This is a tourist map of Zhujiaiao, an ancient town on the water, near Shanghai. It is a tourist attraction - for shopping - for both Chinese visitors and international tourists...
It is also an interesting example of the way China is maintaining a good stock of affordable housing - even in villages like this - while protecting heritage buildings and other heritage character.
Many of the photos you will see of the village include the water and the many bridges. Tourist boats and row boat and motor-powered taxis are frequent on the river...
This video clip gives a wonderful impression of the timelessness of the streetscape in the village. It is an extraordinarily peaceful place...
Many of the buildings near the river are ancient. And the shops and food stalls could have been there for centuries...
The main river is l;inked with canals which function as side streets and the routes for heavy traffic. Only bikes and light scooters are seen sharing most of the narrow streets with pedestrians...
The woman in the foreground was getting rid of weeds in preparation for crop planting. All sorts of food plants and greenery are planted throughout the village...
These women are selling plastic bags each containing a few goldfish. I noticed the goldfish featured frequently on printwork and cloth. Tourists - mostly Chinese - purchased a bag for a few yuan - and then poured it in the river to release the goldfish....
Seats beside the canals provide great places to watch the world go slowly by
A very peaceful place....
So what's medium density got to do with it.... well... from the main bridge you can see a modern medium density development occurring...
Looking more closely you can see the stone and tiling materials used for this development - which has adopted the urban form of the ancient village... in terms of roofline and windows....
Though the buildings in the development that front onto the river are more modern in facade, they still retain the materials of the other houses in the development....
And the street finish has the same paving as app[ears in the old town, plus similar street furniture. Heights at street frontage are similar, as is the way the buildings directly front the street.
I have visited Zhujiajiao twice in the past 8 months and I was surprised to learn that it's one of the oldest existing water towns in that part of China, and yet the overall fabric is quite well preserved. This contrasts sadly with my home Malaysia where we Malaysians have little sense of heritage preservation and hardly any old water villages that have not been completely modernised. Thank you. Ar. Najib Ariffin. nadge.my@gmail.com
This is a tourist map of Zhujiaiao, an ancient town on the water, near Shanghai. It is a tourist attraction - for shopping - for both Chinese visitors and international tourists...
It is also an interesting example of the way China is maintaining a good stock of affordable housing - even in villages like this - while protecting heritage buildings and other heritage character.
Many of the photos you will see of the village include the water and the many bridges. Tourist boats and row boat and motor-powered taxis are frequent on the river...
This video clip gives a wonderful impression of the timelessness of the streetscape in the village. It is an extraordinarily peaceful place...
Many of the buildings near the river are ancient. And the shops and food stalls could have been there for centuries...
The main river is l;inked with canals which function as side streets and the routes for heavy traffic. Only bikes and light scooters are seen sharing most of the narrow streets with pedestrians...
The woman in the foreground was getting rid of weeds in preparation for crop planting. All sorts of food plants and greenery are planted throughout the village...
These women are selling plastic bags each containing a few goldfish. I noticed the goldfish featured frequently on printwork and cloth. Tourists - mostly Chinese - purchased a bag for a few yuan - and then poured it in the river to release the goldfish....
Seats beside the canals provide great places to watch the world go slowly by
A very peaceful place....
So what's medium density got to do with it.... well... from the main bridge you can see a modern medium density development occurring...
Looking more closely you can see the stone and tiling materials used for this development - which has adopted the urban form of the ancient village... in terms of roofline and windows....
Though the buildings in the development that front onto the river are more modern in facade, they still retain the materials of the other houses in the development....
And the street finish has the same paving as app[ears in the old town, plus similar street furniture. Heights at street frontage are similar, as is the way the buildings directly front the street.
I have visited Zhujiajiao twice in the past 8 months and I was surprised to learn that it's one of the oldest existing water towns in that part of China, and yet the overall fabric is quite well preserved. This contrasts sadly with my home Malaysia where we Malaysians have little sense of heritage preservation and hardly any old water villages that have not been completely modernised. Thank you. Ar. Najib Ariffin. nadge.my@gmail.com
Awarded Top 100 Planning Blog 24 July 2017. 88th out of 100 planning blogs spanning the planet. Very pleased. Click the medal to see them each described and to access an interesting resource.
I enjoy the challenges of planning, especially the who gains, who loses bit, No easy solutions here! Unlike my earlier life in physics - but it's all relative. Previous life for 12 years as elected councillor in Auckland local government. Re-qualified at University of Auckland as urban planner. Now senior policy analyst at NZ Planning Institute.
1 comment:
I have visited Zhujiajiao twice in the past 8 months and I was surprised to learn that it's one of the oldest existing water towns in that part of China, and yet the overall fabric is quite well preserved. This contrasts sadly with my home Malaysia where we Malaysians have little sense of heritage preservation and hardly any old water villages that have not been completely modernised. Thank you. Ar. Najib Ariffin. nadge.my@gmail.com
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