Guangzhou Panyu Dongxi Community, as the intersection of Guangzhou, Zhongshan, and Dongguan, is also a vital node on Guangzhou's dynamic innovation axis. Currently, this area is gaining momentum. Leveraging the historical opportunities presented by Guangzhou's 2049 Lion Estuary Initiative and the development of the digital economy in the Greater Bay Area, it is committed to creating clusters of future digital-intelligence productivity in the Bay Area.

OBERMEYER together with its partners - the China Academy of Urban Planning and Design (CAUPD) and Shenzhen General Institute of Architectural Design Research (SZAD), were honored to participate, and after more than three months of highly productive collaboration, stood out and were successfully ranked among the TOP 3 with the excellent strategy and design proposed.

Overall Spatial Development Vision

Envisioning the future of Dongxi Community, the plan focuses on "Chain-Building" and "City-Making," proposing five strategic spatial initiatives to meet value aspirations:

• Industrial Core, Digital-Intelligent Clusters
• Hub-Driven Flow, Network Optimization
• Hills-Wetlands Foundation, Park-Interwoven City
• Old-New Symbiosis, A City-Village of a Thousand Faces
• Cultural Identity, Landmarks Illuminating the City

With its landscape of hills and waters, the area will serve as a platform for the synergy between digital-intelligent innovation and advanced manufacturing, fostering a beacon cluster of digital-intelligent enterprises and emerging as a key hub for new quality productive forces in the Greater Bay Area.

Urban Design Concept and Placemaking for the Launch Area

In the Launch Area, the plan adopts a design strategy of "Reorganizing Hills and Ponds, Structuring Spatial Framework, and Cultivating Functional Clusters." Rooted in an eco-symbiotic landscape of interconnected hills and water systems, and leveraging topography-adaptive transportation networks, it establishes three distinct zones: "Eastern Innovation Hub – Central Intelligence Cluster – Western Smart Manufacturing Belt." This creates a "Vibrant Within, Serene Beyond" innovation ecosystem, seamlessly integrating vibrant urban cores with tranquil natural surroundings.

• Eastern Cluster:

  Centered around the Hualong Intercity Station, the Eastern Cluster will serve as a vital showcase for the city. Scientific ideas and achievements will flow continuously from here to Guangzhou, across China, and to the world. In the international headquarters area, adopting a light-touch approach that follows the contours of the gentle hills ensures that each micro-headquarters enjoys views of the greenery. To the south, a symbiotic island chain links the hills with built courtyards in a three-dimensional design, creating a smart R&D district in harmony with the natural landscape. This establishes a three-tiered industrial framework, setting a model for future industry development without scientific barriers.

• Central Cluster:

  Stretching from the central green core of the University Town to the ecological inspiration belt of Dongxi Community, a panoramic vision of future research and innovation capacity gradually unfolds from north to south. A series of digital-intelligence service hubs collaboratively form the backbone of the future innovation-driven landscape. The area's abundant ecological environment and talent pool provide unique development opportunities for digital economy headquarters. With fragrant flowers accompanying intellectual endeavors and tall trees and lotus ponds complementing each other, they outline the magnificent landscape of future corporate headquarters clusters. The talent hub nestled between the mountains and water, along with industry-academia-research alliances, will attract top-tier talent to Dongxi Community, creating a vibrant talent ecosystem. This fusion of nature and urbanity makes the future urban space a new focal point for knowledge density in the Bay Area.

• Western Cluster:

  The Western Cluster integrates industrial neighborhoods with dense, inviting streets, fostering new innovative thinking and exploratory approaches. Its central green axis connects diverse service facilities, enabling convenient access to gardens during leisure time. The inclusion of time-shared neighborhoods ensures maximum space utilization and boosts the efficiency of pilot production and technology transfer. Here, numerous research and testing courtyards blend together, collectively shaping a smart manufacturing ark that sails toward the future.

A Perfect Blend of Urban Development and Natural Growth

This design fully respects the natural features of Dongxi Community, with its rolling hills and paddy fields. By following natural patterns, it creates an eco-friendly space with finger-like extensions. The integration of micro-hill parks, suburban parks, and water streams provides future industrial clusters with a rich natural experience. Moreover, the design establishes multi-level ecological corridors and habitats, coupled with a comprehensive climate regulation system that includes "valley wind corridors, urban ecological green cores, city ventilation corridors, and cool islands." This system works together to foster a refreshing urban microclimate, making it a model of perfect integration between urban development and natural growth.

The captivating habitat gardens, hill-valley wetlands, and community gardens are dispersed among the settlement clusters. They not only create essential habitat corridors but also effectively mitigate terrain elevation differences and manage stormwater runoff. In this area, the harmonious blend of vibrant workspaces and relaxing recreational spaces weaves together to craft a distinctive new landscape in Panyu!

In the future, Dongxi Community will leverage its prime natural assets of mountains and waters, synergizing a robust industrial foundation with profound cultural heritage to attract the most innovative enterprise clusters, visionary knowledge professionals, and blend captivating idyllic green living. Serving as the strategic pivot of the Lion Estuary Initiative, it will propel itself as a new archetype of data-intelligent productivity cities, redefining sustainable urbanity for the future.