Like many cities in the world, the river Fen is Taiyuan’s main north-south river. It provides lifelines, vitality, and emotional anchor to the city throughout its 2500-year history. The new Fendong CBD district is being planned by the Fen River as Taiyuan expands southwards along the river. SAAN was hired by the land developer to master plan the 470-acre site and provide a design blueprint for the new urbanscape.

Our master plan took advantage of the mandated wide greenbelt along the river and extended it into the interior of the CBD, forming a continuous green space park network. This network is a grand park type of open green space for our CBD and the neighboring districts. We designed these open spaces along with pedestrian and bike paths to mutually engage with the urban blocks. We gave the CBD a tight embrace with the river. Its avenues, plazas, and sunny lawns welcome residents to enjoy work, nature, and community.



Our master plan also emphasizes the importance of transportation-oriented development (TOD), dug deep into the idea of mixed-use and healthy neighborhoods. We designed prototypical TOD units for various nodal locations of the district, fully dynamic urban spaces, cultivating the idea of living, working, and playing inside the basic block of the CBD district. This urban block model is designed for pedestrians. We establish an intimate relationship between streets and building volume, forming a friendly urban interface. Our ultimate goal is to have a smart humane, and beautiful city.

