Jiaxing Central Park
Together with EADG, Smartland landscape architects has participated in the international tender for the Jiaxing Central Park. Inspiration for the design of the Jiaxing Urban wildlife park is the richness of the current vegetations in the park, along with its strategic positioning, connecting the rural surroundings with the heart of the city. We distinguish three landscapes that would form the base for a rich park landscape with the focus on biodiversity.
Our goal is to make use of these existing qualities of the current ecotypes of the park and to improve them were needed and enhance them where possible. These enhancements are focusing on improving the variety in landscape and ecotypes for a better biodiversity and landscape experience for the people visiting the park For a better balance and robust ecosystem we are focusing on: water quality, healthy soils, indigenous vegetation types, natural gradients and ecological connections.We design beyond the current park border and will improve the connections with the city and the surrounding landscape.
Jiaxing Central Park will play key role in the regional ecological network and landscape corridors from the Lower Yangtze River landscape from the Taihu basin toward the coastal zone of the Qiantang bay.
We think BIG and place goals for the future. Therefore we introduce the BIG 5 of Jiaxing Central Park. With local and international specialists we have selected five wonderful iconic but vulnerable local species. By adding specific ecological features we strengthen habitats, facilitate spontaneous arrival or if necessary introduce these species. They all stand for a wider group of organisms, sharing the same habitats and environmental needs. Therefore not only the attraction and popularity of the park will thrive, the entire flora and fauna is enriched by focusing on these Big 5.
- Chinese water deer (Hydropotes inermis)
- Asian badger (Meles leucurus)
- Pallas’s squirrel (Callosciurus erythraeus)
- Oriental honey buzzard (Pernis ptilorhynchus)
- Pied kingfisher (Ceryle rudis)
Ecology First
For the design of the park we have started with the creation of a robust green blue landscape and network, taking ecological priority and land-water balance as the most important value. We create a blue green oasis with zero ecological barriers, only natural embankments (no hard embankments) varying in soiltype and steepness, wide underpasses and / or nature bridges and extra tunnels, underpasses and corridors only for fauna (no pedestrian paths). We create well functioning migration routes by continuous multiple corridors in NS and EW direction. In addition to creating a wide range of habitats we create connectivity and shelter. To minimize disturbance we design infrastructure for people in a smart way, that is basically one-sided, has dead ends for observation points and areas with no access apart from guided visits. Along with this we create quiet zones and escape routes for wildlife. As most isolated area’s we will create ‘islands’ that have no access for people at all.
Jiaxing Central Park
type/program: Urban Wildlife Park
location: Jiaxing, Zhejiang province, China
client: Jiaxing government
status: Tender, second prize
team: EADG in collaboration with Smartland landscape architects