Ronald Lu & Partners has announced the completion of phase one of Tianhui TODTOWN: China’s first transit-oriented development, after 13 years of collective effort. The project promoting sustainability, mass transit, and community in Shanghai, takes the concept of public transit-oriented development (TOD) important in the development of China’s urban areas to the next level.
With over 60 TOD projects across China, Ronald Lu & Partners’ TOD architectural model is evolving and has taken several forms over time. In fact, the latest TOD 4.0 concept, implemented in Tianhui TODTOWN, “involves a high-density mixed-use development created in harmony with a transportation hub and surrounding communities, producing a complete living environment”.
Generating a comprehensive megacity hub, with transportation options for both passengers and vehicles, the Tianhui TODTOWN attracts and retains talent, enhancing the value of the surrounding land, and laying the foundations for the redevelopment of adjacent regions in the future. With a gross floor area (GFA) of 700,000 square meters, the project “creates a complete living environment which integrates functional spaces” including a subway station, an intercity high-speed railway station, low- and high-density residential space, a Grade-A office building; with commercial space, a hotel and a community center.
In Asia, where many countries are continuing to experience migration from rural to urban areas, urban planning still inappropriately adopts a number of North American design characteristics – in particular vehicle-centric planning. If this continues, many tier 1 and tier 2 cities in China will likely swell to double or triple their current size, leading to huge energy and carbon footprints. TOD promotes a symbiotic relationship between public transportation complexes and dense multi-functional urban spaces. TOD 4.0 adds a ‘double layer effect’ that designs a better life for even more communities. -- Bryant Lu, Vice Chairman of RLP.
Planned to be fully completed by 2024, the Tianhui TODTOWN will be a catalyzer for future developments. Stitching together two plots of land, previously divided by railway lines, the project puts in place a city sub-center, where a transit interchange hall and a shopping mall are merged into one multi-purpose transportation hub. Already envisioning TOD 5.0, a fusion of a people-oriented ecological environment with smart buildings that are empowered with intelligent technology, Ronald Lu & Partners believe firmly that this can lead the future of urban development in China.
The TOD model helps unlock the potential of cities and saves energy while still benefiting residents. Quite simply, this is the best solution for the continued urbanization of China. With more than 10 years of experience in such projects, RLP is a TOD pioneer. We first released our “Top Ten Principles of TOD” five years ago, explaining how to resolve environmental, social, and economic issues through design. With TOD 5.0, we will help create advanced green communities that have public transportation at the heart of their design. -- Bryant Lu, Vice Chairman of RLP.
- Design Architect: Ronald Lu & Partners (RLP)
- Project Name: Tianhui TODTOWN
- Location: Minhang District, Shanghai, China
- Completion Date: 2024
- GFA: 700,000 square meters
- Developers: Sun Hung Kai Properties, Shanghai City Development, Shanghai Minhang City Investment
