In southwest China's Chengdu, a city of 21 million people, authorities have taken an unconventional approach to urban planning. Instead of filling every inch of valuable land with concrete and steel, they've deliberately left vacant spaces, to help the city breathe. CGTN reporter Gong Ming explains how it's reshaping urban life. 

 

Chengdu sits in the Sichuan Basin, where low wind speeds and calm weather trap heat and pollution. As the city grows denser, the problem worsens. So planners designed a bold solution: corridors that channel fresh air through the city – like a respiratory system. To understand how this works, I've come to the Chengdu Planning Exhibition Hall. 

YANG XIAO President, Chengdu Institute of Planning and Design "We designed a three-tier ventilation corridor system. Eight primary corridors, each over 500 meters wide, follow the prevailing winds at the city's edge to secure air sources. Twenty-six secondary corridors, at least 50 meters wide, run along main roads and green belts to channel wind into the city. Community roads and rivers form the third tier, creating cool-air circulation through parks and waterways." 

 

These corridors are more than empty strips of land, they're deeply integrated into Chengdu's ecological fabric. A prime example: Tianfu Avenue, the city's central spine. Running north to south, it aligns perfectly with Chengdu's prevailing wind direction. 

 

Along secondary corridors like Tianfu Avenue, buildings within 50 meters on both sides are capped at 40 meters in height, keeping the wind path clear and unobstructed. In Tianfu New Area, Chengdu's flagship "Park City" demonstration zone, green spaces, lakes, and park systems are woven into every layer of urban design. 

HUANG YAOYAO Territorial Space Planner, Tianfu New Area Park City Construction Bureau "We preserved the original ecological foundation, then built parks, lakes, and green spaces around it. Commercial districts, the Science City, digital cultural industries — all woven in between. People here feel like they're working and living inside a large garden." 

 

This is "Park City" in practice. These corridors don't just cool the city, they create space for life itself. For most residents, a park or greenway is just a 15-minute walk away. 

LIU YONGWEI Resident "These new ecological parks give us plenty of room to relax. On summer weekends, we often come to Xinglong Lake camping by the water, lounging on the grass. Life here is genuinely comfortable." 

 

Chengdu shows that building a modern city doesn't have to come at the cost of comfort. When you plan for the wind, you plan for people – with better air, healthier lives, and smarter development. 

 

Edited by Zhang Yuanlin

Source: CGTN