China and Spain’s Urban Planners explore the path to future-oriented urban development in a dialogue.
“I am determined to pursue the new idea of incorporating the future into urban planning,” chair of architecture at European University of Madrid José Luis Esteban Penelas stated on June 28 at the China-Spain Dialogue on Urban Planning and Cultural Development held in Madrid. He went on to elaborate the new model of urban planning that his team are promoting. It involves inviting engineers, sociologists, architects, and artists to forecast a city’s future development, based on which the urban planning is expedited. “What I want to say is, the future is already here, but we must now surpass the more distant future,” Penelas declared.
More than 100 officials and scholars from China and Spain attended the China-Spain Dialogue on Urban Planning and Cultural Development, organized by the Center of Europe and Africa under China International Communications Group and the Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies.
Hu Kaihong, vice minister of China’s Central Office of Cultural and Ethical Progress, addresses the China-Spain Dialogue on Urban Planning and Cultural Development on June 28, 2024, in Madrid.
The geographical distance between the two countries has done nothing to diminish the bond between the two civilizations, the China-Spain friendship having grown ever stronger over time. “Our countries share many similarities in regard to urban planning, for example, the concepts of being people-oriented, respect for nature, valuing cultural inheritance, and green development,” said Hu Kaihong, vice minister of China’s Central Office of Cultural and Ethical Progress.
The two countries’ trade volume surpassed US $50 billion in the year 2022, and in 2023, China and Spain celebrated the 50th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations. The 20th anniversary of their comprehensive strategic partnership, moreover, fast approaches, which will be due in 2025. A wide range of exchange activities takes bilateral ties to new heights, the two countries having formalized 30 or more sister city partnerships. Integrating modern urban development concepts with history and culture is a key topic in dialogues between the two countries’ urban planners, Chinese ambassador to Spain Yao Jing observed at the dialogue in Madrid.
Focusing on new changes and features, attendees had in-depth exchanges on such topics as urban renewal and cultural revival, the building of urban public spaces, green development, the infusing of cultural elements into urban planning, and building future cities.
Participants in the discussion session of the China-Spain Dialogue on Urban Planning and Cultural Development in Madrid on June 28.
Livable People-Centered Cities
“The cities are built by the people and are for the people,” Chinese President Xi Jinping said during his inspection tour of Shanghai in November 2019. Standing in a Yangpu Binjiang public space, Xi marveled at the transformation of what was once a rust-belt area and site of many industrial factories into a beautiful and livable zone. He stressed that the people-centered principle should be upheld at all times, whether in the context of constructing a new town or renovating an old one.
A magnificent sunset pink glow can be seen from the Binjiang Avenue in Shanghai on the scorching midsummer night of July 18, 2023. The waterfront public space of the two mother rivers has already become an ideal place for Shanghai citizens and tourists to cool off.
Liu Shilin, director of the Institute of Urban Science in Shanghai Jiao Tong University, analyzed during the dialogue the major process and experience of urban renewal and cultural revival that has taken place along Shanghai’s Huangpu and Suzhou rivers. This work has effectively transfigured the “rust belts” along the two rivers into desirable residential communities and site of dynamic innovation incubators. Shanghai’s hosting of the World Expo 2010, themed “Better City, Better Life,” was what inspired the renovations, embodying as they do the people-centered urban planning principle. Liu laid particular store by the government’s role in this urban renewal. “The government is able to coordinate the demands and interests of different entities, while purely economic motivation often fails to achieve the desired results,” Liu said.
Speaking on the topic of building a livable and humanized city, María Reyes Maroto Illera, member and spokesperson of the Regional Government of Madrid for the Socialist Parliamentary Group, emphasized the immense importance of building public spaces by highlighting their key role in bringing people closer. As parking lots devour more and more space, that set aside for sports, social activities, or just walking, dwindles. Illera shared the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party plan for transforming Madrid, whose aim is to modernize the Spanish capital city by making it livable, equitably apportioned, and greener. Two-thirds of public spaces will be earmarked for citizens, and one third for transportation, thus restoring and revivifying the people’s social life. Meanwhile, the plan’s axis connecting residential communities will also be linked to such green infrastructure as parks and greenbelts, in a rational manner.
Zhao Jie, vice director of the Nanjing Municipal Office of Cultural and Ethical Progress, recounted the practices of the Chinese city of Nanjing in its people-centered urban development. Noted for its sycamore trees (Wutong), this city in east China has adopted that tree as its cultural symbol. “In public spaces – like scenic spots, squares, commercial zones, and small parks – we built 62 small-scale urban service halls, named ‘Wutong Whisper’ urban parlors, within easy reach of all citizens,” Zhao said. The small public spaces that feature the integrated functions of public service, cultural exhibition, and recreation, have become integral to the city’s 15-minute cultural service circles for local citizens.
Culture Is the Soul of a City
A city’s historical sites, cultural relics, and humanistic features are embedded in that city’s life, President Xi once noted. If its cultural features are ruined, that city, no matter how well built, will have neither soul nor vitality. Xi once observed that old town renovation and upgrading should be part and parcel of the protection of historical relics and preservation of cultural heritage.
The view inside and outside the ancient city wall in Nanjing, east China’s Jiangsu Province. Photo by Wang Weixin
Attendees of the dialogue went on to share their opinions on how to build a city that lays equal store by inheriting history and culture and pursuing economic and social innovation.
On the topic of blazing a new path in urban development, Hu Kaihong stressed the following three points: inheriting cultural heritage and preserving the cultural roots of a city; encouraging cultural innovation that embraces the future; and promoting cultural exchanges in the interests of mutual learning. “We should respect and protect old buildings, and explore efficient ways whereby to protect, inherit and utilize a city’s cultural relics. We may thus endow new value on ancient culture, and hence revitalize ancient cities,” Hu said.
Zhao Jie elaborated Nanjing’s practices in this field, from the perspective of integrating cultural elements, citizens’ cultural needs, and creative art design into urban planning and construction. “During the renovation of ancient blocks, we have not only preserved the original look of historical buildings, but also introduced modern features, including teahouses, cafes, book stores, among others, that make them part of the 21st century,” Zhao said.
Zhang Yingle, a lecturer at the School of Architecture of Southeast University, analyzed at the dialogue certain key experiences, from the cultural perspective, of China’s renewal of ancient streets. Since China’s urbanization entered the new stage of improvements to existing urban areas, having shifted from that of exponential expansion, the country’s urban renewal has been more about people-centered upgrading. In Zhang’s opinion, most important about renovating ancient blocks is not the form of buildings, but rather the preservation of their traditional functions, and making all such ancient blocks open to the public. This will bring visitors a taste of local life. “Interaction and fusion are great ways of preserving traditions and keeping abreast of the times,” Zhang said. He believed that integrating ancient streets with local life, rather than just protecting them and maintaining their original looks, is vital to maintaining their innate dynamism.
Zhao Jie holds that the best way to get to know a city is to go to the local farmer’s market. He illustrated his point through Nanjing’s project to use the arts in the renovation of its Kexiang Food Market. “We invited nine artists of ages ranging from 20 to 60 or more years old, including poets, writers, calligraphers, and musicians. Each of them proposed ideas from their specific angles. We tried to explore ways of linking citizens’ daily life with art, so making the routine purchase of provisions an aesthetic experience too, and hence promoting improvement of local people’s overall quality,” Zhao said.
Zhao also talked of how inspired he was by San Miguel Market at Plaza Mayor in Madrid. “San Miguel has totally subverted my understanding of a food market. What we saw there was not just people shopping, but also communicating with each other and enjoying shared moments of leisure, by taking a seat, having a drink, and exchanging news. A food market thus becomes a place for people to socialize, a concept I find so intriguing that I want to transport it back to China,” Zhao said.
Natalia Ucero Pérez, first secretary of the presidium of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Senate of Spain, commended the dialogue for connecting urban planning with cultural development. She observed that urban planning is not just about designing venues, roads, and spaces for people to live and work, but needs also to take various cultural elements, such as people’s living habits and customs, into account. “Both boasting a long history, each of our countries witnessed the thriving of splendid and diversified cultures in their lands, ranging from ancient buildings to various intangible cultural heritage, including art, folklore, and literature. Our urban planning must hence take all these cultural elements into consideration, because they have shaped the local lifestyle,” Perez concluded.
Building Future-Oriented Cities
During his inspection tour of Shanghai in December 2023, President Xi underscored the necessity to improve the resilience and safety of urban development in a comprehensive way, while quickening urban digital transformation and advancing the overall green transformation of economic and social development.
A post-modern apartment building in the heart of Madrid.
Attendees of the dialogue offered their solutions as regards how to build a future-oriented city with innovative approaches while addressing the pressing problems that impede urban development. Hu Kaihong said in his speech that the best way to carry forward history is to create new history, and the best way to preserve human civilization is to innovate new forms of it. “We encourage exchanges and the blending of different cultures, and advocate the combination of technology and culture. Cultural innovation can play a key role in shaping the future of urban civilization,” Hu said.
María Rosa Cervera, a well-known Spanish architect and president of Cátedra China, meanwhile, believes that the answer lies in nature. “Nature can become our mentor, capable of dissolving our perplexity,” she said. In her speech, accompanied by PPT slides, Cervera took the structure of a flower as an example, pointing out that the arrangement of each petal is not random, but aimed at receiving optimum sunshine. In her view, many shapes and forms in the natural world may be sources of inspiration for urban designers. Sustainable and organic buildings constitute her current major research topic. “We’re trying to design buildings of diversified shapes, like those in the natural world, in an energy- and material-efficient way. We call them green or sustainable buildings,” Cervera said.
As climate change becomes the common challenge of urban development globally, how to reduce carbon emissions and capture carbon has become the foremost topic among urban designers. Expanding the coverage of green plants is a good way to capture carbon, but limited urban spaces have made increasing green coverage difficult. Cervera’s solution is to breed microalgae on the facades of buildings. “They can not only provide us with biomass energy and fertilizer, but also capture carbon dioxide. We grow microalgae on the surface of buildings to form a closed circulation loop,” Cervera said.
Juan Albert, a Spanish architectural designer and professor at the Gengdan Institute of Beijing University of Technology underscored, while talking about the harmonious coexistence between human beings and nature, the guiding role of ancient Chinese philosophy in modern urban planning. “Natural elements helped to create the appropriate ambience for buildings in ancient Chinese culture. Those cultural concepts have enlightened us in our creation of an urban environment more harmonious with nature,” Albert said.
Angel Zarabozo, vice president of the Madrid World Capital of Construction (MWCC), underlined the importance of sustainable urban development, saying that urban planning should adapt to the changing environment. “Undoubtedly, we need to integrate old towns and new towns to reach a balance. Meanwhile, protection of cultural relics and innovation should also reach a balance. It’s important to preserve the cultural value of ancient blocks while integrating the new with the old in order to achieve sustainable development,” Zarabozo observed.
José Luis Esteban Penelas impressed the audience with such novel concepts of urban planning and management as drone applications in smart cities and the biocomputational urban design and management system, while also emphasizing the importance of future prediction in urban planning. He highlighted various possibilities brought about by new technologies in urban development, and called for the introduction of new approaches in urban planning to build future-oriented cities. “The future is already here, but we need to surpass the more distant future,” Penelas stressed.
