New development pattern for Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area

The report on the second phase of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Area Development Plan, directed by Wu Liangyong, a professor at Tsinghua University, was released on October 21. The professor suggested the development pattern be based on the idea of "one axis, three belts" where the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area is the "Capital Area".

Professor Wu also suggested that the ideal location for the second capital international airport should be in Taiziwu, a village in Tianjin's Wuqing County.

The report found that the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area has weaknesses in the areas of overall competitiveness, resource allocation, environmental protection and coordinated regional development.

The "one axis, three belts" development pattern was proposed by professor Wu and his colleagues to ensure balanced development in the three areas.

"One axis, three belts" will ensure balanced developmentThe axis is the Beijing-Tianjin corridor that sustains the core functions of the two municipalities. The three belts are the Binhai New Area Development Zone centered on the Bohai Rim; the traditional industry belt that threads together cities where traditional industries are based; the ecological belt that runs through the cities in the Yanshan Mountains and Taihangshan Mountain areas circling Beijing and Tianjin.

Development of the Beijing-Tianjin corridor will be improved, and the three belts shall be cultivated, said the professor.

According to the report, the "one axis, three belts" pattern could increase the three areas' regional competitiveness, improve environmental protection, resource allocation and expand cultural influence so that balanced development can be realized.

New airport to serve as modern aviation hubProfessor Wu suggests the second capital international airport be based in the Beijing-Tianjin corridor and the ideal site is where Taiziwu, a village in Tianjin's Wuqing County, is currently located.

The new airport would serve as a modern aviation hub for the three areas upon its completion. Nearby cities and counties like Hebei's Langfang, Tianjin's Wuqing and Beijing's Yongle should be planned and developed so that they are integrated.

The report said that the new airport will be able to handle 100-150 million passengers by 2020. The report suggested that the current international capital airport could reach its predicted handling capacity by 2010 following expansion. However, the current airport's location is not ideal in terms of airspace availability, noise pollution and transport capacity, so large scale expansion is not practical. For the sake of safety and reliability, a new airport is needed in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area, said the professor.

7th ring road to be extended to neighboring HebeiProfessor Wu is also considering a plan to build a seventh ring road to boost the development of Hebei's small cities and towns circling Beijing.

The seventh ring road is expected to be extended to the border of Beijing and Hebei, passing through Zhuozhou, Gu'an, Langfang, Xianghe, Dachang and Sanhe cities in Hebei province as well as Beijing's Pinggu District.

Constructing a comprehensive traffic network and increasing the transportation capacity in the cities and towns in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei could help promote the development of regional economies.

The towns along the seventh ring could become new development areas and help ease the pressure on big cities.

LinksStudy on the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Area Development Plan began in 1999. Led by Wu Liangyong, a professor at Tsinghua University and academic with the Chinese Academy of Engineering, the projects was undertaken by a team of experts from the School of Architecture, Urban Planning & Design Institute and the Center for Science of Human Settlements at Tsinghua University.

The report on the first phase was released in 2002, in which the concept of a "Big Beijing Area" was proposed, focusing on the study of principles and orientations for developing the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area. Afterwards, based on the integrated development of the regional economy, an overall development plan for Beijing and Tianjin was initiated.

The report is expected to provide be a reference for government decision makers for the economic development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei zone.

By People's Daily Online