBPI has initiated many in-depth studies. The international team, in their relatively short interaction, have not proposed a systematic plan, but have left this open bringing into this exercise their experience through the different practical and academic background. It is hoped that the ISOCARP team can continue to pay attention to this region and guide the future planning and conservation vision of this region.

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2 DISCOVERING NINGBO Ningbo is a city with a long and rich history of commerce, innovation, knowledge and interaction with foreign cultures, yet these crucial components of the spirit of the city seem to have faded with time. These key qualities of Ningbo if rekindled can serve as the driving force for its future economic development while reinforcing the rich socio-cultural heritage of the city. A comparative perspective of Ningbo in relation to other cities in the Yangtze River Delta, namely Shanghai and Hangzhou, raises the critical issue of streamlining a strategic vision for the city within this world-class, highly competitive urban cluster. Studies undertaken by the team at Ningbo University and the UPAT team relating to the strategic location of the Jiangbei Core Area, location of the Xinmalu site ended with a proposal for an Axis of Knowledge and the concept of a ‘Y-town’. Linking these areas and planning for their integrated future can incubate an innovative and creative environment to gradually evolve in Ningbo, respecting the spatial typology of the historic district finding suitable uses for its earlier structures. Xinmalu is an opportunity to further refine conservation principles and practices of integrity, authenticity, what to protect and how.

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Xinmalu in Perspective

RELATED KEY PLANNING DOCUMENTS

Setting the context for Xinmalu Historic District Yu Pan

From March to April 2018, 13 students from the Department of Architecture and Urban Planning in Ningbo University were honoured to participate in the joint urban renovation project of the Xinmalu Historical District in Ningbo (China), organised by ISOCARP and the Ningbo Urban Planning and Design Institute (NBPI). The NBU team was responsible for initial comprehensive research related to the project area from students’ perspective. It was a great opportunity for university students to experience a real life project as part of their fourth year Urban Design studio, but also offered an opportunity to learn from domestic and international experts forming the UPAT team. The team focused on in-depth investigation of key features of the site, including historical buildings, modern construction, street patterns, skyline and so on, in order to analyse and summarize the key features of the site for future proposals.

Xinmalu Historical district is located in the core area of Jiangbei district in the city of Ningbo, on the eastern coast of Zhejiang province. Historically, Ningbo is significant as being one of the first few cities in China to have open ports and foreign concessions since the mid-1800s.

Furthermore, the word ‘XIN MA LU’ which actually means new road in Chinese denoted the first cement-paved road in the city. This area showcased a unique architecture style with most of the historical buildings built in Shikumen style, similar to the famous Shanghai Shikumen style reminiscent of the urban construction and development during that time. Despite its earlier prosperity, the Xinmalu Historical District remains rather anonymous as compared to other city centres in Ningbo. The present status of conservation and development reflects neither its rich heritage nor current realty trends. Although over 40 historical buildings are listed and preserved, the new development is insensitive to the historic urban fabric illustrated by the 5-high-rise buildings in the middle of the site, bisecting the two historical districts.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND Ningbo pier was originally located at the east gate of the city wall. It was renowned in China as there was “nowhere in the world that can be compared with the Ningbo southern river area (Jiangxia Port)”. During the Ming period Ningbo citizens were concentrated in and communicated through the southern part of its three-river interaction area. At that time, the northern part of the shore (now Jiangbei district) was merely a river village called “Rice Net Fish”. During the Qing dynasty, in order to allow docking of large British ships, the old port of Ningbo was moved a kilometre northwards, from southern Jiangxia Street to the North Bank of Jiangbei.

On January 1, 1844, Ningbo opened its port to foreign countries and chose Jiangbei river bank area as its concessionaire. In December 1861, the Taiping army captured the city of Ningbo, and about 7 thousand people in the inner city rushed to the North Bank of the river to escape the flames of war. On January 13, 1862, the British, Americans and French in Ningbo entered into an agreement, designating the Northern River Bank area for the British, French and American residents. In 1898, the En-

In order to understand the historical background and existing development conditions of the site, our team of students has carried out in-depth investigation of Xinmalu Historical District. This research and analysis addresses the historical background, spatial analysis as well as the analyses of historical building and key site features.

Location analysis map

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Site

gineering Bureau was set up on the North Bank of the river to take charge of municipal construction. Ningbo laid in place the earliest modern urban municipal system.

The Engineering Bureau built a port of several hundred meters on the North Bank of the river, and renovated the riverbanks along with the road infrastructure, which enormously elevated the development of the North Bank of the river in Jiangbei area. Reflecting its geographical shape, many foreigners started to call it Y-town (Y-shaped town), which lately is translated to Waitan in Chinese, famously known as the Bund nowadays.

FURTHER DEVELOPMENT In 1920, it was proposed that Ningbo become one of the five ports of Commerce, however its urban construction was still lagged behind. The Ningbo Municipal Urban Construction Preparatory Office was established in the same year, for the purpose of improving its urban constructions. In 1928, Xinmalu was completed, however, its internal road network was not ready until the year 1936.

The layout and road structure of the Xinmalu district as it exists today follows the historic profile. With the overall planning and transformation of Ningbo, the original passenger routes were phased out and most of the cargo terminals were moved to Zhenhai port or Beilun port, far from the original city centre. Foreigners and their administrations were moved out as well. The area gradually lost its original function, its people and its prosperity.

With the change in urban form, lifestyle, transportation mode and business model, the water function of the Ningbo Bund began to lag behind. Its infrastructure is in decline, its surrounding living environment is eroded. In an effort to preserve the precious and distant memories of the city, the government began to make changes to the Old Bund area in Ningbo upgrading urban facilities and the environment while retaining the distinct historical features of the area.

In the Urban Master Plan of Ningbo (2006-2020), revised in 2015, the city of Ningbo is defined as an important port city on the south-eastern coast of China, the economic centre of the south wing of the Yangtze River Delta, and a famous historical and cultural city of the country. The plan requires identifying and protecting the areas of historic and cultural importance, establishing the overall protection framework, and ensuring that all works take place under the broader mandate of sustainable development. The Conservation Planning of Historic and Cultural areas in Ningbo (2014-2030) proposed that Jiangbei District, including the old Bund, Xinmalu and De Ji Lanes, are defined as modern-style guidance areas characterized by the combination of Chinese and Western design. The open spaces on the waterfront should be strengthened and linked to inner neighbourhood areas.

In order to preserve the historic character of the space the volume and style of newly built and rebuilt buildings should be in harmony with the surrounding cultural relics and historic context.

TRANSPORTATION AND MOVEMENT According to the research task, it is important to understand the existing spatial conditions of the Xinmalu district, including its transportation and circulation networks, public spaces and the general urban texture of the site. According to our observation and investigation (through interviews and questionnaires), there are many main roads and secondary roads around the Xinmalu district. Overall traffic conditions are uncongested, with acceptable external accessibility. There are several bus stops and a subway station, serving the public transportation needs. However, the traffic and movement conditions within the site are far from desirable. The road quality is uneven, the road grade is unclear (the width varies), making it difficult for vehicular traffic. The north-

Ningbo northern with early settlement for foreigners

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ern part of the area has many dead ends. Some roads are in poor sanitary conditions, which seriously hamper the residents’ walking experience. On analysing the road network and its changes over a longer period of time, we discovered the reasons for the low level of accessibility within the area. The Xinmalu district was originally a historic block with rich Ming and Qing historical buildings.

The traditional small grid in China prevalent represents the original urban texture at the time. The same was applied to the road structure making it unsuitable for vehicular movement. From 1987 until now, as a result of a few large demolitions and new constructions within the site, coupled with the preservation of historical buildings, there are conflicts for the road network and its movement. The construction within the site is still on going, further contributing to poor movement conditions within the area.

ings within our site and to study the use of the buildings and spaces by those working or living in the area. With the loss of the urban fabric, the remaining historic buildings seem scattered across the site mostly concentrated alongside Deji lane. Bisecting the historic area are the 5 high-rise towers. The historic buildings are mainly divided into smaller zones with some preserved and maintained and others left dilapidated. With the existing development and conservation processes fragmented across the site the project suffers a fragmented appearance.

URBAN TEXTURE AND LAYOUT ANALYSIS

Traffic analysis

In order to understand the changes in the road network, the team tried to understand the transition of its urban texture and layout over the last few decades. According to satellite image from 1987 to the present, we have indicated the major chances in urban layout of the site.

Through comparison and analysis, we found that the overall urban texture of the Xinmalu district till 1987 was still quite traditional following the small urban pattern texture in China. After the construction of a new residential community in 2006, there was a transition in texture on the northwestern side, but the overall site texture remained relatively comprehensive. In 2010, due to the construction of the high-rise development in the middle of the site, the texture of the area was dramatically transformed and its overall integrity destroyed. This development and the larger footprint and texture irreversibly changed the site appearance.

Lake Park and Baisha park, along with the two riverfront leisure belts, the old Bund and the Raffle city square all of which are located outside the study area. According to the interviews, the local residents were satisfied with the main public spaces outside the research area, and agreed the quality of the public space around the area is high. However, within the site area, the quality and activities of public open space left much to be desired. New construction has overwritten some historic streets and lanes and new public space is not yet ready leading to a loss of vitality for the whole site. Therefore the spaces with the site are unable to meet the daily entertainment and leisure needs of the local residents. To sum up, our survey results show that the Xinmalu district is located in the core area of Jiangbei district, a superior geographical location with convenient transportation and movement are and quality public space in close vicinity. However, there is a serious conflict between new construction and historic conservation within the site itself.

PUBLIC SPACE ANALYSIS Through our field observations, there are nine main public spaces around the Xinmalu district, including riverfront leisure belt area, urban parks, old Bund bar leisure areas, shopping mall and urban green spaces.

The most valuable open spaces for the site are the Sun

2006

HISTORICAL BUILDING ANALYSIS The main task of this part of our research was to investigate and record key information related to historic build-

2010 Changes in road structure over time

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2014

buildings within the site demonstrate different key features according to the time period of their evolution. In the early period, their doorframes mostly used stone material, and there was no complex door lintel decoration. Subsequently, materials used for the doorframe diversified. Stone, brick and cement appeared, and the ornamentation on the doorframe and the lintel became an essential ingredient. The architecture is special because of the combination of cultural influences. Chinese traditional auspicious patterns and characters assimilate with Western style geometric and baroque patterns.

Stone and brick carving, stone sculptures and other decorative techniques derived from traditional designs and techniques add to the architectural embellishment of these buildings. The woodcarving is considered to be the most outstanding feature of Jiangnan dwellings in Zhejiang province. As this architectural style spread to the middle and lower income households, the decorative engraving on their houses became simpler and more economical in style, which also to a certain extent, reflected the change in the lifestyle of the people in Ningbo

Through our research, we found that most of previous residents have moved out, and the few still residing there are nostalgic for their remaining heritage, as most of the historic buildings and related structures have disappeared. Even the new occupants of the spaces, the young people working here like the atmosphere, but have shared that the facilities here are not comprehensive. Centrally located in the city this area is bound to attract more of the younger population in the future. At present, the utilization rate of historical buildings in the whole Xinmalu district is low, and most of the historic buildings are lying idle. Although the government in recent years has repaired those empty historical buildings, the maintenance situation is not good compared with those that are in use. Besides the buildings, the Xinmalu district is rich in its intangible heritage. There are many celebrities who lived here, such as the famous patriots in the Anti Japanese war, Mr. Bao Shiyong. This non-material heritage also needs to be conserved.

KEY CONSTITUENT ELEMENTS OF SHIKUMEN Besides the doorway, typical elements of Shikumen architecture include gables, windows and eaves. Mainly reflecting the gables of Jiangnan dwellings, the dwellings at site imitate the Guanyin pocket, mixed with some other gable typologies. The window shapes are varied showcasing flat windows, blinds and related details.

The roofing largely represents the traditional Chinese tile system. The special dripping water design is key to efficient roof drainage. Red cement concrete tiles do make an appearance later. Most of the repaired buildings have white plastered or walls in exposed bricks. Other methods used for wall construction include the hollow, staggered, stacking method, the single lateral solid core stacking method and the mixed stacking method.

SITE KEY FEATURES ANALYSIS The key urban and architectural feature for this particular site is the Shikumen style buildings and layout. It can be seen that the construction of the Shikumen characterizes a mix of Western culture and traditional Chinese dwellings to the south of the Yangtze River. Shikumen

More traditional Chinese small scale texture

The whole texture was maintained, with only a small part of the site has become medium scale texture

1987

2006

In the middle of the site, there is a loss of formal texture and integrity

2010

There is a lack of texture in the northwest corner of the site. Large scale construction appeared.

The texture is incomplete and the scale is not coordinated

2015

2017

Evolution of building texture

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Pediment

Guanyin pocket

Soil type gables

Herringbone gables

Ma Tau Wall

Roofing and tile

Small blue tiles have drops water

Small blue tiles without drops of water

Tile roof

Red cement tile

Shikumen

A stone door frame with lintel of black brick

Same as the former, without posts

Simplified Shikumen, Door frame and lintel no lintel or post of stone, without posts

Single layer of wood, open window

Wooden blinds

Stone hollow window Double wooden flat open window

Wall color and material

White plaster wall

Plain brick wall

Brick wall with cement

Wall structure

Hollow brick wall

Solid brick wall

Mixed brick wall

Floor decoration

Blue stone paving

Cement flooring

Window COURTYARD PLAN FOR SHIKUMEN BUILDINGS The layout of Shikumen architecture mainly includes: buildings with three-courtyards, the joint row type and the single-family residence. During the middle and late stage of Ningbo history, a few separate and single-family houses were built, but generally the cityscape was dominated by the traditional three courtyard structures. A series of site investigations and interviews were conducted throughout March this year to understand the needs of the local communities at site. 65 questionnaires and interviews from local residents, workers and self-employed business people within the site led us to analyse information related to four main aspects: historic buildings, contemporary inserts i.e. the 5 high rise towers, public spaces and leisure facilities and the future development perspective. Below are the key findings of our research: Historical Building Aspects There are many historic buildings in the Xinmalu District, some of them have undergone conservation. Though some of the preserved buildings have been used for business or as residences, the local community opined that these structures are not adequately utilised. The majority of those interviewed unfortunately did not have a decisive view and responded that they saw the historic structures to have both advantages and disadvantages.

New High Rise Construction There are different opinions about Lu Jin Xin Tian Di (the 5 high rise tower) from our interviews. The majority expresses that their disadvan-

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tages outweigh the advantages that these buildings and its facilities will offer. Though construction began a few years ago, lack of sufficient funds and frequent change of ownership has been an impediment in their completion.

Though accepted that their facilities would contribute to development, it is also acknowledged that they will irreversibly alter the original site layout and features of Xinmalu.

Open Spaces and Leisure Activities Though most respondents were indifferent towards the open space quality and provision there was a general consensus that the open space infrastructure was limited, scattered and largely unsatisfactory. Baisha park on the edge of Daji lane was seen as a suitable open space frequented by the local people. Sun lake park, a landscape with fitness paths and other facilities was found to be satisfactory.

Though farther away it is well visited.

Red brick wall

PROSPECTS FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT According to our findings, there were mixed views towards future development of the site. Some perceive that the high rise, mix-use developments will encourage economic prosperity. Others resent this invasion and destruction of the original urban texture of this valuable historical district. Overall the site is perceived to have unique potential for its central location and distinct historical features. In line with observations of the respondents the team found that the historic buildings were being neither utilized for residential nor commercial use.

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Most of the structures conserved for their historic significance were allocated uses such as neighbourhood scale retail, some small scale catering business, community entertainment and services. Retail of metal hardware parts forms a large share of the commercial establishment here coupled with services for the elderly. Some historical buildings have been integrated into different functions and uses, such as tailor shops, textiles stores etc.

Xinmalu Historical District has witnessed nearly two hundred years of history since Ningbo opened its port to foreign exchange. This erstwhile open parcel of land has witnessed prosperity and subsequently decline. A strong influence of Western culture in the past led to a period of rapid urban construction creating a unique urban form.

The initial development of Xinmalu district is inseparable from the financial prosperity of the Ningbo merchants in the early 20th Century. The chemistry between traditional and Western lifestyles encouraged two main architectural typologies. The first was the Chinese model expressing traditional forms, styles and technology. The Western model offered an alternative with appropriate integration of local elements. From what remains of the historical fabric at site, it is evident that the layout of the site and buildings adopted a compact, high density, and standard shape. The building units stand adjacent to each other lining narrow lanes. A healthy mix of housing types on offer possibly reflects the pragmatic and resilient spirit of the Ningbo businessmen. This urban form and architecture within a relatively exclusive neighbourhood in central city offers a great potential today.

The reality of Xinmalu is a consequence of China’s contemporary trend of fast paced urban construction. A large number of historical buildings were demolished for urbanization and replaced with new modern construction. The five high rise buildings standing tall in the middle of the site, fragmenting the urban texture and context of the city and destroying the original pattern of the city are an outcome of this trend. The unique heritage of intimate streetscapes is gradually disappearing.

The extreme conflict between heritage remains and urban aspirations has taken a toll on the imagebility of the city. Declining historic buildings have a negative impact discouraging residents to continue living there or for new generations to aspire to move here. The contrast between the site and its bustling surroundings make it stand out as an ‘isolated island’ in the city.

Heritage conservation is attempting to address the fast declining historic value of the site amidst pressures of fast paced urban development. With the strong support of the local government, the restoration work of historical buildings has continued and possible functions for the idle buildings are being considered. Left today with one quarter of vacant land and one third of unused building has made it inevitable for us to rethink the future of the Xinmalu Historical District. How can sensitive and responsible design and planning revive its lost glory?

Ningbo University, Department of Architecture and Urban Planning. Course instructors: Mr.Yu Pan, Miss Yanli Liu. Students who worked on the project: Rui Zhang, Liangliang Wang, Jingxuan Cao, Jiawei Xu, Boshuai Wang, Xiaoyang Yu, Feng Yao, Jiacheng Fei, Yuxin Zhu, Jutao Huang, Qianfeng Bao, Cunyu Chen, Luyao Chen.

Group photo Ningbo UPAT team with staff and students of Department of Architecture and Urban Planning, Ningbo University

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The Grand Canal

The Challenge of Fake Heritage Authentication

From Past to Present

Contesting the Fake and the Authentic

Haiming Yan, Nupur Prothi Khanna

Ali Alraouf

The urban renewal of the Xinmalu Historic district is an opportunity to address the future of the city of Ningbo in its larger context. Popularly referred to as the window of China, Ningbo played a critical role in trade and economic prosperity in then East Asia. Traces of its relevance as part of the ancient Maritime Silk Road, can still be found such as in the Yongfeng warehouse, a key official depot and a host of cultural relics.

A cultural landscape approach implies that the central narrative at Ningbo should revisit its historic relevance as an important trade node. During this UPAT the water narrative was gaining centre stage. Tying the historic with the contemporary water system is the story of the Grand Canal accepted as a World Heritage Site in 2014.

Globally acknowledged for its use of natural train, cultural exchange, hydraulic engineering and relevance to economic prosperity, Ningbo today is missing its water story.

Though the Grand Canal was not well known in this particular region, I made it a point to visit the stretch of the 239 km long Eastern Zhejiang Canal that connects Ningbo with the Grand Canal that starts in Hangzhou. The Eastern Zhejiang Canal is an hour and a half from Ningbo City centre. In a dilapidated condition, the village on its bank had lost its vernacular character. Associated structures with the potential to develop as part of the tourist circuit were lonesome in a semi urban semi-rural landscape. The UNESCO signage was prominently displayed.

measure to balance the social and natural resources between the north and south of the nation. The canal, a network of natural and artificial water channels, is a high achievement of water conservancy and transport for agriculture before the Industrial Revolution. At the time, it re-allocated resources and products within a vast territory, connected political and economic centres, promoted economic and cultural exchange between different regions, thus playing an irreplaceable role in national unity, political stability, economic prosperity, cultural exchange and technological development. The Grand Canal across a long time span and wide spatial extents represents a unique achievement with far-reaching influence on the history of China and the world.

Located in the central and eastern part of the country, the Grand Canal runs through eight provincial-level administrative regions, namely Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shandong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Henan and Anhui. It also connects five water systems, namely, the Hai River, the Yellow River, the Huai River, the Yangtze River and the Qiantang River. Its construction started in the 5th century BC. The Canal was first became a network in the 7th century, and was completely connected for the second time in the 13th century. Through 2000 years’ constant evolution, it still plays an important role in transport and water conservancy in present day China.

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Xinmalu Alley (Source: M.Ivkovic)

One of the main features of the current discourse about contemporary cities is the notion of heritage conservation and preservation as a catalyst for expressing local identity. Using comparative analysis approach juxtapositioning the selected cases, the essay confronts questions like how to justify the contradiction between vibrant fake heritage areas versus deserted authentic places and spaces? How to encour-

The story of Ningbo has the potential to link with its unique geographical advantage as the estuary of the Grand Canal as well as the port of departure for the maritime component of the Silk Road. Located in the middle of China’s long coastline, Ningbo possesses rare geographical advantages and serves as a unique port. The city has a special position in China’s history engagement with the world as the estuary of the Grand Canal of China and also the port of departure on the Maritime Silk Road in ancient China.

The significance of China’s Grand Canal extends beyond simply a waterway. It represents an expansive system that was constructed and maintained by the imperial court for safety of the grain transportation as well as to sustain a unified empire. This project was a creative

Using the case of Ningbo city, China, the essay interrogates the different approaches to preserve and rehabilitate architectural and urban heritage. The purpose of identifying, documenting and preserving the ruinous dwellings and the urban situation of traditional cities went through an unprecedented cycle during the last two decades. The essay also explores the socioeconomic and cultural mechanisms that interpret and interrogate strategies of heritage conservation with a focus on Ningbo’s experiences. The selected projects from the city context, will range from independent house restoration and rehabilitation, traditional markets to urban heritage core.

age inclusive pluralism in the cities' heritage zones and urban spaces?

Jiangnan section of the Grand Canal

Evolution of Heritage Conservation: The Main Paradigms For a considerable time, we concentrated on documentation of heritage as the only measure for securing authenticity. Later, we shifted towards preservation and conservation. Yet, this approach, which focused on preserving individual building or heritage areas without activating the relation with the local community, ended up as negative conservation. Within years, buildings are deteriorated again since the people are not invited to be part of it. No sense of local ownership was established.

Restored buildings are closed and divorced from the aspirations of the surrounding community. The success came with the emergence of the positive conservation which is not only about maintaining the heritage but it is about inserting new functions in the old building. Such functions are concluded from dialogues with the community and from considering the people living within the site as not only prime stakeholders but the main partner in the development approach to the heritage area. It is essential to discourage any process which would lead to the separation of the heritage from the community and their subsequent isolation within a holistic context.

ON AUTHENTICITY AND FAKENESS: THE POWER OF THE COPY First, let me start by elaborating on a concept that I have researched and written about; the power of the copy.

Looking at the world map lets focus on some unique landmarks that are considered essential elements of national heritage and identity. It is interesting to note how these landmarks have been imitated in other parts of the world and gradually gained significant status in the fab-

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Ningbo city in the 1980s and 2018, a continuous urban development and continuous evolution of its heritage, identity and image (Left image source: Wikimedia Commons)

A Copy with an Authentic Human Aspect

ric of the new location. Consider for the sake of the argument the Pyramid in Giza, Egypt vs. Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas, USA. Amazingly, the latter is becoming a reference for good number of people thinking of ancient Egyptian architecture. I was informed about a true story when a US professor who was visiting the Pyramids in Giza frustratingly said “but this one is smaller than the big one we have in USA”. The same argument applies to the icon of Paris, France; the Eiffel Tower. The tower was not only copied in Las Vegas and Dubai but in more than twenty locations around the world. On another hand, I was deeply moved while preparing this essay and doing the required search by the tale of the new Taj Mahal. A retired postmaster repeated the act of building the Taj Mahal in loving memory of his wife. Faizul Hasan Quadri built this ‘Mini Taj’, a replica of historic Taj in his village in Bulandshahr of Uttar Pradesh. What is quite interesting is that the fake Taj Mahal gained a lot of authenticity because of the beautiful dedication of the simple man towards his wife. More people are visiting the fake Taj Mahal and some consider it as more human and credible than the one built by the famed Moghuls.

sky-scrappers blend with interesting traditional architecture to create a unique urban form.

THE TRAP OF IDENTITY: A PRODUCT OR A DYNAMIC PROCESS Let me shift to another crucial aspect of the discussion regarding the notion of dealing with heritage. I would provide an alternative interpretation to the notion of identity, particularly local identity. The concept of identity is not a fixed notion and instead relates to a specific timeframe in the history of any nation. I want to propose a shift towards a more dynamic and time-relevant perception of identity. This new perception is based on a multi-layered approach to construct contemporary identity for historic spaces. Hence, it is a dynamic inter-

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pretation calling for a dynamic and vigorous process. It is a multi-layered approach suggesting that the identity of any nation is related not only to its past but also connected with the present and with how the nation envisions its future. Hence, identity is not a product but rather a dynamic process in itself. This fusion of traditional and contemporary should construct the platform for creativity in the built environment. Identity can be a trap if we associate it with just visual style or limited architectural and urban vocabulary borrowed from the past. Identity should be about posing questions; which history accurately represents the nation’s identity, which chapter of this history, which building, which era? The social aspect is significant in determining identity.

Heritage areas when rehabilitated and revitalized should consider the multicultural nature of contemporary societies. Cultural diversity should be viewed as an asset and not an obstacle. The unique tapestry of people in contemporary cities is a great advantage and strength. A society diversified in terms of cultural, ethnic, religious, and gender must address cultural choices rather than reinforce cultural boundaries.

NINGBO CASE: THE TRIUMPH OF THE AUTHENTIC FAKE Ningbo, a port city in Zhejiang on the south shore of Hangzhou Bay, is one of the oldest cities in China, but is growing into one of the largest ports in the world. Ningbo is a vibrant city with a dynamic economy. It embraces a historic past and innovative future. It represents the sophistication of civilizations 7,000 years ago, but continues in its status as a crucial international trade port. The city is the home for Tianyi Ge, which remains the oldest library in the world. It is a city mixing the sacred tradition with thriving modern tastes, a place where glittery

I want to share my opinion with our colleagues in the domain of urban design and planning. The analysis of the cases selected from Ningbo or other cases around the world particularly from the Middle East suggest a different rational for creating vibrant traditional places. The success of urban spaces in Ningbo and other cities in China and the world is not essentially related to historical value or authenticity of heritage. The vitality and vibrancy of designed heritage areas and local identity representation zones is depending on the spatial experiences of people from different social and cultural backgrounds.

In some of the projects, buildings were built from scratch that never existed before and architectural styles were imitated. Different ornamentations were added to dramatize age and give the impressions of old, authentic and historical. In addition, to highlight the architectural and urban heritage of the selected cases, some ideas for its revitalization are presented for the purpose of developing cultural tourism. The essay argues for recognition, appreciation, awareness for the protection and promotion of cultural heritage as well as preserving these values in continuity for future generations.

The critical observation in the context of the city is the success of the authentic-fake places in Ningbo city as some streets are designed to serve as traditional markets. Using the old vocabulary of traditional architecture adds layers of pride and historical attachment to places. Activities, dining experiences, commercial and shopping extravaganzas all add to the vibrancy of the place and contribute in transforming what might be rightfully called a fake into conceding to an authentic-fake.

The case of the vibrant Nantang Block, Ningbo is quite interesting as the block is perceived locally and even internationally as a historical part of the city fabric. No one realizes that the whole development is a recent construction. With the pace of modern life, this distinction of fake or authentic is becoming irrelevant. The most relevant aspect now is how people relate to the place and enjoy being within it. Family and friends gather and hang around at the two blocks of the area where traditional Chinese architecture can be seen on both sides of a narrow alleyway, interrupted by small open seating spaces.

Tourists frequent the area, particularly on the weekends, amidst soothing, ambient lighting and the mild buzz from inside the restaurants and shops make for a pleasant walk.

The presence of people adds to the beauty of the spatial quality, the lively Nantang Block

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This appears to be Ningbo’s attempt at a cultural high street. Leading off from the Drum Tower, the streets are lines with neo-traditional Chinese architecture. The shops inside are relatively modern, and include some Western fast food chains. There are also a few wall vendors and street food sellers, who not only serve up inexpensive and tasty snacks, but also lend a festive atmosphere.

There’s no place that is more symbolic of Ningbo culture than Nantang Old Street. It is designed in old local style, and remains of traditional architecture. On sunny days, folk artists perform traditional drama outside, which make the street even more inviting. Snacks are iconic at the old street. Here you can find all traditional food that tastes totally different with Chinese restaurants in your China Town, such as Mung bean cake, fried tofu, rice cake, wonton, and so on. Some brands have been famous for nearly a hundred years. The focus of this old style street in Ningbo is food as the most effective way of attracting people and creates social bonds. Most of these foods are freshly prepared before you and the appetizing aroma wafting in the air attracts more visitors.

There are only a handful of actual shops and a couple of upper market restaurants.

The vibrant Nantang Block

EPILOGUE: CONCLUSIONS, QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS Contesting the Vibrancy of the Authentic Fake Developments I want to stress that we need to call for a Paradigm Shift in the way we deal with heritage areas and traditional cores of cities and settlements. Primarily, we need to acknowledge that heritage is for people to interact with and not only for tourists to look at. Another important aspect is that understanding that heritage is a base for economic diversification and therefore, it is a catalyst for community development. Here are my own interpretations to how these projects although accused of being fake, succeeded in creating unique spatial and social experiences.

Gulou Pedestrian Street Ningbo

Nantang Old Street, Ningbo

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Nantang Old Street, Ningbo

While a good number of critics, professional planners and academics would severely reject these kind of practices, I argue that these efforts have gained an interesting momentum due to their people-orientation. Hence, rejecting such an approach is not constructive rather discerning the reasons, which made these places close to people, is crucial today. No one can deny the fakeness of part of the built environment constructed in the discussed projects. No one can disagree with the fact that new additions, treatments and in some cases imposed styles have been inserted. Yes, it might be legitimate to describe it as fake or Disneyland urbanism. but, it is absolutely not fair to ignore the success of such projects in creating places for all.

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Providing vibrant, liveable and entertaining connections with the past

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Providing new spatial experiences on the national and the city levels

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Creating a positive dialogue between the old and the new particularly in functions and programmatic facilities and amenities

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Offering a cross-generational approach to the appreciation of heritage

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Shifting focus from isolated monuments to holistic urban settings

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Imbuing behavioural and cognitive values which would help in constructing the notion of authenticity in a constructed fake urbanity

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Necessitating just and fair development approaches for dealing with heritage sites to avoid gentrification and mutation of the city.

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Incubating the dynamic nature of identity, heritage and authenticity which includes the multiple chapters of history including the contemporary ones

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3 THE WAY FORWARD Policy and governance related to conserving urban character is critical to sustaining its long term heritage value. A discussion on the current policy framework in China is a reiteration of the political will towards safeguarding both the natural ecosystems and cultural heritage. Large-scale recommendations and global practices of Historic Urban Landscapes offer a larger contextual perspective to solving local problems. When viewed holistically within the larger historic, ecological, economic and political context the approach adopted is balanced with a long-term perspective that is the need of the hour. Larger research based international organisations have a critical role to play in cross-fertilising global practices with local context to offer the way forward. Evolving global concepts are addressing heritage within a broader perspective and balancing the past with the present reality and future aspirations for the world. A brief insight into the policy framework indicates this transformation can be demonstrated in the urban landscape through projects such as the Xinmalu. Other good practices of urban renewal, balanced developments from within China are presented here that focus on protecting the past while realigning it to future use. Using particular learnings such as bike sharing, water based landscapes offer many possibilities for Ningbo. A holistic approach fuelled by local innovation within an ecosystem of visionary political will is the way forward.

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Urban Renewal Strategies

Shikumen house, and has given the house its famous name (Shigumen implies a gate framed with stone).

Future development of the Shikumen Style Jonas Bjørklund

The historical city of Ningbo has its origin dating back to the cradle of civilization, and has been an important harbour since the Tang Dynasty. It was also one of the five treaty ports after the First Opium War (1839-1842), and one of the 14 cities opening to the world in 1979. Ningbo has also served as a centre for culture and philosophy, gaining a strong position domestically and abroad. As a result of this, Ningbo has a long tradition of exchange with the world around, and continues to this day as a natural meeting place between Western and Chinese culture.

In this context, it is appropriate to invite a global view to give input and exchange ideas related to the urban development of this city. This global perspective is especially relevant to the Xinmalu district, as it is located in the central area of Jiangbei District, which makes up a substantial part of the actual old trade port.

Foreign merchants from 1844 populated Jiangbei, over 20 years earlier than the Bunds in Shanghai. The area prospered during this period, with the city’s first paved road (Xinmalu) and later railroad line, logistical functions, churches and other civic buildings for cultural activities. Later in the 1900s the district evolved into a prosperous financial and commercial node, a home for many rich foreigners, traders and businessmen. Therefore a great number of houses were built in the area. After 1949, most of the buildings were nationalized, which meant the private courtyards and alleys of former private garden houses became public space.

During the years up to the 1990s the area fell into decline, and was perceived as lagging behind other more prosperous districts. The city Master Plan from 1986 focused mainly on improving living conditions, upgrading of the local economy and implementation of rational, large-scale transportation systems. Riding on this, large parts of the area were demolished and zoned for redevelopment. Around the time, the cultural value of the remaining buildings and alleys was reassessed, and around 50 sites and buildings were listed. This makes up roughly four clusters inside the Xinmalu district, and represents a huge potential for both telling the stories of the past and leading the way forward into a modern urban development of the future. These clusters mainly consist of Shikumen houses and alleys.

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THE SHIKUMEN STYLE The Shikumen architectural style dates back to the 1840s as a fusion between the Western style terrace house and the traditional Chinese courtyard plan. This replaced earlier wooden structures, as these were highly flammable and offered lower levels of living standards. Though widely attributed to Shanghai, there is evidence that the typology originated in Ningbo, which adds to the notion of Ningbo as a pioneer city in terms of innovation and adaptation. With its multi-story floor plans, small footprints and close proximity to the alley, this urban, flexible and compact unit, became very popular in time.

The Shikumen house most often had wooden frames and loadbearing brick or stone walls, and included a small courtyard, open on three sides, which meant the house had two bays and a main hall. After the unrest of the Taipei rebellion, it became common to add a thick wall to protect this from the public lane. This wall often had a dominant red stone portal with a thick wooden door and a copper ring. This is the most emblematic feature of the

Old map of Jiangbei District of Ningbo

Many houses in Xinmalu followed the Shikumen pattern in the following decades, and along with the dwellings accommodated small shops, warehouses, money houses, newspapers and industrial companies. After the formation of the Republic of China in 1911, the Shikumen house type grew smaller to accommodate a larger middle class, and the style was simplified. The form and layout became more diverse, and the main function attributed to the smaller courtyards was to allow for light and rainfall. The great depression of the 1930s had an adverse impact on Xinamalu, and the area fell into recession and disrepair. In 1949, the Shikumen houses and alleys were nationalized and became public property.

Most of the residents of the area were relocated. As a result the trade and harbour functions associated with this site were moved to bigger facilities closer to the coast. At this point in time, the area is “on hold”. The cultural value of the Shikumen and the alleys are well established, but the way forward is being deliberated upon. The revised Master Plan suggests an advanced urbanization based on culture and creation, and this offers a good fit for the Xinmalu area, reinforcing the flexible and traditional Shikumen typology. As several areas inside the district are already zoned for housing and are under development, the remaining clusters of the traditional Shikumen structures should be retained giving them a new life with relevant functions.

The four main clusters: North-east: Deji Alley/Fuxing Alley/Daji Alley. Central: Daici Alley. West: Xinmalu Road buildings. Southeast: Both sides of Xinmalu Road

Late-style Shikumen

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Commercial format planning, Deiji Alley

Rooftop, the Ningbo Historical Museum

PRINCIPLES FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENT

THE NINGBO HISTORICAL MUSEUM

The Ningbo Urban Planning and Design institute lay out the four predominant principals for development in their detailed document of the Xinmalu Historic District Plan.

The first principle protects the historic pattern through height control with emphasis on street height-width ratios and roof forms. The second dictum is to prioritize a pedestrian environment by setting car free zones thereby regulating parking and car use. The third principle encourages “micro-transformation” by allowing and controlling smaller interventions towards improved living conditions while respecting the historical buildings from different eras. The fourth principle allows for new functions and spaces to meet the needs of modern life.

These are sound principles, founded on analysis with a clear intention to attract footfall and new activity to the area, as well as retelling the story of Shikumen and its international relations. However, the commercial format adopted for its planning indicates an over-programming that might not stimulate the desired level of innovation and creativity, or nurture new industries and attractive functions in an optimal way. A suggestion would be to allow for a more free mix of shops, workshops and busi-

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nesses for tourists and locals alike, as well as stimulating upper floor dwellings to ensure a rich mix in the future fabric of the area.

Furthermore, the architectural style guide attempts to address the complex term ‘authenticity’. The main approach is therefore to maintain a contrast between the old and new by establishing clear boundaries between the historical materials and the newly introduced parts.

It is easy to agree with this principle when it comes to preserving historical areas, but it says little of how to deal with new adjacent developments. It is interesting however, to notice that the NBPI wants to “explore a potential logical relationship between the new evolved elements with the historic elements. If done well this will ensure assimilation of information of historical buildings in a deeper sense. The development of guidelines that encourage creativity while respecting historic value is preferred over copying the existing buildings. The Shikumen style has proven the merit of its flexibility over time, and has the potential to evolve further within its own style, and I would like to illustrate this with an example.

The conceptual narrative of the Ningbo Museum by Wang Shu (2008) is said to be about nature, about mountains and water, boats and the East China Sea, thus sharing a story about rich local history and culture of the region.

But the most striking feature is perhaps its fortress/ mountain-like exterior, and the walls made of millions of re-used bricks, each telling a unique story of the millions of hands putting them in place, and the flexibility and circular concept of re-using materials in architecture.

Adding to this impressive piece of architecture, every single re-used brick that otherwise would have been sent to the landfill, becomes part of what could be read as a massive monument dedicated to Ningbo’s Shikumen tradition. The building has one main courtyard, cutting right through the volume to reach the roof. Along with a series of smaller courts this highlights many of the traditional building typology.

around you, consisting of re-used bricks, some over a thousand years old, and tied together by wooden decks, it suddenly strongly resembles an evolution of the Shikumen houses of the past. Arranged in a slightly skewed pattern and with tilted angles, the assembly showcases a possibility of the flexibility and potential of the Shikumen style going forward. Walking in and out of the portals it is easy to imagine interconnected courtyards, forming a sub-system that transcends the strict pattern of the alleys, and further enhancing the potential for new and innovative programs.

Applying this mind set to future planning could prove highly productive. The Ningbo Historical Museum serves as a good example of the deeper sense of authenticity, without coming across as a replica of the past showcasing a meaningful future to the spirit of the past.

Stepping out on the wooden roof deck, the Shikumen spirit surprises when it comes to life. The massive building splits into five jagged “peaks”, akin to a mountain top.

But if you are paying attention to the 2-3 story volumes

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Learning from international practice

Bringing back the notion of water Sven van Oosten

When arriving in Ningbo it will probably not take long before you’ll cross one of the city’s rivers or find yourself at the banks of the Sun and Moon Lake or smaller streams crossing the city. Like many cities Ningbo originated at the confluence of rivers. Historically the connection with the water played a pivotal role in the development of the city. This was also the case for the Xinmalu case study area. As part of the Jiangbei district and parallel to the port waterfront, the area mainly provided housing for the people working in the docks or the businessman holding their offices close to where the international trade took place.

For a long time water was also physically present on the site. Local residents even vividly remember the small canals filled with boats, connecting the residential area with the river. But as in many historical urban centers these canals did not withstand the test of time. Xinmalu Street proudly became the first paved road of the city,

paving the way for the car, a more modern mode of mobility. But once connections get broken and water stops flowing then sanitation becomes an issue and the presence of water turn from an asset to a sign of poor living conditions.

This is not only the story of Ningbo but of many cities across the world. Even in The Netherlands, a country largely below sea level, where water is omnipresent and desired to deal with periods of intense rainfall, in the past many canals have been filled to make way for modern streets where underground sewers collect both waste- as rainwater.

But the tide is turning. Several Dutch case studies illustrate that, for different reasons, water is regaining presence within the public space design of historic urban districts. There are different motives that explain this trend, but many cases share a strong cultural-historical

Woerden Rijnstraat, historic and current situation after public space (Source: Unknown (left), Ben Kuipers (right))

Water square in Rotterdam, transformed from former a car park to a public space with urban swales (Source: Jeroen Musch)

component. Nowadays people often regret the decisions form the past to fill the canals, whilst streets are still often named after the former streams that ran through the sites, for example the ‘Beekstraat’ in Arnhem the ‘Catherijnesingel’ in Utrecht or the ‘Rijnstraat’ in Woerden.

Bringing back the water as a visual element again adds to the narrative and sense of these places. In Arnhem even the connection with the waterfront is restored as people can follow its stream from the city center up to the Rhine River.

In the case of the Rijnstraat in Woerden this does not mean the former canal is being fully restored but that water is brought back as an element within the public space, providing an incentive for children to play, introducing scale and organizing flows of people. Yet the car is not totally banished, allowing cars for necessary delivery purposes as guests in the street.

In the case of these former historic (main) streets, often characterized by a mix of commercial, residential and business functions, there is also an additional economic motive. Through public space improvement retailers hope to (re-)attract more customers as public water features contribute to the spatial experience and quality of the public place. Inherit to restoring the public quality of a space is the transformation of car oriented streets and squares to pedestrian oriented shared spaces.

A third motive for water presence, and in the case of the Benthemplein in Rotterdam the primary motive is to make cities more climate resilient. During periods of intense rainfall many cities struggle to process all this water through regular sewer/storm water systems. In this case it helps to detach the rainwater drainage, also of the surrounding buildings from these systems and allow the water within designated areas of the public space such as water squares or landscape swales.

Looking back at the Xinmalu area, the presence of tangible heritage is an opportunity to bring back the notion of water into the site, not only for the purpose of beautification, but contributing to the narrative of the site, re-connecting the site with the river and addressing additional social, sustainable and climate challenges ahead. I hope that the Xinmalu area in the future will function as one of many comprehensive plans in which water proves to be one of the main assets of the city of Ningbo.

RECOMMENDED CASES FROM THE NETHERLANDS: 1. Rijnstraat, Woerden: https://benkuipers.nl/project/ rijnstraat-woerden/ 2. Sint-Jansbeek, Arnhem: https://poelmansreesink. nl/sint-jansbeek-arnhem 3. Benthemplein, Rotterdam: http://www.rotterdamclimateinitiative.nl/uk/projects/ongoing-projects/benthemplein-the-first-full-scale-watersquare?project_id=192

Map of the Xinmalu area showing the former presence of water on the site (Source: NPDI)

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Sint Jansbeek in Arnhem (Source: Thea van den Heuvel / DAPh)

A broad perspective on incorporating water in the city of Utrecht (Source: Buro MA.AN)

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Strategies for New Commercial Developments

Filling Old Bottles with New Wine Wenjing Luo

As recent data shows there has been a marked slowdown in commercial development in Ningbo. Earlier an economically active city, Ningbo is confronted with an excess of commercial spaces left underutilised due to a lack of driving forces for consumption. In the Conservation Plan for the Xinmalu historical district as proposed

by NBPI, the future functions are mainly commercial uses, which was a quandary for the UPAT team members from the beginning. Through stakeholder meetings and interviews with the locals, there is evidence to suggest that commercial functions are in great demand in the area, but should carry new identities different from existing shopping areas in Ningbo. Therefore, how can the Xinmalu Historical District, envisioned as the Y-Town, be fitted with innovative uses to transform it into a new attraction for Ningbo?

As a historic trading port for a long time, Ningbo has been listed as one of the best commercial cities in China several times for its trading industries, outward connectivity through the port and healthy local economy. With a prosperous consumer market, dozens of shopping centres were built through the years including Tianyi Square, Ningbo Culture Square, Century Eastern Square and Raffles City etc.

Ningbo has also been confronted with a multitude of dilemmas. First, the decrease of immigrants has resulted in the shrinking of the consumer market. Over the past decade, the net immigration rate of Ningbo has dropped from 5.43% in 2007 to 4.66% in 2016, which resulted in the population decrease of permanent residents. Second, the decline of the average income growth per person has led to a bearish consumption market. According to statistics, the growth of average income per urban inhabitant in 2016 has reached the lowest point since 2000. Further, the government has introduced favourable policies to attract large commercial centres so as to profit from the land. Under these circumstances, many developers have entered the commercial real estate market, resulting in the spurt of large commercial complexes compounded by vicious competitions between them, especially in the vicinity of our site.

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Like every coin that has two sides, there are also some opportunities. Greatly influenced by the neighbouring Hangzhou as the origin of electronic commerce and internet economy, a series of e-business retailers in Ningbo, such as the Peace Bird, GXG and AUX, have sprung up serving as a role model for other cities in China. In recent years, a rapid growth in the electronic commercial business has excess of 25% share of the entire retail sales. As one of the National Innovation Cities and model cities for small and medium start-ups, Ningbo has also nurtured a host of new commercial models.

As the old Chinese saying goes, “filling old bottles with new wine”, it is well acknowledged that the Xinmalu Historical District is in great demand for commercial facilities. We need to guide that these should be different from the existing shopping areas, their design responding to the dilemmas and opportunities facing Ningbo.

TURNING “ELEPHANTS” INTO “ELEGANCE” AS A NEW START In the Xinmalu Historical District, the five towers under construction are standing as obstacles and are being

Tianyi Square

Raffles City

Lujing Xintiandi Project

considered as the “five elephants” by the UPAT team members. After thorough investigations, the “five elephants” were found to be a great attraction for the new generations, which in other words can be reconsidered as “elegance.”

THE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY THEMES OF THE LUJING XINTIANDI PROJECT

According to the developers of the project namely Lujing Xintiandi, this area has been positioned as a destination for creative culture and leisure tourism, aiming to lead a future trend defining character of Ningbo. An extent of 130,000 square meters, the project consists of offices, hotels, apartments and a shopping centre of about 50,000 square meters, which will be operated by the developer.

Unlike other projects with the same names of Xintiandi in China, this commercial complex will become the first life style experimental zone featuring the themes of Intellectual Property in the whole world, which includes PaulHomme, the Simpsons, Angry Birds, Pancoat and Pucca. Besides the shopping centre operated by the developer, outlets of well-established brands including the Spade Queen Street, MEWE Castle, KUMA Home and VR Experiencing Centre for American National Geography are proposed here.

The Spade Queen Street concept created by the developer will be the first culture experience centric commercial area that focuses on reading books and making handcrafts so as to improve the interaction between people and the place. There will be 52 stores of unique character and chic style, including retail, dining, and education.

For example, the Spade Queen Street in Changzhou, Jiangsu Province was designed on the theme of Alice in Wonderland and Akala Mirror, consisting of smell museum, fortune-telling office, customized dreaming house, magic academy and secret post office arousing the curiosity and offering temptation for the new generation.

Besides, the space offers other activities addressing entertainment, fashion and education targeting different groups of people. As a unique children’s playground, MEWE Castle in anticipated to offer the space for children to experience all kinds of adult occupations. With almost 40 venues, MEWE Castle is both, a paradise and a growing platform for children of different ages to encour-

Lujing Xintiandi Project

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age exploration, experimentation, and education. KUMA HOMA, a life style showroom like MUJI and Fangsuo, will aim at office ladies by gathering all kinds of chic commodities bought from all over the world. Featured as creative, beautiful, chic and healthy, there will be seven categories and almost ten thousand commodities to make the shopping experience like never before. Authorized by American National Geographic, the VR Experience Centre is an intellectual property product of the magazine that combines games, exploration, handcrafts, virtual reality and augmented reality. By offering both entertaining and educational activities, the centre can spark the curiosities of children around the world.

wine should be distinct and attractive enough by bringing in new commerce different from the existing like the Lujing Xintiandi Project, which should be able to demonstrate the uniqueness of Y-Town.

In the UPAT proposed Vision for Xinmalu Historical District, “Y-Town”, has been proposed and illustrated as a “Yong River Town”, a “Youthful Town” and a “Your Town”.

In the existing site, there are 3 district-level cultural protected units, 12 cultural protected buildings and 31 historic buildings. Like new wine in old bottles, the new functions being proposed for old buildings, need to meet the requirements of historic conservation regulations or in other words fit the containers. On the other hand, the

Related to the first aspect, a Yong River Town is not only literally about the location at the riverfront but more about something iconic to illustrate the spirit of Ningbo.

Both traditional and revolutionary, spaces that incubate local innovation is a way forward. As an illustrative example, in cooperation with local universities to the east of Ningbo along the Yong River, a fashion design studio is housed in one of the historical buildings. Based on this, local innovation can be encouraged in the Xinmalu Historical District as a start up engine, especially in the fashion industry, which can extend the industrial chain from customized designing to selling. As a traditional form of new commercial functions, namely the Customer to Factory mode (C2F), internet can be fully used through the whole process by making on-line design and sales. Besides, off-line fashion service centres can be set up in the historic buildings to provide style designing, body measuring, clothes fitting, dry cleaning and other daily services so as to build a social network between customers and shorten the distance from clothing factories to cus-

The Spade Queen Street

MEWE Castle

NEW WINE FOR OLD BOTTLES

KOMA Home

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Life style showroom

tomers. Different from the KUMA HOMA, and contributing to this endeavour this customized fashion and style design service will attract more diversified customers.

To reinforce the image of a Youthful Town, the flavour of the new wine should not only be targeted at the young generation but also focus on a whole range of temporal activities. Based on Maslow’s theory, the new uses should focus on the bottom criteria i.e the novelty and satisfaction obtained from fresh food and fancy commodities in restaurants and retail shops. One step up is the social sense of belonging and relaxation in a busy life, in a cafe, tearoom or pubs. The top need is related to inner peace and mental satisfaction that can only be achieved from art galleries, cinemas, bookstores etc.

With the rapid development of internet commerce, only these three stages of needs are irreplaceable as lifestyles experience provided in the physical environment.

Therefore, together with the Lujing Xintiandi Project, the theme of the commercial functions should be focus on experiencing the traditional, temporal and futuristic lifestyles, which will make this space everlasting and youthful over time. For example, small and flexible community service centres which are composed of markets, dinning, cafe, flower groceries, gyms, children’s playgrounds etc. can be integrated with the historic buildings within walking distances of 800 meters between them. As for the historic buildings with Shikumen style, hotels or home stays can be provided for the people who want to experience local traditional lifestyle through folk art, cuisine and handcrafts. Besides, the Lujing Xintiandi commercial centre would be a perfect choice for the ones who would like a taste of the future chic lifestyle.

THREE STAGES OF NEEDS FOR FUNCTIONS Last but not least is Your Town, which can be understood as “…taking the call to make this place you want it to be”.

Global references illustrate how pop-up planning can increase the involvement with local inhabitants but also adapt and evolve the commercial functions to respond to the rapidly changing environment. In other words, this bottle of wine is totally homemade and can be tasted and seasoned over and over again. Apart from the historic buildings that need to be preserved under strict regulations, pocket gardens, plazas, alleys and sidewalks can all be used as testing grounds to set up pop-up projects.

For example, corresponding to the fashion design industries booming in the district, plazas and alleys can be turned into spaces for public fashion exhibitions and studios, as well as holding fashion runway shows. Furthermore, sidewalks can be used to setup temporary pop-up stores with more individualised architectural styles and bright colours, which will be contrasting strongly with the traditional historic buildings. These stores can either sell local handcrafts from the fashion design studios or keep books as free libraries for the neighbourhood. Also, as the neighbourhood is planned to be the first car-free zone in Ningbo, a Park(ing) Day can become an annual event to promote artists, designers and citizens to transform parking places into temporary public parks or local markets.

To conclude, this bottle of wine for the Xinmalu Historical District is neither old nor new, neither too sweet nor too bitter, but rather a unique experience that evolves with time and changing palettes.

Virtual reality Experience Centre of American National Geography

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4 LEARNING FROM ELSEWHERE Specific interventions at the site level focussed on the five key aspects of Mobility, Open space network, Significance of water, Site Integration and Heritage. As seen in most Asian cities, fast moving vehicles are increasingly dominating urban areas. The team believed that the Xinmalu site needed to be designed as a pedestrian friendly zone at the heart of the city centre, as a part of a larger mobility strategy. Seeing that this was the site of the first concrete road in Ningbo as a response to the coming in of the motor age, it seemed appropriate that this very site showcase pedestrianisation to address the current need for walkable and liveable cities. The concept of an “open space network� that links to the larger vision for mobility offers the opportunity to create nodes within and beyond the site to allow citizens to enjoy well thought out open spaces and promotes a high-quality public realm.

Another key concept of the work is the re-introduction of water to the Xinmalu district. While many canals still exist in the city they have receded into the background with limited physical and visual access from public areas. After an intense week of working, a future for Xinmalu aspires to include diversity of functions, flexibility of spaces evolving within a context beyond its boundaries.

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Recommendations on Historic Urban Landscapes Interview with Marie-Noël Tournoux and Anna-Paola Pola by Nupur Prothi Khanna

Drum Tower Ningbo (Source: M. Ivkovic)

The World Heritage Institute of Training and Research in the Asia-Pacific Region (WHITR-AP) has released the Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape. The mission of WHITR-AP is to strengthen the implementation of UNESCOS’s World Heritage mandate through training, research, and the dissemination of information and network building. Marie-Noël Tournoux is Project Director and Dr. Anna-Paola Pola is Director, Urban Planning at WHITR-AP. More information on WHITRAP is available at www.whitr-ap.org.

In which way do you promote and advocate the Historic Urban Landscape approach?

Marie-Noël Tournoux: Historic Urban Landscape approach is intertwined in the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the New Urban Agenda (NUA). The relevance of Historic Urban Landscape approach is particularly strong in fast developing countries, where massive urbanization is recently unleashed. China is no exception

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Qinhuai District, Nanjing

where urban heritage values, agricultural landscape values, environmental values are in dire need of identification, recognition and protection, becoming integral to the policy and planning mechanism.

Anna-Paola Pola: At present, the Chinese approach to conservation remains mainly focused on tourism demands with an aim to inject new economic vitality into marginal areas, which may result in controversial or undesirable impacts on the social and built fabric as may be the case in Xinmalu. The crucial issue is how to integrate the continuity of local culture and improvement of the quality of life for the local community with the pressure for development. This has been acknowledged and integrated at Chinese national level by official documents such as the List of Chinese Historical Cultural Towns and Villages (2003), Notice on Strengthening the Protection of Vernacular Architecture (2007), Regulations on Protecting Historical Towns and Villages (2008), List of Chinese Traditional Villages (2012), Instructions on Strengthening the Development

and Protection of Traditional Villages (2012), Basic Requirements for Conservation and Development Plan of Chinese Traditional Villages (2013), Instructions on Strengthening the Protection of Traditional Chinese Villages (2014).

What are the main challenges in preserving Historic Urban Landscapes? What is the relevance to Ningbo?

Marie-Noël Tournoux: A vision for alternative forms of territorial development in China is based on innovation in governance across all levels, ensuring community participation, considering socio-cultural and natural heritage values as assets and integrating them into planning tools and management mechanisms. This is central to the Historic Urban Landscape Recommendation. However, international agendas, conventions, recommendations, are universal and generic and can only be successful when ‘global meets local’, designed with local tools to meet the particular needs of local communities. I hope

the UPAT in Ningbo will demonstrate the relevance of the HUL approach.

Anna-Paola Pola: In March 2018, the China Foundation for Cultural Heritage Conservation organised a forum in Ningbo to promote and disseminate its idea for inclusive participation in the protection of cultural heritage in China. In particular, the event aimed to improve the knowledge related to stages for enactment of ancient drama preserved in many villages in the area.

There are more than 120 opera stages over 100 years old, inscribed onto the first national list of Intangible Cultural Heritage, including ten classified as national key cultural relic protection units by the State Council in 2006. Traditional ancient drama stages in Ningbo’s Ninghai Region are the direct carriers of the tangible and intangible cultural heritage of the country, and an embodiment of folk wisdom. Incorporated in the Xinmalu Historic District this art form and performance areas will preserve and present this socio cultural wealth as possible tourism potential directly relevant to the region.

Downtown Shantou

Downtown Shantou

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Learning from local practice

Experience of Guangzhou Industrial Heritage Protection and Utilizaiton Mechanisms Liao Xinlong

Transformation and regeneration of former industrial zones in urban areas offers possibilities of innovation and development. Former industrial areas in transformation lost its original function, thus new program needs to be introduced to protects its original character and historical information.

Industrial heritage is at the core of many successful urban regeneration projects all over the world. Industrial heritage became a canvas for innovative industries, space for expression, uses and diverse social groups as revealed by such cases as Soho in New York (USA) and Albert Dockside in Liverpool (United Kingdom). Moreover, industrial heritage offers the possibility for creating distinct regional and urban identity as can be seen with the Baltic mills project (United Kingdom) and IBA Emscher (Germany).

The city of Guangzhou has preserved a wealth of industrial heritage, showcases urban transformation through industrialization and urbanization in contemporary times. This city is a fertile ground for urban innovation and entrepreneurship.

Comparative photos of Xinyi Place before and after renovation

Industrial heritage protection and reuse in Guangzhou can be divided into two categories of operational and non-operational nature. Urban regeneration projects of post-industrial sites are generally based of the following models: introduction of office facilities (e.g. Youli Toy Factory), creative industries park (e.g. Xinyi Place, TIT, Redtory), commercial blocks (e.g. Taigu House), exhibition and museum venues (e.g. Pearl River Beer Museum), heritage landscape parks (such as Guanggang Metro Green Axis Park).

Xinyi Place Cultural industry park Xinyi Place is located in the Liwan District, near the Pearl River White Goose Lake, adjacent to the Metro station, covering an area of more than 10,000 square meters.

Originally it was a complex of 12 buildings of the Guangdong Province Water Conservancy and Hydropower Machinery Factory built in the 1950s which in 2013 became Guangzhou’s’ first Cultural Industry Park.

Xinyi Place is a government-led development and transformation project carried out by the former owners and

Schematic layout of functional typologies of industrial heritage in Guangzhou

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commercial operators. In 2004, under the Liwan District Government’s matchmaking process, the property owner, Guangdong Yuantian Engineering Company (formerly Guangdong Province Water Conservancy and Hydropower Machinery Manufacturing Factory), cooperated with the operator, Guangdong Jinming Group Co. Ltd., with the latter serving as the operating enterprise to conduct unified planning, design and management of Xinyi Place.

Xinyi Place is a self-financing commercial real estate project. Project offers a new model for industrial upgrading and transformation based on the principles of cooperation, self-renewal, achieving sustainable development through profit complementation in different stages. Guangdong Jinming Group Co., Ltd. as a fixed investor and developer is responsible for the entire process, from transformation design to investment management, strict screening of incoming enterprise types and branding. Enterprises encouraged to join the project are office-oriented businesses, that could serve creative industries. Profitability of the project is ensured by offering long-term rent of office space, medium and short-term rent of hotel apartments and short-term rent of logistics

Kebai Dock in 1900

facilities. The factory can be rented but not sold, which guarantees the overall control of the park and controls any architectural changes. This model preserves a sense of history, safeguards the overall style, and prevents confusion or construction quality problems. Further, it reduces the leasehold party’s front-end investment, making it convenient to lease.

Overall, it took three years of planning and design. Eight workshops were retained, of which buildings No. 5 and No. 8 were renovated in full accordance with their original appearance. Other buildings needed to employ varying degrees of repair according to the needs of the façade, the mandate to retain the modernist style and to adhere to the overall vision of maintaining design unity.

Within the overall mandate of protection of the historic environment there are other spontaneous efforts contributing to overall protection and control. For instance, some roads were paved with green bricks removed from old houses; the original courtyard floor was paved with used sleepers; and 83 Banyan trees of over 100 years were preserved in the factory area.

The layout of the existing industrial heritage of Xinyi Place

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Xinmalu District Deep Dive Milena Ivkovic, Director Urban Planning Advisory Teams ISOCARP and Tjark Gall, Researcher ISOCARP Institute

With the adoption of the New Urban Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals in 2016, culture and heritage have been placed at the heart of sustainable urban development. Including heritage as an important factor created a new layer of meaning in the sustainable development efforts, deepening the engagement of the planning practice with the social realm.

This year’s ISOCARP Urban Planning Advisory Team project in Ningbo addressed the contemporary challenge of implementing Xinmalu District renewal with heritage as a prime driver. The city of Ningbo has a century old history as a port and trade city, owing its prosperity to the extraordinary location south of the major port of Shanghai, at the entrance of the Hangzhou Bay. The ethos that forms the basis of this settlement is typical of port cities around the world: hard work, entrepreneurship, and appreciation of the beauty and importance of water. The sea, the many waterways and canals have been part of the Ningbo terrain woven into the settlement in the early years.

context, it is usual for local policy makers and planners to see historical restoration as a universal remedy for the problems of depopulation, loss of workplaces or other urban issues. The success of these approaches suggest that renewal based on the past can be a successful remedy if a broader view on heritage is adopted, and if planners can look beyond built monuments to incorporate the larger cultural landscape, practices and associations.

SYMBOLIC URBAN PRESERVATION In the contemporary context, China has a relatively short history of heritage-inspired urban renewal. This UPAT with international expertise is important to contribute a different perspective, analytical skills and experience in this field from other contexts. The re-use of historic remains from different eras with diverse historical building types and morphologies has sometimes been implemented very quickly without a deeper understanding or engagement.

Heritage as a planning tool in a fast-growing city (such as Ningbo) is a complex approach to managing development. High expectations placed on heritage renewal can sometimes result in difficult negotiations. In the Western

During the brief visit to several reconstructed sites in Ningbo, the UPAT team has seen several examples of the local “symbolic urban preservation”. Using this process, some historically significant places are absorbed in the city’s economies of growth, reconstructed to improve

Ningbo downtown panorama

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the image of the city and promote tourism. The importance of understanding what is heritage and how to use it sustainably lies in seeing the significance of heritage to creating livable cities.

Conservation is a strict policy instrument. It is brought into use when there is a consensus on the high cultural significance of a certain area (or a building). Although understandable and clear, a conservation-based approach may prioritise architectural monuments rather than have a holistic approach to address the challenges of the urban context.

Heritage, on the other side, describes a cultural process rather then just a built artefact. Objects and places, structures and the built environment possess certain meanings and significance, even when they are not architectural or landscape “beauties” in a conservationist’s perspective. Heritage is commonly used as a planning method to rebuild certain areas into distinctive “cultural entities of the past” and speed up the urban renewal of the whole district. It can also be more than that.

Xinmalu district

A MORE HOLISTIC APPROACH During the many field visits of the Xinmalu district, the UPAT team conducted several interviews with the officials in charge discussing technical issues related to the District’s renewal. The interviews lent meaningful insight into the specifics of the heritage renewal approach in Ningbo. The existing approach addressed political dimensions of the renewal process. The negotiation between what to preserve, what to reconstruct and what to demolish needs to be constantly assessed to address the pressures of real-estate development and the socio-economics. To operationalise renewal plans, limited individual buildings and areas are protected in the name of heritage, leaving the rest for the next cycle of decision-making. In a district as diverse as Xinmalu, a more holistic approach can yield better, sustainable results.

The significance of Xinmalu extends beyond the historic remains of the Old Bund area as a ‘golden edge’ to the lively socio economic fabric of the neighbourhood. The historic district lies in the vicinity of commercial centres, is well connected with public transportation, and is in proximity to the developed riverfront. The project is a mixed area of old alleys, workers’ flats of the ‘80s and modern shopping malls. Reconstruction efforts are un-

Restored old houses and alleys

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Busting the myths about heritage

Xinmalu district aerial view of the neighbourhood

“Everything about cultural traditions and practices is good and must be conserved and safeguarded”

Xinmalu District has the potential to show that heritage renewal is beneficial as long as it is a part of an “integrated renewal approach” – the process should demonstrate preservation of valuable features connected to current societal and environmental changes. Financially driven goals presented in the most recent Xinmalu District Masterplan (attract more tourists, focus on certain styles and offer specific services) does not need to be at the odds with what the value attributed to the space by current inhabitants. This will encourage creation of more possibilities for individual entrepreneurship, retention of the small-scaled everyday stores and realisation of more common public spaces. Addressing architectural diversity, heritage can address different, mixed used typologies, moving beyond mere replication of traditional building forms. As an illustrative example, redevelopment of the area next to the new high rise shopping mall in the District can employ higher densities than proposed by the Masterplan.

“Urban renewal costs only money and is an obstacle to real-estate development”

Xinmalu can use historical renewal to facilitate the global and local sustainable development agenda. Quick developmental wins are not sustainable, and heritage can help to mitigate this damage. Cultural heritage seen only as a resource to attract investments and improve building stock is a rather limited view. Heritage renewal is part of larger strategic vision, addressing the long term liveability of urban environments addressing a diverse of scale, urban activities, and users to ensure a meaningful participation of our past the future of our cities.

“Cultural renewal is luxury”

Xinmalu’s renewal has the potential to show that culture is a dynamic phenomenon, not a timeless, static feature.

Culture is indeed luxury if it is only about physical entities, buildings and monuments. Cultural renewal addressed holistically addressed circulation of knowledge, the circulation of meanings providing an ecosystem beyond physical entities thereby addressing many socio economic anomalies of urban living.

derway in its oldest parts, transforming dilapidated old houses into inspiring modern accommodation for business.

The industrial spirit and hard-working, innovative ethos still define the atmosphere at Xinmalu. Heritage renewal efforts in Western contexts often overlook the real-life dimension of historic neighbourhoods. One-dimensional approach to heritage renewal transforms neighbourhoods into theme parks, devoid of social interaction citizens, and creating monochromatic landscapes with little diversity. A sustainable heritage renewal scheme needs to focus beyond entertaining visitors, to address the needs of its inhabitants.

The UPAT Xinmalu workshop with its varied group of international experts offered some diverse perspectives on sustainably developing the District utilising its heritage potential. The challenge lying before the heritage renewal of Xinmalu is to address three commonly held myths related to historic districts in general.

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Mural in de reconstructed parts of the Xinmalu district depicting the life in the inner alleys

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UPAT Workshop Activities Day 1

Day 3

The UPAT team of the international experts and the NBPI experts from different departments of the Institute started their first working day with an opening ceremony. After the official opening, the first work meeting was held. During the meeting, the international experts had the chance to see the introduction to the project background, heritage related issues and workshop focus.

First site visit followed, with an extensive walk around the surrounding neighbourhoods, as well as the visit to important heritage landmarks of Ningbo.

In the morning of the third day, a Xinamlu Stakeholders Meeting was held in Xinmalu, attended by local residents, entrepreneurs, real estate developers, UPAT experts and members of the NBPI. Several topics were discussed on the Stakeholders Meeting, with a clear display of a disparity between the nostalgia of the older generation and the needs of the younger aspirants at Xinmalu. The conclusion of this open, creative session was very clear: only an integrated vision of bringing the old and young together can create a win-win solution for the urban renewal of Xinmalu.

Day 2

Day 4/5

This day was reserved for more site visits, and meetings with different experts working in-situ on the renewal of the Xinmalu district, as well as the experts from the UPSC. This was a valuable opportunity for the international experts to exchange their experiences with the local experts, and understand better the complexities of conservation, restoration and management of the historical Shikumen-style structures in the Xinmalu neighbourhood.

The UPAT team met with the professors and students of the Ningbo University, and discussed the importance of heritage, and also how to analyse and solve local development challenges and opportunities of Xinmalu and surrounding areas.

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Day 6 local with the global and how to work towards inclusive and sustainable solutions in Xinmalu. The final presentation focused on formulating the Y-town (Yong River Town) vision and proposing some detailed design improvements of the existing Xinmalu plan proposal. The detailed design proposal were looking at improving mobility and connectivity in the area, bring back the open water qualities in public space, and proposing some new sets of functions to give a boost to the local economy.

The closing ceremony of the UPAT workshop was well-attended by local universities, practitioners and experts from both NBPI and the UPSC. Several renowned domestic experts were invited to reflect on the workshop results as presented by the UPAT team. The ceremony ended with the closing words and visions on the future of Xinmalu District, as well as what are the most important issues of cultural and urban heritage renewal in wider Ningbo region.

The workshop project was further developed on looking how to think creatively towards heritage, how to blend

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UPAT team evaluation of the NBPI’s current efforts in planning the Xinmalu District

Quick Scan of the Introduction to Xinmalu District Physical Plan The Introduction to Xinmalu District Physical Plan, conducted by the NBPI on the Xinmalu site in Ningbo, and presented during ISOCARP’s Urban Planning Advisory Team (UPAT) workshop provides a thorough analysis based on the broad variety of lenses and approaches.

The presentation gave a solid foundation for the workshop itself as well as the upcoming discussion on the strategic planning process for the Xinmalu district.

In some areas of the presented Introduction, there is a potential for better justification and adaptation of the planning steps and urban development process. A larger scale spatial perspective with a more in-depth consideration of the local and wider urban context can contribute to better integration in the overall development perspectives of Ningbo. The analysis of important social aspects is recommended to ensure an inclusive and realistic planning approach. Lastly, while potentials and current uses were studied in the initial phase, they seem not to appear in the later stages of the process or have little impact on the strategic plan. This leads to the risk of what will happen to the existing social structures and businesses, how they can sustain themselves and become an integral part in the future, as the gentrification process might negatively affect a number of the present residents of Xinmalu neighbourhood.

Aerial view of the Xinmalu District Area (the Physical Plan boundaries)

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Starting with the larger scale spatial perspective, an understanding of the connections to the overall development, as well as the strategic (or non-strategic) location is essential to have a clear overview of the future planning. What kind of new programme will take place in the environment, and who will use or just pass through the planned area? While there is a study of the historical roots of the Xinmalu District conducted in a high level of detail, a more in-depth consideration of recent and anticipated economic and residential developments is needed. The analysis of road networks, the public transport grid, and non-motorised traffic flows could lead to a better detailing of the interfaces of the site.

Different sites and communities within the Xinmalu District Area

Sites surfaces

Current land use plan of the Xinmalu District Area

Heritage alleys of the Xinmalu District Area

Currently, the main focus seems to be on the two commercial sites – Deji-Deci Alley Site next to the Zhengdalu Metro station and one in the south (Xinmalu Historic Site) – and how to connect them. While a long-term vision of a waterfront revitalisation is mentioned, there is no direct consideration on its effect on Xinmalu District: how will Xinmalu connect to the riverfront or how it will be affected by the planned riverfront use.

An in-depth understanding of the preferred users/consumers of the two sites within the Xinmalu District will allow an adapted and site-specific strategy dealing with

Current state of some of the heritage alleys

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Xinmalu District Area start phase

8-steps process of protecting and developing

Xinmalu District Area end phase

uses, functions and possible pathways. There are now eight different identities chosen for the area which suggests that there is a strategy behind attracting different groups of users, but more thorough reasoning behind it can lead to higher success of the implementation of these identities.

ANALYSIS OF THE NBPI PROPOSED STRATEGY FOR XINMALU The proposed solution and strategic planning approach contain a variety of solid and promising elements. The 8-step-process of protecting and developing the area is logical and provides an excellent framework for the development.

Secondly, the consideration of scale, heights, proportions as well as corridor dimensions ensures appropriate handling and integration of new developments, preserving the original character of Xinmalu. The conceptualisation of various identities and user profiles provides a solid foundation for in-depth planning and upcoming decision-making on functions and business models.

Lastly, the ambition of transforming the major street on the Beijia Alley Site ( with a possible tunnel connection) and linking the site with the commercial development

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in Southern part of Xinmalu Historic district will benefit the overall integration as well as creating easier access to Xinmalu.

There are a few potentials, which could be further expanded upon. First, an in-depth analysis of architectural styles that was conducted in the first stage seems not to appear in the later stages of the study. Instead there are just two vaguely defined concepts of “authenticity by contrast” and “analogy – enhancing authenticity”. The principle of contrast partly however, disagrees with the guidelines to use the pitched roofs on the overall scale.

While the height and corridor dimension regulations, as well as proportion recommendations are given as a functional framework, including more variety in this framework would not necessarily disagree with the ambition to respect the historical spatial typology.

In the case of the pitched roof, it is questionable in how far these guidelines are necessary for the quality perception from the street-level (fig 1). The guidelines also limit significant proportion of the to-be-developed space, by making it usable only within narrow margin of possible heights that can be realised within the pitched roof structures.

Ground level pedestrian connections and elevated (second floor) pedestrian connections

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Low quality image, is there a better version?

Current Master Plan proposal

Transition boundaries

In regard to the scale, two approaches to the architectural guidelines can be considered:

acts more like a barrier, insisting on the elevated walkway instead of using the available space.

creative population, which could be a target group for the business development as well.

1. Creating transition boundaries and interfaces with existing higher buildings in the surroundings 2. Allowing the variety of architectural forms in Xinmalu District on a selected new typologies, suggesting hierarchy, highlighting and enclosing – for example around a new central square. The variety will also provide room for realising functions like usable rooftops, allowing exciting views over the area.

The recommendation is to either consider creating a carefully designed open space or a Xinmalu District park, depending on the needs in the larger urban context.

The park can contain dispersed smaller scale buildings, which can be seen as an extension of the Xinmalu area towards the south side.

Paying particular attention to the design of the public spaces on a smaller scale is necessary to complement the anticipated historical character of Xinmalu. While the buildings and functions will contribute significantly to the success of creating an attractive and lively district, the public spaces in between should provide the highest development potential from the overall planning scheme.

The second-floor walkway (elevated floor walkway) as presented in the vision for Xinmalu, should be a fast link between the commercial development in the Beiji Alley and the metro station.

But instead of making this second internal network as a fast link, a direct connection on the Eastern side for immediate access will be a better option. That leaves the second floor walkway as an alternative and a way to realise more shop fronts in the strategically selected areas, and avoid directing the pedestrians through areas less attractive.

Major potential for improvement is the transition between the site and the commercial development in the Beiji Alley that will be possible when the newly planned tunnel connection is realised. The current plan for the “landscape coordination area” neither creates an inviting place nor a suitable connecting element. Instead, it

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Another leading question is the anticipated uses inside the site. The importance of a street-by-street district division of the 8 themes is not clear. While using themes is good for the overall concept and provides a strong identity for prospective commercial users, the scale of the area does allow a more diverse mix between the themes without losing its character. Considering the actual use, many of the themes overlap with each other and should not be looked at separately.

This, however, should not mean that they cannot have a strong individual character, or that other element – like thematic pathways – could not add to the value of Xinmalu. Concerning the relative mono-functional character of the proposed plan, beside commercial and tourist facilities, there should be also a place for residential functions. This can be aligned with the themes and the unique heritage of the area, creating broader variety of functions in Xinmalu and decrease the risk of becoming merely a theme park for special occasions. The residential areas can provide housing for mostly younger and

Proposal - mixed use programme on the intermediary scale

Proposal – mixed use programme on the small scale

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Set of Recommendations with Case Examples

Based on the assessment in the first part of this Chapter, and the findings of the UPAT final presentations document, a series of strategic planning and detailed urban design improvements can be recommended for Xinmalu District. These recommendations address the need to look beyond the location itself, and introduce the “living heritage” concept.

The recommendations fall into four general categories: a. strategic long-term development: the Y-town vision b. optimized access, improved pedestrian traffic c. introducing new qualities in public space through specific landscaping measures d. combining heritage architecture with new functions to boost the local economy and make Xinmalu attractive for everyone

Within each recommendation category there are also several “actions” referring to the concrete possible design interventions. a. Y-town long-term strategic vision In the future, Xinmalu District becomes the part of the Y-town : the Yong River Town.

Y-town is strategically envisaged to be a thriving space adjacent to the city centre, incubating an innovative business and knowledge culture, reflecting Ningbo’s rich local and global heritage, encompassing the principles of environmental and social sustainability.

The Y-town concept will demonstrate the living heritage concept – meaning that heritage is not something to only look at it, but to interact with.

ACTION 2 – Providing the great diversity of program within the heritage framework b. Building on comprehensive connectivity The Xinmalu district plan as it is right now, has three important points to improve, when it comes to the mobility issues. The first point is improving the connectivity within the neighbourhood itself, by establishing a logical network of nodes and direct routes connecting them.

The second point is to overcome the barrier of the (future) tunnel trajectory and the large shopping mall in the middle of the neighbourhood, as well as overcoming the barrier of the large throughway road between the Xinmalu district and the riverfront. The third point is to better utilize the presence of two underground stations by connecting them better to the neighbourhood.

ACTION 1: Providing vibrant spatial experiences

ACTION 3: Connecting the nodes with shared space

The living heritage in the case of Xinmalu district as the part of the Y-town vision is a concept based on the presence of different functions and different building types in the same neighbourhood – an unique, contrasting mix of hyper-modern and old styles. Architecture of the new structures is the area should support the old fascinations and traditions (such as decorative brickwork and gabled roofs) but also offer structures of it’s own time, adding a new layer of culture on top of the existing ones. In that way, a true living history of Ningbo characterized by entrepreneurship, culture and education will be reinstated.

In the previous analysys, it has been mentioned that the extended network of long, elevated walkaways may be disadvantageous to the general quality of public space on the ground floor. Elevated walkaways could be put to a good use as the direct barrier-free connections between major nodes (the metro station commercial area, the inner area of the Xinmalu and the existing high-rise shopping mall, while the ground floor ca be enriched with “shared space” concept. this concept is a specific urban design approach aimed to minimize the strong divisions between vehicle traffic and pedestrians, by removing features such as elevated curbs, road surface markings or excessive traffic signs. This concept doesn’t exclude the vehicle traffic, but it integrates it and tempers it. With shared space, inner-city neighbourhoods (such as Xinmalu) with the potential and ambition to both attract the visitors and preserve specific way of life can be successfully transformed and invigorated.

Establishing of a network of vibrant spaces, connected with the surroundings

Wider scope of the Y-town concept

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Shared space Barcelona

Shared space Wuhan

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ACTION 4: Working on an attractive ground level connections in an heritage environment

ACTION 6: Integrated public space for tourists, entrepreneurs and locals

c. Sustainable public space in harmony with heritage

d. Heritage as the motor of local economy

The desire for a community public space and generally, more quality open social spaces is a recurring need expressed many times by citizens throughout the Stakeholders Workshop held during this UPAT project. But to make good public space is a complex, mixed neighbourhood as Xinmalu district, one must not forget the importance of the heritage, and it’s potential for commercial exploitation and tourism. Another important aspect is the role of water in Xinmalu district, which is in the current plans somewhat neglected. Introducing open water surfaces have several benefits: it’s a contribution to the climate resilience, it is an attractive element which can attract visitors, and it is also a perfect element to evoke different intangible heritage and culture references.

On the city level, Ningbo has a clear ambition to promote local innovation initiatives and local economy by adding value to the heritage it possesses. Pioneering spirit is at the vey core of Ningbo, since it became the starting point of the Maritime Silk Route. In the industrial era, the pioneering spirit manifested itself in championing the Western innovations and techniques. Next to being industrious and commercial, Ningbo has a distinctive “library culture” – being the place of one of the oldest and greatest libraries of Old China.

Foshan Lingtan Tiandi masterplan ( Source: SOM)

ACTION 5: Reconsidering the role of water in the Xinmalu neighbourhood In the past Xinmalu district was directly connected to the riverfront through the elaborate network of smaller, interconnected waterways and canals. During the years and in modern times, this fine-grained canal network has been drastically changed, and there are no larger open water structures to be found in Xinmalu. The once important heritage feature is thus lost, and it should resurrect in Xinmalu in a new, modern way. Simply restoring the old waterways in such a mixed, complex area as Xinmalu is not a viable solution. Water as a public space feature has to be the catalyst for increasing the quality of life in the area: the water-based strategy for regenerating the public space can consist of separate, nearly independent interventions, yet related to each other other to create a balanced and coherent whole. For example, water in Xinmal’s publis space district can be used as an “active” feature to affect urban microclimate (gather rainwater, cool down the heat island effect) and at the same time displaye a more “passive”, decorative role, suitable for a heritage-inspired urban renewal.

But reinstating the importance of Xinmalu and the role it played in the history is a complex process. In terms of utilizing the economical potential, it is clear that it will happen gradually and through different phases, each of the phase having to satisfy the new, modern needs of potential tourists, visitors, as well as potential new inhabitants. In this process of modernization and gradual replacement of the old structures with the new, temporary uses can be glue that connects one developmental phase to the other. The introduction of the temporary uses can be beneficial for the general planning policy of the area: by testing new functions in it’s temporary form, it can be seen how viable is their economic existence, before the final decisions and permits have been given.

Also, some of the greatest non-tangible cultural assets have the temporal character - festivals and open-air celebrations, for example – and they can be given a modern character, which will boost the local economy.

The Downtown Project, Las Vegas, USA

ACTION 7: temporal uses Besides build heritage based on physical assets, Xinmalu posses a great variety of the non-physical assets (or so-called “intangible heritage”) inherited from the past generations, which are unique and have the significance for the community. The intangible heritage marks traditions, custom and other cultural expressions (such as literature, cuisine or crafts) that distinguish one part of the city from another. The renewal of Xinmalu district can show the way on how to use intangible heritage for temporary use in the public space, in terms of seasonal markets, festival displays or open-air exhibitions, and attract visitors. Besides this the temporal uses can support areas in transition, which can be stuck in a years-long process between demolition, reconstruction and completion of the new structures.

Temporary use New York

Learning about heritage by direct experience (Source: Cornucopia)

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Way forward for NBPI

ACTION 8: making intangible heritage visible: by reinstating it in a pedestrianized setting Next to deploying temporal use as a way of realizing the “living heritage”, the intangible heritage can find it’s place in many other, more solid and permanent urban renewal strategies. If intangible heritage is understood as a “way of life”, and not only as a list of traditional values and practices, it can be a powerful motor of urban development. Here are a few recommendations that can be passed on. First of all, in the abundance of intangible heritage (such is the case of Xinmalu and generally, Ningbo) it is important to find the “good story”.

In Xinmalu, the main story is of modernity, openness and individual entrepreneurship. The next step is to find only several particular structures (and respective environments, such as streets, alleys, or gardens) and dedicate them to this specific heritage solely. All other (new or less expressive structures) aimed to be part of the larger heritage renewal-programming (as already described in 8 thematic zones of Xinmalu district) can contain more general, and more “formulaic” approach to heritage. It is important to remember that the “scarcity” or “uniqueness” of just a several streets, buildings and environments can bring more value and recognition for the whole neighbourhood.

LX Factory district Lisbon

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Qianmen Boulevard Beijing

The NBPI has the potential to contribute significantly to the planning and implementation of some of the most critical challenges facing the role of heritage in China’s urban renewal, such as the issues of the level of conservation, strategic use of design (both for buildings and public spaces) and promotion of cultural heritage.

In this field, the UPAT expert’s team can formulate a following set of recommendations: a/ Maintenance of the historic buildings, streets, squares and neighbourhoods can be a burden for the city budget, and usually can’t meet the high demands of conservation and protection rules. The responsibilities of providing high-quality landscaped public spaces and maintaining / rebuilding historic structures can be transferred to private beneficiaries in the form of Heritage Renewal Planning Agreements and Heritage Planning Obliga-

tions. The NBPI can then have a role of the “guardian” of the spatial quality in this process, and ensure the best interest of the city of Ningbo are served. b/ NBPI can act as a driver of positive change in the field of renewal by prescribing the Requirements for Spatial Quality and Special Conservation Standards for the Inner-City Heritage Sites. With these standards, NBPI can ensure the long-term sustainable development of Xinmalu and similar districts. c/ Protecting public interest on the heritage sites which are extremely interesting for commercial re-development can be achieved by crafted PPP’s (Pubic-Private Partnerships). In this construction, local authorities may consider the possibility to separate ownership of different plots within the site, incentivising different owners to implement their own creative visions within a larger

The establishment of the ZoHo Renewal PPP Company in the ZoHo area in Rotterdam, the Netherlands ( Source: ZoHo)

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governmental policy framework. In this way the owners are given more space to adapt their project to the market changes in the future, but within the set of rules of the heritage renewal. The role of the NBPI is again to safeguard the spatial quality, the right mix of function and the architectural / aesthetical quality of different owners projects suitable for Xinmalu district and larger Y-town ambitions. d/ For the overall maintenance and management of the site’s parts with predominantly housing functions, a “Xinmalu Heritage Trust� can be established. The aim of this trust is to help improve the quality of life and public space facilities, that are not directly aimed for the visitors of commercial use. The “Heritage Trust� can be funded by leviesorganisation contributed by the individual owners and comPublishing mercial developers, partRegional of their “corporate International Society of as Citya and Planners social responsibility�. The role of the NBPI in this case is to (ISOCARP) be aPlanning sort of “mediator� and(UPAT) to build bridges needed t Urban Advisory Team Programme P.O.develop Box 983a trust relationship between the commercial developers and local communities, in order to keep 2501 CZ The Hague area liveable, mixed and inclusive.

Thethe Netherlands www.isocarp.org

e/ Finally, NBPI can form a “Xinmalu Task Force� , a multi-expertise group within it’s own institutional framework. The task force can work across different sectors, (mobility, housing, city branding, building protection, water management, public space design economic development) and build on new knowledge how to deal with heritage and urban renewal in complex inner-city locations such as Xinmalu.

Photography Cover Image: NBPI Pages 5, 21-22, 38-39, 47, 54-55, 66-67: M. Ivkovic All other photos were supplied by the respective organisations or authors of the text, or a reference to the author has been made.

Organisers International Society of City and Regional Planners (ISOCARP) ISOCARP Institute, Center of Urban Excellence Ningbo Urban Planning & Design Institure (NBPI)

Illustrations Icons from The Noun Project by: Pierre-Luc Auclair (human), Julio Yanes (wheel), Deemak Daksina (lake), Sophia (building), Saifurrijal100 (book), Aha-Soft (bank): 20-21.

Editors Nupur Prothi Khanna, Martin Dubbeling

All other illustrations were supplied by the respective organisations or authors of the text.

Design and Layout Zivile Simkute

ISSN 2414-3464

Š 2019 ISOCARP All copyrights, commercial rights, design rights, trademarks or other elements considered intellectual property that are published in this report are reserved by the International Society of City and Regional Planners. You are permitted to use the contents of this report online, offline and social media and other publication channels for non-commercial purposes with clear reference to International Society of City and Regional Planners as its main source. You are not permitted to Transformation the protected buildpart heritage to suit modern needs the commercial inner city of Amsterdam, architects (Source: modify, compile, of adapt, or use any of this report in any wayinfor purposes authors withoutMVRDV a written agreement MVRDV) from International Society of City and Regional Planners. For more information please contact isocarp@isocarp.org.

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