INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH AND EXCHANGE PROGRAM
New New Towns. Why we need to rethink the city of tomorrow today is an international, multidisciplinary research program initiated by the International New Town Institute (INTI). The New New Towns program is dedicated to improving the urban and social quality of eight exceptional New Towns. These cities are experiencing fast urbanization and they face major urban planning issues. New New Towns serves a unique role in bringing together Dutch and local expertise on urban planning, sociology and economics in an international, multidisciplinary think-tank. The program acts as a catalyst for the exchange of knowledge between international students, researchers, design professionals, developers, policymakers and politicians by initiating research, conferences, design workshops and publications. New New Towns started in Shenzhen and Chandigarh in 2012.

Working together in the past year, Dutch and Chinese students, scientists and design professionals have studied the formal and informal socio-economic and spatial conditions through research and design workshops. Which social, economic and environmental factors need to be improved in order to strengthen the city’s potential? The program focused on Shenzhen as a whole and three sites in particular: Guangming New Town, Luohu District and Dalang Neighborhood. New New Towns was thus able to introduce inspiring and realistic recommendations in the field of ecology, urban planning, economy and social sustainability.

ACTIVITIES IN JUNE

After a first workshop in January this year, a second three-day design workshop with Dutch and Chinese professionals in mobility, strategic urban planning, economics and landscape development will take place in Guangming New Town from June 18-20. Guangming New Town is positioned to become a showcase low-carbon city. Both design workshops are supported by the City of Almere and also design professionals from the City of Almere participate. A conference presenting the exceptional results of New New Towns’ first year in Shenzhen will take place in the Shenzhen Center for Design on June 21. Design professionals and tutors will elaborate on the city’s strengths and propose extraordinary alternative models for urban planning and concepts for economic growth. Mayor Annemarie Jorritsma of Almere will also attend and present during this conference. A Memorandum of Understanding will be signed that same evening between the City of Almere and the City of Shenzhen. The MoU outlines the cities’ future cooperation in the field of sustainable urban development and connection to the international Growing Green Cities network. Both Shenzhen and Almere will encourage ambitious collaborations between enterprises and research institutes on sustainable urban planning and urban development. Setting up a groundbreaking Chinese-Dutch quality team to further improve the development of Guangming New Town will be one of the initiatives executed by INTI.

PARTNERS
INTI collaborates with the Chinese University of Hong Kong, China Development Institute, Shenzhen Center for Design and the architecture offices Urbanus and NODE. The Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), the University of Amsterdam (UvA), the Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS) and the City of Almere are the Dutch partners in the New New Towns Program so far.

Note for the editor:
More information about New New Towns or the activities in June are available at: www.newtowninstitute.org. If you have any queries, please contact Linda Vlassenrood, program director INTI.