By DARCY BENDER, 1/10/2016. Nansha turned out to be a very intriguing urban situation. My first morning I was awoken by the sounds of construction out the window and it seemed to persist for the duration of my stay. The whole district seems to be under construction and new developments are everywhere. My friend said that when she first moved to Nansha, she described it as a sleepy town. Now however, it can best be described as a city-in-the-making.
It turns out, Nansha has been a municipal “no fee zone” since 2005 to lower business operating costs and was declared a State-level New Area in 2012 (the first in South China) which has led to tremendous investment and development. New Areas in China are defined spaces that are given special economic and development privileges by the central government in order to promote growth. And it has definitely worked in Nansha. Roads, bridges, high rises, malls and parks are all a part of the district’s vision for a planned “eco-city.” And so, an island that is primarily wetlands and in a prime location for shipping and logistics is being transformed by filling marshland and tearing up small agricultural parcels to create a brand new city. It was incredible to be able to witness land restructuring at such a large scale.
From talking to people about Nansha I heard a few opinions that are skeptical of this plan. The first observation had to do with the efficiency of construction. My friend has noticed that several projects have been redone almost immediately upon completion. She is unsure if this is because of quality concerns, or a change in plans for other reasons but resources are definitely not being used to their full potential when they are only used for a few weeks. Another friend from Guangzhou expressed concern that with all of the new residential towers going up, there would not be enough jobs for the people that are expected to live in them. It seems they may be operating under a “if you build it they will come” ethos, but with the state of the Chinese economy will this still be the case once all of the developments are completed? And finally a planner in Shenzhen said that sometimes with the “eco-city” model that is supposed to be a live/work lifestyle, the income level of the available jobs and the cost of living do not align. For example, the only jobs available may be low-skill factory jobs, but the housing is high-end which means that even though the area has both residential and commercial uses, people are still commuting long distances.
All this and I haven’t even gotten to how all this landfilling and construction waste logistics operate. I think Nansha could warrant an investigation all its own, but that will have to wait. Up next, Guangzhou!