Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-city

The Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-city (SSTEC, ) is a planned city developed jointly between the governments of China and Singapore. Located in Binhai, the project was deliberately built on "non-arable" land with a "water shortage" to the southeast of Tianjin's urban core, for the declared purpose of serving as a "demonstration that sustainable urbanisation could be achieved despite difficult environmental challenges". The city's site spans an area of , and houses approximately 100,000 people as of April 2019. The city initially planned to house 350,000 people by 2020, but, as of 2021, still aims to house that amount at some point in the future.

History

Background 
On April 25, 2007, then Senior Minister of Singapore Goh Chok Tong and former Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao met and discussed the idea of a planned city to aid with China's rapid urbanization and pursuit of sustainable development.

On 18 November 2007, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Wen Jiabao signed a Framework Agreement for the development of the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-city. The aim of the agreement was to develop a planned city which was practical, replicable and scalable, and would be more environmentally conscious, particularly in regard to resource and energy conservation. The city would then serve as a model for sustainable development for other cities in China.

The Singaporean government formed a Ministerial Committee in 2011 in order to improve the coordination and support among its agencies for the project – reportedly a sign of the importance of the project to Singapore.

Aims 
In 2008, the governments of Singapore and China laid out 26 key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the city's future ecological, economic, and social development. These initial 26 KPIs comprised 22 quantitative measures and 4 qualitative measures, and included guidelines for air quality, water quality, noise pollution, wetland and shoreline protection, urban greenspace, water consumption, modes of transportation, waste generation, local employment opportunities, and other areas. In 2018, the city's KPIs were updated and reformulated to span 30 quantitative measures and 6 qualitative measures. These revised KPIs lay out targets set for 2023, 2028, and 2035.

Construction 
The groundbreaking ceremony of the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-city was held on 28 September 2008. Singapore Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao officiated at the event, signifying the beginning of construction work on the Eco-city. The plan was developed in 2008 through a collaborative council between public and private entities. A Joint Steering Council, Joint Working Committee, and the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City Investment and Development Co., Ltd have worked together to promote the three main initiatives of the project: environmental protection, social development, and economic development.

Initial construction began in 2008 with an  start-up area, consisting of "three Community Centres, the Eco-city Administrative Committee Service Centre, and several residential and industrial developments."

On 27 May 2011, the National Animation Industrial Park opened in the eco-city. The city's first residents, 60 families, moved in to the eco-city in March 2012. The eco-city's first community centre was opened on 5 November 2013.

On 26 April 2016, construction began on , a line on the Tianjin Metro linking the eco-city to the city's metro system.

The city's water reclamation plant was opened on 25 June 2017. The city's centre was officially launched on 1 July 2018. The high quality of water provided to the city is only planned to benefit its own inhabitants, while the rest of the municipality awaits to attain the same water quality in the future.

Beginning in 2019, construction began on the city's "Central District", which will serve as the city's urban core. The Central District will span an area of , and is planned to house a population of 58,000.

The start-up area of the Central District is completed as for 2023. The construction focuses now shift to the development of the central district. The Ministry of National Development addressed the importance of designing a space where work, leisure, and sustainability can intersect through a "Green Smart Hub" and Friendship Garden. Both native plants and exotic plants have been planted in order to balance different interests; native plants serve as a source of pollination, food, and other functions for the natural environment, whereas inhabitants enjoy a diversity of aesthetically beautiful plants that are often exotic (even artificial leaves in mid-winter on one of the streets have been observed).

Economy

Development 
During the period spanning from 2014 to September 2018, the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City experienced a remarkable surge in the number of registered companies. According to Singapore, the count soared from 2,200 to an impressive total of approximately 7,000 entities. The cumulative registered capital of these enterprises amounted to a staggering RMB 270 billion, indicative of the thriving business environment within the Eco-City.

The Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City has emerged as a noteworthy economic hub, fueled by its commitment to sustainable development and strategic partnerships. In 2018, the city government announced the city's collaboration with Huawei, a leading global information and communication solutions provider, has played a vital role in shaping its economic landscape. Huawei's implementation of the "Two Clouds" initiative, comprising the Software Development Cloud and Urban Industry Cloud, has played a vital role in driving the economic growth of the Eco-City. The Urban Industry Cloud, utilizing cloud computing and big data infrastructure, has provided essential support to local governments in fostering an environment conducive to the development of urban industries. This has facilitated the digital transformation and restructuring of emerging digital sectors, serving as a robust foundation for the Eco-City's intelligentization efforts. Additionally, the Software Development Cloud has brought about a revolutionary shift in enterprise operations through its comprehensive cloud-based DevOps platform. This platform has enabled efficient software development, collaboration in research and development, and talent cultivation, thereby enhancing the competitiveness of local businesses and high-end software professionals.

In the pursuit of integrating industry and city, the Eco-City not only focuses on constructing a smart city but also actively introduces intelligent enterprises, establishes intelligent industry training bases, cultivates intelligent industry talents, creates intelligent application scenarios, and develops independently researched and developed intelligent products. This has resulted in the formation of an integrated intelligent industry chain that encompasses production, education, research, and application. The signing ceremony for the Eco-City-Huawei Intelligent Industry Chain project witnessed the settlement of 27 intelligent enterprises, represented by Huawei Marine Networks Co., Ltd. and Sercoh(Tianjin) Automotive Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd.

Future Goals 
Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City has a set of economics KPIs to be achieved:

By 2023, the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City has set several goals to be achieved:

 Ensure that all residents in the Eco-City are covered by the comprehensive social security package provided by the Chinese Government, promoting social welfare and security.
 Establish a robust research and development (R&D) ecosystem with a minimum of 150 R&D scientists and engineers per 10,000 employed persons, fostering innovation and technological advancements.

Looking ahead to 2035, the Eco-City has ambitious targets to further its sustainable development:

 Increase the proportion of affordable public housing to at least 20%, addressing the housing needs of the community.
 Improve waste management practices with a goal of achieving a recycling rate of at least 70%, promoting a circular economy and minimizing environmental impact.
 Drive digital transformation by achieving 100% city management digitalization, enabling real-time monitoring and publication of municipal data for efficient urban governance.
 Limit carbon emissions to 100 tons per US$1 million of GDP, contributing to a low-carbon and environmentally friendly economy.
 Foster a culture of innovation by encouraging at least 75% of companies to actively participate in innovation activities, driving economic growth and competitiveness.
 Create a balanced employment-housing relationship by employing at least 50% of the local employable residents within the Eco-City, supporting the local workforce and enhancing community integration.

These goals exemplify the Eco-City's commitment to sustainable urban development, innovation, and resource efficiency. Through these measures, the Eco-City aims to become a model for future eco-friendly cities, contributing to a greener and more sustainable future.

Geography
The Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-city is located in Binhai, along the Bohai Bay. The city is approximately  from Binhai's core,  southeast of Tianjin's core, and  southeast of Beijing's core. The southern tip of the eco-city site only a 10-minute drive from the Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area (TEDA).

Prior to the development of the city, the area of the project largely comprised saltpans, barren land, and polluted bodies of water. It previously constituted a center for salt mining, a site for carbon sink at wetlands, and a century-old cultural landscape praised by the Chinese poet Fan Bin.

The city also aims to respect existing structures in the area. The profile of the Ji Canal, which is 1,000 years old, will be retained. Two existing villages within the Eco-city site will also be conserved through adaptive reuse or partial rebuilding.

Population 
Early in its construction, the city failed to attract many residents. The city's first residents moved in during March 2012. An April 2014 piece by The Guardian put the city's population at around 6,000, and noted that many of the city's buildings were unoccupied. However, the city reported a substantially higher population of 20,000 in 2014. The Guardian reported that the area offered relatively inexpensive apartments and school tuition vis-à-vis other areas in Tianjin, and that developers hoped that this would attract more residents. In subsequent years, the city's population grew rapidly, and the city reported a population of over 80,000 in 2018.

In April 2019, China Daily reported that the city's population was approximately 100,000. However, this is well short of the project's initial goal of housing 350,000 people by 2020.

A public housing complex based on Singapore's public housing policies, including a "'home ownership' scheme," is aimed at meeting the housing needs of lower and lower-middle income groups in society.

Layout 
The Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-city describes its layout as "1 Axis, 3 Centres, 4 Districts". The "1 Axis" references an "Eco-valley" that cuts through the city, for the purpose of "providing a scenic trail for pedestrians and cyclists". The "3 Centres" refers to the three planned centres of the city: one along the southern banks of the Ji Canal, one to the city's north, and a third in the city's south. Finally, the "4 Districts" refer to the four residential districts in the city's southern, central, northern, and northeastern portions. Each district is made up different  neighborhoods with individual commercial centres and public amenities. The city's four districts are further divided into several "Eco-neighborhoods", which each comprise four "Eco-cells", which are basic  by  blocks. The "Eco-cells" are intended to incentivize walking by minimizing the travel distance, and thereby reducing time poverty. Views of the waterfront are retained by a reduction in building heights.

Parks 
The China-Singapore Friendship Garden serves as the city's main park, spanning an area of  along the Ji Canal.

Environmental Goals

Natural Environment 
By 2023, the PM2.5 concentration should not exceed 50 µg/m3, and a 20% improvement rate in ambient air quality. SSTEC also aimed for 100% ecological shoreline retention by the same year. By 2028, SSTEC aimed to satisfy grade II of China's National Ambient Air Quality Grade air quality grade for 85% of the year, and all water body satisfy grade IV of Chinese national standard, as well as 100% wetland protection. SSTEC also aimed for more than 70% of its plant varieties in the to be native vegetation.

Resources 
The "1 Axis" and "Eco-cell" designs are meant to facilitate walking and cycling instead of using vehicles. Renewable energy is planned to produce at least 32% of energy for the city by 2035. Additionally, 60% of the Eco-city's water supply will be from non-traditional sources such as desalinated water and recycled water.

Transportation 
The city's "Eco-valley" serves as a walking and cycling pathway that cuts through the city.

To encourage drivers to use electric vehicles, charging stations have been placed across the city.

A light-rail transit system, supplemented by a secondary network of trams and buses, will be the main mode of transportation in the Eco-city, which developers hope will help to reduce its carbon emissions. Construction is currently underway on the new , part of the Tianjin Metro, which will connect the city with Beijing. The line is expected to be complete by 2023.

See also 
Binhai
Suzhou Industrial Park
Urban Planning Society of China
Yujiabao Financial District
Eco-Cities in China

References

External links
The Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-city Website (Singapore)
The Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-city Website (China)
Bluepath Engineering Consultancy
Tianjin Eco-City In China: The Future Of Urban Development? - slideshow at The Huffington Post

Geography of Tianjin
Economy of Tianjin
New Urbanism communities
China–Singapore relations
Planned communities in China