The 4 th International Conference of the International Forum on Urbanism (IFoU) 2009 Amsterdam/Delft The New Urban Question – Urbanism beyond Neo-Liberalism 191 NEW ECONOMIES OF LANDSCAPE AND ITS NEW URBAN FORM - ECO-TOURISM AND ECOLOGICAL URBANISM AS A NEW APPROACH TO REDEVELOPMENT IN POST-DISASTER RECONSTRUCTION IN SICHUAN PROVINCE, CHINA Shannon Bassett Assistant Professor of Architecture and Urbanism, School of Architecture and Community Design, University of South Florida, Email: shannonbassettarchitecture@gmail.com ABSTRACT: This paper will investigate new economies of landscape as a “critical new model of urban form and development practice for urban design and planning” as being applied in post-disaster reconstruction in Sichuan province. Specifically, ecological urbanism through the lense of the reconstruction of resettlement villages and master planning will be investigated through two precedent studies, in addition to design research from the outcome of a collaborative studio between USF SACD and Tongji Urban Planning students held in July 2009. KEY WORDS: Eco-tourism, ecological urbanism, post-disaster reconstruction, economies of landscape, cultural landscapes, urban-rural, compact cities, design strategies, urban sustainability INTRODUCTION The earthquake that occurred in Sichuan province in China, May 2008, in many instances permanently transformed the physical landscapes of the affected areas. Both natural landscapes and ecological systems were impacted, as were the urban and physical infrastructure systems. One of the cities located closest to the earthquake, Dujianyan City, has part of the region’s sophisticated system irrigation works and dykes running right into its center. Many of the Dujianyan Irrigation Works’ buildings resemble the traditional Chinese wood temples that occupy a significant part of the cultural landscape. Their presence is particularly symbolic of the cultural landscape and identity of the region, since the irrigation system was built 2,300 years ago during the era of the Warring States. The system made Sichuan the richest agricultural area in China. Although declared a World Heritage City for tourism in 2000 by the Chinese government, the region up until the earthquake remained primarily agricultural. 1 Aspects of the current design strategies being implemented in the post-disaster reconstruction area are ones of the changing of the area’s economies of landscape, and thus generating a new urban form, one that is generated by the valorization of the environment and integration of ecological urbanism principles. This new urban form, based on a new urban economy which integrates ecology, is sympathetic with a pre-Mao feng-shui consciousness and a symbiotic relationship between man and the environment implicit in traditional Chinese planning practices. This is in opposition to Mao’s focus on economic development through the industrialization of cities and rural landscapes. In Sichuan’s post-disaster reconstruction, previous land use patterns have shifted from those of predominantly agricultural ones, into those based on eco-tourism and the valorization of cultural and vernacular landscapes. As part of the larger New Social Village policy of the Chinese government, farmer’s land is being re-designated in use as farmers are relocated and re-housed in the city. As they transition from rural to urban dwellers, their jobs also change to the new eco-tourism industry from farming. More sustainable land use patterns are being implemented, such as those of compact cities and urban aggregation models. Additionally, ecological and landscape systems are preserved and not allowed to be redeveloped 1 The body of the discussion is adopted from an article written by the author featured in Topos International Landscape and Urbanism Magazine 66-Landscape Strategies, March 2009, “The Wolong Masterplan”.