Longer-term landscape assessment: Feedback strategies for incorporating sustainability science in China’s rural development planning

Student: WANG Xuting Julie

Supervisor: Ashley Scott Kelly
Thesis section: Engaging development through critical landscape planning
Programme: Master of Landscape Architecture
Date: June 2020

Abstract

This thesis is about how to incorporate sustainable science in China’s rural development planning. China’s rural reform has always been the focus of the central government. However, as the model of sustainable rural development and promoted nationwide, the “Anji pattern” is not environmentally sustainable. Without the continuing exploitation of bamboo as a resource, Anji will decline as a place associated with a “sustainable” image. (Wang et al., 2008) The village-level rural development plannings are controlled by project standardization documents and higher-level plannings that are representing the dominant worldview. Thus, the planning mechanism should be redesigned to achieve environmental sustainability. For counties that most villages have completed construction, we can only make reactionary adjustments for the existing problems. For counties that have not been planned, a proactive planning method should be adopted with the new science. This thesis uses the InVEST model to predict before planning. And the assessment results show that the application of new science can improve environmentally sustainable. Also, there is a warning that there has to be a critical reflection on the technical tools. In the future, there will be an innovation to value the environment. Furthermore, every time, there have to be people (i.e., landscape architects) who are able and willing to challenge the process and make things more sustainable.

Keywords: rural development; Anji pattern; environmentally sustainable; InVEST model; Zhuji