Between the Old and the New -- Interaction and Coordination

2011 Annual Conference

Academic Committee of Foreign Studies in Urban Planning (ACoFSUP) of Urban Planning Society of China (UPSC)

Editorial Committee of Urban Planning International

 For the past thirty years since its reform and opening up to the world, China has experienced rapid development with remarkable achievements. Meanwhile, however, those years have also witnessed imbalanced development with much more attention paid towards developing new districts rather than upgrading old urban areas. It is certainly easier to implement a spatial development plan in a new district due to the convenience of more land availability and less local-level social impact. Yet, a city is an integrated eco-system that is not able to function well unless all of its sub-systems are developed in a balanced and coordinated fashion. In this sense, improving development interaction and coordination between the old and the new is crucial for achieving urban sustainability.

 Tianjin is one of China’s four municipalities directly under the authority of the Central Government. Binhai New District in Tianjin is the only National Development Zone with a large industrial base not only serving as a seaport but also as a bonded zone, a high-tech development zone, and as an export processing zone. While Binhai New District has enjoyed continuous economic growth and has become one of the fastest growing regions in northern China, the development and renewal of Tianjin's old districts have never been ignored due to the municipal authority's development approach that promotes the interaction and coordination between the old and new districts. A collaborative effort among government agencies, NGOs and citizens was initiated in order to implement a comprehensive development plan along the Hai He River to upgrade the cityscape, improve the living environment, refine the urban functional layout, and preserve the area's rich urban history and culture. These endeavors have made Tianjin well-poised for future success.

 The 2011 Annual Conference, hosted by ACoFSUP of UPSC and the Journal of UPI, will be held in Tianjin during November 4-6 with the theme of“Between the Old and the New -- Interaction and Coordination.” We hereby extend our sincere invitation to scholars and students, both domestic and overseas, to engage in discussions on a number of topics for achieving balanced urban planning and development.

Time: Friday, November 4 -- Sunday, November 6

Venue: Tianjin Hotel (16 Binshui Blvd, Hexi District, Tianjin, China)

Theme: Between the Old and the New -- Interaction and Coordination

Suggested topics:

Transforming and innovating the development mode

Reforming and improving the governance system

Raising and allocating development funds

Arranging and defining the development sequence

Laying out and configuring basic infrastructure

Inheriting and preserving history and culture

Modifying and renewing the employment structure

Refining and reshaping the human habitat

Mobilizing and engaging the community

Organizers:

Academic Committee of Foreign Studies in Urban Planning

Editorial Committee of Urban Planning International

Co-organizers:

China Academy of Urban Planning and Design

Tianjin Planning Bureau

Urban Planning Society of Tianjin

Secretariat:

Department of International Cooperation and Development, China Academy of Urban Planning and Design (No. 5 Chegongzhuang Road, Beijing, China 100044)