Page 47 - JCAU-5-3

Journal of Chinese
Architecture and Urbanism Envisioning rural futures

Figure 1. Timeline showing the main national and provincial policies for rural areas, and the initiatives undertaken by Lishui Municipality. Source:
Illustration by the author; reprinted (adapted) with permission from Leonardo Ramondetti; Copyright © 2023 Leonardo Ramondetti

parallel, the local administration established the Liandu- regard, national and provincial administrations are now
Yiwu Shanghai Cooperation Industrial Park, a low-carbon pressing for alternative developmental strategies to boost
district on two sites. The first site covers 250 hectares the primary sector. This is especially relevant for the
close to Bihu Town, 18 km southwest of Lishui city. Since municipality of Lishui, where agriculture represents 7% of
2008, this development has been gradually equipped with its GDP and employs 475,000 people (one in five residents),
infrastructures, and inhabited. The second site covers 250 with revenues that have more than tripled to 15.5 billion
hectares along the mountainous western edge of the valley CNY over the past two decades. Here, land reclamation has
plain, 17 km southwest of Lishui city. Between 2013 and been at the heart of this new strategy. In Liandu District,
2015, it was leveled and divided into plots. Thanks to this which accounts for 20% of the agricultural production of
set of initiatives, the State Council raised Lishui ETDZ Lishui Municipality, the agricultural land area has more
to the status of “area of national interest,” and in 2019, than doubled, with an increase of 5700 hectares (Li et al.,
approval was given for the construction of an airport to 2016; Lishui Bureau of Statistics, 2020).
the south of the new district (Government of Zhejiang
Province, 2019). Today, most mobility infrastructures Furthermore, new policies to develop environmental
have been completed; about half of the area for industrial and cultural resources and to promote tourism have been
use has been leased, while housing, services, and parks are enacted (Government of Zhejiang Province, 2018; Zhejiang
under construction. As a result, Lishui ETDZ has 40,000 Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, 2018).
inhabitants, and 1100 companies and accounts for 20% of In January 2020, the Zhejiang Province identified 169
the GDP of Liandu District (Lishui Bureau of Statistics, experimental sites for new growth models (Government
2020). of Zhejiang Province, 2020). Among these, two strategic

However, this development model, centered on heavy areas have been designated in Liandu District: Bihu Town,
industry and urbanization, has impacted the environment as an experimental site for urban-rural integration; and
(Wang & Lu, 2011), and failed to stem migration and Dagangtou Town, as a place of great cultural and tourism
depopulation in rural mountainous areas (Shen & Li, 1996; value.
Zhang & Song, 2003). At the same time, many doubts have 4. Future Shan-Shui City: Three projects
been voiced regarding the ability of minor municipalities
like Lishui to effectively fulfill their ambitious plans In line with the change in Lishui urbanization strategy,
for urban growth (Shepard, 2015; Wu, 2015). In this the municipality launched the international competition

Volume 5 Issue 3 (2023) 4 https://doi.org/10.36922/jcau.0957