Whereas Department of Urban Development of Taipei City Government (Client) has commissioned SGT-Guandu for a master plan for Guandu Plain in Taipei, in order to incorporate the latest ecological planning strategies into the urban development of Taipei.
Name of Project
Guandu Plain Master Plan and Environmental Impact Study
Planning Area
The planning area of the master plan composes of a 720-hectares agricultural land in Guandu Plain of Taipei City.
Background Information
Guandu Plain is the last large piece of agricultural land in Taipei. The city has held this land for decades without allowing development to occur. However, the landowners’ pressure for development has grown tremendously in recently years. Therefore, “Guandu Plain Redevelopment Master Plan and Environmental Impact Study” was initiated by the City Government in 2008.
This site is a flood plain located at the intersection of two rivers and directly surrounded by mountains on the northern and the western sides. The area includes a 57-hectare Guandu Natural Park and designated Natural Reserves, a very important bird sanctuary outside the levee along the river. In addition, a transit line runs along the edges of the area. Environmental issues include stormwater and flood water control, natural Arsenic pollution by the near-by hot springs, natural wetland, bird sanctuary protections, transportation limitations and so on.
Environmental issues currently exist in Guandu Plain include:
1. Flood Control: a 200-year flood control levee that is about 30 feet was proposed along the southern side of the site. It was opposed by the landowners and the environmental activists. They felt it will create a barrier cutting off the waterfront access from the public. Until today, the government has not proposed other flood control alternative that would both protect the inland properties and allow easy access for the city to reach the water.
2. Storm water Management: The site is located at the foot of the Yangming and Datun mountains. The elevations of the land are somewhere between 1 to 2.5 meters and the highest point of the site is at the northeastern corner and the lowest point is at the southwestern corner of the site. Therefore in the rain seasons, a two-hour rainfall would easily create flood problems in the southwestern corner of the site.
3. Natural Pollution: The natural pollution was caused by the natural spring streams within the site. Studies show that the Arsenic pollutant is over 60 ppm in some areas, but most of the land area is under 60 ppm. Domestic wastewater is the other source of pollution in this area.
4. Ecological Protection: This area was mainly used for agricultural purpose in the past. Therefore, abundant ecological resources were kept safely within the planning area. These include in the irrigation streams, in the bird sanctuary, in the natural reserve and in the rivers. One of the issues of developing Guandu Plain is how the development would affect the natural ecological system that had existed for hundreds of years on site.
5. Micro-climate Effects: By developing Guandu Plain, there is a fear that the development would change the micro-climate of the city. Especially in the global warming crises era, this issue is the most discussed issue among the academic and government officials. Of course, eliminating the agricultural use which might affect the land’s carbon reduction effects is also another concern.
6. Ecological-City Infrastructure: Developing a 21st century urban settlement requires new environmental conscious attitudes. The plan will need to incorporate new urban infrastructure systems/technologies including water management, waste and recycling systems, energy regeneration and reuse, transit system, and so on. Guandu Plain Master Plan aims at the high standard ecological city measurement as the development goal.
Scope of Work
1) Provide innovated environmental technology systems and urban planning
a. innovated ecological-city infrastructure technology systems
b. innovated flood control technology systems
c. innovated storm water management technology systems
d. innovated ecological management technology systems
e. innovated micro-climate effect reduction technology systems
f. innovated transit, bicycle and pedestrian technology systems
Deliverables
1. Guandu Plain Master Plan: Environmental Technology Plan report (draft and final reports in English)
2. Eco-city case studies report.
1) Finnish High-tech EcoCity Tianjin
2) Natural Urban River Management / Mekong River
3. Visionary urban plan for Guandu Eco-City
4. Public presentations / workshops of the above deliverables and discussion
5. All deliverables shall be in editable forms, such as Microsoft Word, Excel, AutoCad 2004, Photoshop, CorelDraw file format, and so on.
