China’s government urges planners to stop building identical looking cities
Policy document says greater efforts should also be made to protect traditional architecture, amid rapid development in world’s second-largest economy
Chinese cities must avoid looking identical in their urban development and focus on each city’s unique historical value, the government said in a policy document released late on Wednesday.
Rapid development over the last four decades of breakneck economic growth has seen many old buildings demolished and cookie-cutter skyscrapers and other edifices put up in their place.
While some places like Shanghai and Tianjin have done a relatively good job at protecting their cultural heritage, such as the colonial-era architecture of the two cities, others have lost swathes of historic buildings.
The new policy to better protect traditional Chinese culture, released by the central government, states cities have to set more store on their “historic and cultural value”.
“Refine and carefully choose prominent examples of special cultural characteristics and symbols, put this into urbanisation and city planning, rationally use public spaces for sculptures, squares and parts,” it said.