- Attractive rural eco-territories – A path towards social harmony, landscape ecology and urbanization management in China? – A case outside Chongqing    click here to open paper content1981 kb
by    Rau, Stefan | stefanrau@metrosynergies.com   click here to send an email to the auther(s) of this paper
Short Outline
A case for a carbon-neutral “rural eco-territory” with locally value added cyclical economy, attractive lifestyles & jobs for locals, modernized, organic farming, ecological infrastructure, eco-new town, distinct villages, model-farms, agro-tourism.
Abstract
Rural China plays a critical role in the sustainability of China’s future and its carbon output. Would it be possible to create physical & operational structures within rural and peri-urban China to the effect that:
- Rural residents have the option of attractive lifestyles, higher education and jobs that overcome the stigma of being “peasant/farmer” (socio-economical),
- Eco-efficient land-, water- and farmscapes are based on organic farming, biological water filtration, regeneration of native biodiversity in harmony with agri- and recreational landscape (ecological)
- Urbanization pressure by 600 million less advantaged rural residents can be mitigated, so urban regions become more sustainable with green environments cleaning and feeding the metropolises (overall distribution)?

The author, leading an interdisciplinary team, developed a masterplan for a 22skm case outside of Chongqing attempting to contribute to this challenge. Strategies & design will be presented:

1. Multi-dimensional, sustainability indicators- and quantitative eco-efficiency targets matrix
2. Land-use efficiency: mix of uses balancing economic, ecological, social and logistical aspects
3. Cyclical, synergetic economy: value added activity to increase local incomes, branding the place and its all-organic products, agri-tourism benefiting local residents, education, R&D, services, light industry to create jobs and train workforce
4. Social fairness: attractive 3 generations countryside to meet demographic challenge of aging rural society with the young migrating
5. Landscape/culture - conservation/preservation, eco-infrastructure: wetlands along riverbanks/lakefronts, eco-forest on hills for erosion prevention,
6. Water, energy, food: 100% of local demand eco-efficiently produced on site
7. Beautiful, scaled, walkable, mixed-use eco-new town serving 200 skm respecting topography, farms, lakes + 7 distinct eco-villages building on existing + eco-agri-tourism on model-farms, -orchards, -gardens.
Keywords
rural upgrading and -modernization, eco-efficiency, local value-chain, eco-infrastructure, urbanization relief, eco-new town, villages, organic farming, eco-forest, biofiltration, biogas
Case Study presented on the ISOCARP Congress 2009: Low Carbon Cities
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