Rethinking the 'Village in the City' in Zhengzhou

In 2014 MA A+U graduate WENHAO YUE created a thesis project entitled

'Design for a sustainable future: Innovation projects in Chenzhai Village, Zhengzhou, China'

The issue of urban density was explored in the situation of Zhengzhou, a Chinese megacity which is host to the phenomenon of the chengzhongcun or 'village in the city'. In response to the unfettered urbanisation on recently developed land at very high densities of occupation, design strategies were employed by Wenhao Yue to improve living conditions, reducing density and introducing social areas into these close knit urban communities.