The design dimension of China’s planning system: urban design for development control

Abstract

This paper investigates the design dimension of China's legal planning framework. It aims to identify the design principles which have been followed in practice, those design elements which have been considered by designers and planners as part of development control, and the extent to which urban design outcomes have been adopted in specific legal plans. It examines 14 urban design cases from Nanjing which were produced in conjunction with the relevant legal plans between 2009 and 2013. The study suggests that in China, urban design has been facing a number of challenges, including limited coverage of design elements, inconsistencies in the design principles followed, an incompatibility between design outcomes and legal plans, and an underestimation of the role of urban design in the delivery process of development control. Nevertheless, recent years have seen a rise in the standard of urban design practice in the country, and an emerging recognition of the role of urban design in local planning policies.