Path to reconciliation: repairing the past, forging the future

Global cities are wildly diverse, complex organisms, yet all follow the same high-level development pattern: stage one, basic habitation and commercialisation; stage two, profitable development to meet immediate demand – or, ‘if we build it, they will come’; and stage three, rectifying the failures of the past and mitigating risk to ensure a path is continually forged towards a bright future. In China, specifically, where decades of haphazard development have led to urban sprawl, pollution and inefficient resource management, this third phase represents a period of reconciliation between developers and commercial projects driven by increased awareness and a more passionate pursuit of social responsibility. As city leaders vocalise the need for high-quality developments that are both revenue-generating and life-giving for the community, residents too are increasingly demanding about the nature of urban development and the need for a mix of civic, cultural and employment opportunities. Considering space at a premium, one can no longer look to accomplish this within two-dimensional land-use schemes, but rather a vertical, stacked-use city-within-a-city.