Peak performance as Chengdu cleans up with park city vision

Residents enjoying clear views thanks to environmental strategy

Chengdu, capital of Southwest China's Sichuan province, has made great strides in building itself into a park city, according to the city government.

Tian Xianghe is a photography enthusiast living in Chengdu. Over the past two years, Tian has found it easier to take pictures of the surrounding snowy mountains from inside the city.

Tian's feeling was echoed by Zhang Wei, another shutterbug who has observed Chengdu's skyline for several years.

According to Zhang's statistics, there were 50 days in 2017 when people in the city could see the snowy mountains. The number increased to 65 in 2019.

During the first half year of 2020, local people could enjoy a clear view on 37 days, Zhang said.

Behind the changes are efforts made by Chengdu to turn itself into a "park city".

The park city development concept was first put forward in February 2018. It is not simply to build parks in the city, but explore a new development model and generate a driving force for high-quality urban development.

A slew of measures have been rolled out over recent years concerning air-pollution control, soil-quality monitoring and regional cooperation in ecological restoration, local officials said.

"Chengdu has seen a continuous improvement in its air quality, which proves the city's hard work has paid off," said Zhang Renhe, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Data from the Chengdu ecology and environment bureau showed that the city recorded a new high of 287 days with good air quality in 2019 and no days of heavy pollution.

As of Oct 10, the city's average concentration of PM2.5, particulate matter with a diameter of less than 2.5 microns, was 37 micrograms per cubic meter. It marks a decrease of 33.9 percent compared with the same period in 2015.

This was partly attributed to meteorological conditions and it resulted from the government's various measures on environmental protection, Zhang added.

In addition to a pleasant environment, the park city aims to enhance the quality of people's everyday life.

The Tianfu Greenway, with a planned length of 16,900 kilometers, is one of the large-scale projects launched by Chengdu to achieve its goal.

The expanding trail will eventually connect nature reserves, gardens and green spaces covering 14,300-square-kilometer across Chengdu.

More than a track, the Tianfu Greenway will become a space where people can participate in diverse outdoor activities and feel greater happiness, local officials said.

Streets in old districts have been renovated by the removal of illegal structures to expand spaces, plant trees and set up cultural facilities.

The upgraded blocks boast a scientific layout, wide-open spaces and lush green vegetation, said local officials, adding that the moves have been welcomed by residents.

When building new areas, Chengdu adheres to the park city concept from the beginning and all urban planning is based on the landscape and the environment.

An array of new communities are taking shape, which will serve for homes, businesses and ecological protection at the same time, said the city government.

Under the park city framework, an increasing number of industries in the city have embraced the green and low-carbon development.

For example, the Xinqiao community in Jinniu district used to be a congested and noisy area comprising many old wholesale markets.

Major changes took place in the community after the government improved the surrounding environment, fostered industries and built scenic spots.

The shabby markets have been transformed into China's first photography themed park－Fuhe Photography Park－which is now a popular attraction in Chengdu.

In terms of transportation, Chengdu is striving to build a low-carbon traffic system integrating urban rail, buses and pedestrian access.

The total operating mileage of urban rail transit will reach 518 km by the end of 2020, placing Chengdu in the top five cities of China with the longest urban rail networks.

Thanks to these efforts, most residents now prefer vehicles with lower emissions when traveling or commuting, local officials said.

Moreover, Chengdu has launched 16 transit-oriented development projects across the city.

TOD projects aim to maximize the amount of residential, business and leisure space within walking distance of public transport. They are designed to promote a mutual relationship between urban spaces and public transport use, according to local authorities.