SW China’s Suining raises the bar for its commitment to green development

As the old saying goes, Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither is the development of cities across China. People's Daily Online has come to Suining City, Sichuan Province, to explore how the concept of green development is playing an essential role in the construction of the city.

“As a key project of Suining, the Suining Cultural Center adheres to the urban concept of ecological gardens and is committed to creating the most vibrant cultural complex in Suining in the future,” said Ren Shunming, chairman of Sichuan Suiqing Urban Public Facilities Management Co., Ltd.

“The project attaches great importance to creating a green environment and has good social, economic and green energy-saving benefits,” Ren added.

Offering guidance and technological input, the Urban Planning Museum is vital to reflect on the green development and urbanization of the city of Suining. With green development booming, the city’s goal is to create a beautiful and viable city.

Encompassing the essence of a sponge city, Jiulianzhou Ecological Wetland Park falls perfectly in line with the mission to create a beautiful and sustainable environment. With the Fujiang River flowing through the park, the water is constantly being replenished which refreshes the environment and prevents still bodies of water from forming and building up over time.

“The company has helped renovate the park, improve its quality, enrich its functions, and provide a good place for citizens to relax. Great social, economic and ecological achievements have been made in the construction of the park,” said Zhang Xin, head of Engineering Department in Suining’s Fuxing Company Development Zone.

Elaborating on the science behind the construction of a sponge city, the roads play an important role. At the wetland park, built in layers the roads are made of four different types of porous structures that are able to absorb water, which is conserved and redistributed back into the natural environment, preventing puddles and floods when it rains.

Once underdeveloped, Suining’s Shenglian Island is now a working model for the concept of a sponge city.

With natural scenery to welcome visitors, this island is a beautiful getaway, maintaining an abundance of greenery, walking trails and public facilities. There are resorts as well as businesses built only six years ago, working together to increase the overall economy and quality of life for the residents of the city.

“Suining adheres to taking Xi Jinping's thoughts on ecological civilization as its guide and always gives priority to ecology and green development, embarking on a new path of ecology, circulation, low carbon and high efficiency, ” said Xia Hairong, director of the Municipal Development and Reform Commission, “Green development has become the ideological consensus and conscious action of the whole city, becoming the most distinctive feature and the most prominent advantage in developing Suining.”

Across China there are 16 pilot cities just like this one, with Suining ranking second in 2015 and 2016 for the city’s incorporation of these new methods into the engineering of the city.