Speakers: Liu Zheng, Associate Professor of Urban Planning, South China University of Technology

Greenways are linear green corridors that are planned, designed, and managed for multi-use purposes. The introduction of the greenway concept to China, particularly from the American context, can be traced back to the 1990s. However, widespread development of greenways in China only began after 2010, when Guangdong Province initiated its first regional greenway plan. This lecture will first explore how this American-based concept led to a political campaign in Guangdong. The second part will elaborate on the challenges of legitimizing greenway objectives and achieving institutional arrangements within the unique bureaucratic framework of Chinese regional governance. Following this, the discussion will address post-campaign improvement strategies in Guangdong and other regions, highlighting innovative planning practices that are commonly present yet often overlooked in China.

This event series is sponsored by the MIT Sustainable Urbanization Lab, the University of British Columbia’s School of Community and Regional Planning, and the Harvard University Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies.

Presented via Zoom Meeting.
Meeting link: https://mit.zoom.us/j/93343229272