A team of Beijing-based landscape architects has created an urban wetland park along the Suichenghe River featuring pedestrian and bicycle paths. The river basin had been neglected since the 1970s.
Liupanshui is an industrial city in Guizhou Province once known for its coal, steel and cement factories, according to an article in dezeen magazine. The Suichenghe River, which runs through the heart of the city, had become an “ugly concrete, lifeless ditch” which had lots its capacity for flood retention and environmental remediation, said the architects from the landscape studio Turenscape, which designed the wetland park.
The architects focused on restoring the river basin and transforming it into an urban nature retreat where city residents can escape to slow down and enjoy the city’s landscape. The wetland park features elevated walkways, an observation tower, and pedestrian and bicycle paths that criss-cross across the water. The architects also added a series of terraced pools designed to stem the flow of storm water and filter harmful pollutants washed into the water from neighbouring agricultural land, reports dezeen.
The 90-hectare park is reportedly the first phase in a wider infrastructure development plan and was commissioned by the local government as part of a campaign to improve the city’s environment. Officials hope the project will become a catalyst for other urban development, according to the article.
Photo credit: Kennethwan, flickr/Creative Commons
