Responsible planners are an important professional force to promote the implementation of plans and social governance. At present, the "Implementation Measures for the System of Responsible Planners in Beijing" has been issued, which has deepened the working mechanism, responsibilities and management mechanism of responsible planners. Up to now, all 16 districts in the city and the Beijing Economic and Technological Development Zone have completed the appointment of responsible planners, with 76 units, 328 teams, thousands of relevant practitioners and a large number of industry experts participating.
Throughout the entire life cycle of the plan
In the densely built Sanlitun area of Chaoyang District, is there any idle space for renewal? The answer is yes, and there is more than one.
At the northeast corner of the intersection of North Workers' Stadium Road and Chunxiu Road, there is such a long and narrow plot on the east side of Wynn International, which is "inverted L-shaped" as a whole, with an area of more than 4,000 square meters. "It's terra nullius and doesn't have property rights, so for many years, the environment has been messy and travel has not been smooth." Yang Dandan, the responsible planner of Sanlitun Street, said that after the demolition in 2023, the use of this idle space was officially put on the agenda.
The location of the plot on the east side of Sanlitun Yongli International is indicated
Image credit: Beijing Planning Natural Resources
After collecting the demands of multiple parties, the responsible planner team and the Sanlitun Sub-district Office jointly sorted out the "problem list" and "demand list" to supplement the shortcomings of the public service facilities in the plot and the surrounding area, and participated in the project site selection, feasibility analysis, land use planning, architectural design and other work. In the future, in addition to meeting the needs of building a small fire station, it will also add a pension service station, cultural and sports facilities, etc., and become a community living room.
The intention to update the land on the east side of Sanlitun Yongli International is indicated
Image credit: Beijing Planning Natural Resources
The establishment of the responsible planner aims to provide "accompanied" professional consulting and technical services for the planning, construction and management within the scope of responsibility. In May 2019, the city issued the "Implementation Measures for the Responsible Planner System of Beijing (Trial)", and over the past four years, responsible planners have gone deep into the streets and alleys and participated in more than 4,000 projects such as urban renewal, and have increasingly become an important force in serving the planning, construction and management of the capital.
"Since the trial implementation of the Measures, some problems have also been revealed in the implementation process, such as the grassroots government's different understanding of the work boundary of responsible planners, and the mechanism for responsible planners to participate in different types of urban and rural work must be further straightened out." According to the relevant person in charge of the Municipal Planning and Natural Resources Commission, the revised "Measures" make it clear that the work responsibilities of responsible planners include strengthening investigation and research, extensively contacting the masses, and providing professional advice, which run through the whole life cycle of urban and rural planning, construction and management.
Classification and collaboration provide accurate services
According to the different regional conditions and differentiated needs of the functional core area of the capital, the central urban area, the sub-center of the city, the multi-point area and the ecological conservation area, the "Measures" clarify the work priorities of responsible planners at different circles and regions, and formulate work guidelines for responsible planners by category.
For example, the core area should do a good job in the protection and inheritance of history and culture, the renewal of neighborhoods, and the fine management of back streets and alleys; The central urban area should promote urban renewal work such as the addition of public facilities, the transformation of public space, and the comprehensive renovation of old communities; The sub-center of the city should promote the development of administrative office, business services, and cultural tourism-led functions, and assist in promoting the undertaking of non-capital functions and the coordinated development of the region.
Gan Zhenkun, a teacher at Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, is one of the leading responsible planners of Tianqiao Street in Xicheng District. Here, they have a courtyard co-managed with the sub-district office, called "Tianqiao We Space", located at No. 11 Harrier Hutong. This small courtyard house is not only a hutong living room, a neighborhood image museum, but also a responsible planner workstation. Based on this, the team organized community-building activities such as Hutong Daji, community farms, and volunteer explanations with streets and communities to enhance residents' cohesion and cultural identity.
The responsible planner team also deeply participated in the urban renewal of Tianqiao Historical and Cultural District, and completed the design of 20 small and micro public space nodes and 41 cultural facilities at 41 points. Tailor-made "Jingyun Flyover Cultural Visit" facility system, combined with the digital visit platform, to innovate cultural inheritance and communication experience.
"Strictly speaking, our team is a 'multi-tasker' that covers the intersection of urban design, architecture, planning, landscape, heritage and so on." Gan Zhenkun said.
The revised "Measures" also proposes to encourage and advocate the establishment of "double divisions" or "multi-divisions" coordination mechanisms such as responsible planners and architects in qualified areas, and strengthen all-round technical services such as block planning and design, construction management and space operation and maintenance.
Plan for a better future according to local conditions
"There are obvious differences in the powers, functions and areas under the jurisdiction of the responsible planners in the suburbs of Beijing and the streets in the urban areas, but I think they are all different paths, and they all have ingenuity to build a better future for the urban and rural areas." At the 2023 Beijing Responsible Planner Summary and Exchange Conference, Zheng Qiang, Chief Responsible Planner of Caiyu Town, Daxing District, made a speech that attracted frequent nods from the experts present.
In the Fenghe River Basin of Caiyu Town, a newly paved 10-kilometer waterfront trail winds its way and becomes a tour line connecting villages along the river and a detour for villagers.
Daxing District responsible planner research and exchange
Image source: Provided by the responsible teacher of Caiyu Town, Daxing District
"In 2021, we began to promote project planning, conducting many thematic surveys along the Fenghe River in different seasons to understand the water quality, land use, vegetation, villages, etc. along the route in an all-round way, and at the same time digging into the needs of residents through many discussions and interviews." Zheng Qiang introduced that in the process of project establishment, fund application, planning and design, construction and construction, the responsible planner team tracked the whole process and built a bridge of multi-party communication.
Review of the pilot program of microspace in Daxing District
Image source: Provided by the responsible teacher of Caiyu Town, Daxing District
According to the relevant person in charge of the Municipal Planning and Natural Resources Commission, Haidian District pioneered the full-time responsible planner model in the country; Fengtai District explores the four-level linkage of "city-district-street-community" urban physical examination system; Tongzhou District implements the "responsible double division" model that combines responsible planners and responsible architects; The Economic and Technological Development Zone has set up a "planning steward" service mechanism for enterprises; The ecological responsibility planners of Miyun, Huairou and other ecological conservation areas make every effort to protect the lucid waters and lush mountains.
Source: Beijing Daily