Landscape Planning and Design in High-Density Cities of China: Challenges, Strategies, and International Insights
Abstract
High-density cities, emerging as primary hubs for human activities and products of intensified population-land dynamics, are confronting a series of ecological challenges in China, including land scarcity, urban heat island effects, and fragmented green spaces. These issues exacerbate the vulnerability of urban ecosystems through negative feedback loops. By analyzing Singapore’s transformative experience from a "Garden City" to a "City in Nature", this study systematically summarizes its ecological planning strategies, technological innovation pathways, and social governance models. Integrating China’s practical challenges—such as land constraints, heat island effects, and ecological fragmentation—this research proposes a localized implementation framework of "networked ecological restoration, three-dimensional spatial development, and smart collaborative governance," offering theoretical and practical references for the development of "Park Cities." Local practices in China, exemplified by the Qianhai case in Shenzhen, demonstrate the feasibility of Singapore’s experience through cross-regional ecological corridors, climate-resilient vertical greening, and intelligent management platforms. However, high technical costs, administrative barriers, and the lack of long-term governance mechanisms remain critical challenges. Future efforts should prioritize policy innovation, technology adaptation, and social co-governance to shift high-density cities from "quantitative greening" to "function-first" ecological transformation, fostering synergy between ecological and economic development.
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