Master's Thesis ULS · Summer Semester 2017 · Yunmeng Zhang

The planning area of the Liangxiang Subdistrict is located on the southwestern edge of Beijing and forms part of one of the city's most important green and open space corridors. With its diverse water bodies and extensive agricultural landscape, Liangxiang offers great potential as a high-quality recreational area for the population of Beijing. At the same time, the sustainable development and enhancement of the district are essential for improving the quality of life of its local communities.

Comprising 16 villages, the subdistrict is well connected to the metropolitan area through Beijing's 6th Ring Road and the Fangshan Metro Line. At the same time, it is under considerable development and densification pressure. According to current planning proposals, large parts of the area – including its historic village structures – are scheduled for comprehensive transformation. The primary focus lies on the development of new residential neighbourhoods as well as industrial and commercial uses.

The thesis aims to create high-quality recreational landscapes in harmony with the area's distinctive cultural landscape while carefully integrating new economic and tourism-related functions to provide long-term prospects for the local population. The existing village structures are preserved and further developed through targeted strategies for densification and upgrading, thereby strengthening the site's existing social, economic, and spatial potential.

By diversifying the local economy, promoting sensitive village development, strengthening neighbourhood structures, expanding tourism infrastructure, improving connections to the river landscape, and recognising rural ways of life as a valuable development resource, the thesis presents an alternative model to the radical approaches to urban and rural redevelopment commonly pursued in China.