Caofeidian District

The Caofeidian Eco-City, also known as the Tangshan Bay Eco-City,[32] is a planned sustainable city located in the Caofeidian District.[33] In 2005, the Chinese government selected the site as a national demonstration project for a circular economy.[34][35] The selection was based on its proximity to four of the ten most polluted cities in China and the district’s reliance on heavy industry and steel production, which are significant sources of pollution in the region.[36][34]

Planning commenced in 2007, with the aim of promoting sustainable resource use and energy efficiency to offset the neighboring industrial zones through various efforts including recycling industrial waste heat for use as a heating source and land reclamation to improve environmental conditions of the area’s tidal land.[34]

The project was part of a broader movement of eco-cities in China, where rapid urbanization has prompted the development of over 100 similar projects, with Caofeidian Eco-City serving as one of the first.[33][37] The project’s objectives included reducing emissions and energy consumption, as well as accommodating the rapidly growing urban population in the country.[37][34]

The new development’s concept included several sustainability measures to address the environmental challenges faced by the surrounding industrial zones. It was intended to be a model for other eco-cities in China and around the world, with its design aimed at reducing emissions, energy consumption, and promoting sustainable resource use and energy efficiency.[33] City performance was planned to be monitored through 141 indicators to measure the success of these efforts.[32]

The city was designed to house up to 500,000 residents by 2016 and eventually one million residents,[38] with several measures planned to reduce the ecological impact of residents.[34]

Planning included projects to alleviate water challenges, including the use of recycled water and desalination plants to meet 50% of the city’s water needs and reuse 100% of domestic water usage.[33][34] Renewable energy was planned to account for over half of energy consumption, powered by solar, natural gas, wind, and geothermal production.[33][34]

City design featured mixed-use development supported by a bus network supplemented by light rail, with the aim of promoting transit and walkability, targeting 90% of transportation needs met through sustainable transportation.[33][34]

Amenities included government offices, business centers, industrial factories, housing, parks, and a wetland area.[33][32] Other features included a waste recycling system and affordable housing.[34]

Initially, the Caofeidian Eco-City was intended to be a joint venture between China and Singapore, but the bid was lost to the Tianjin Eco-City located just to the South.[39] Nevertheless, local officials independently financed the development,[32] and construction began in 2008 with a targeted completion date of 2020.[33][34] The estimated cost of the project was US$15B.[33]

Planning for the eco-city was a joint venture with Sweden, which contributed its expertise and experience in eco-city planning.[40] The Swedish design firm Sweco assisted in the planning and drew inspiration from eco-cities in Malmö and Hammarby.[32]

Funding challenges have delayed construction of the project,[32][41][39] which has been described by one observer as “essentially bankrupt.”[42] The high cost of land reclamation required significant investments, but the local government struggled to find sufficient funding and resorted to financing the project itself.[32] The lack of amenities and the district’s heavy industry-based economy instead of high-tech office jobs made it difficult to attract residents and investors.[43] As a result, the eco-city has been criticized as a “ghost city,”[44] with many buildings remaining unfinished, and numerous residences and commercial spaces remaining empty.[38][43]

In 2019, Caofeidian District was approved as a free trade zone, spurring renewed investment and the resumption of construction on some projects.[43] However, the eco-city remained incomplete as of 2020 and its future remains uncertain.[39]

As one of the first eco-city projects in China, Caofeidian has been the subject of several case studies on the implementation of eco-cities.

The construction process has been criticized as being environmentally harmful. The use of land reclamation has been seen as detrimental to the marine and coastal environment.[39][45] Emissions from construction, which are not calculated in the city’s eco-indicators, may offset the benefits of a sustainable city.[33] Some researchers have also argued that repurposing existing cities could have provided greater benefits.[33]

The city’s eco-indicators have also been criticized as insufficient. For instance, the goal of reducing per capita domestic water consumption is only slightly better than other Chinese cities.[34]

One study described the eco-city as an “eco-enclave” with limited impact on the surrounding area.[33] The emissions savings from the city have been considered insufficient to offset Caofeidian’s carbon-intensive heavy industry as well as the wider region’s development.[33]

Critics have also noted a disconnect with the local community. The use of Western architectural styles rather than influences from Chinese culture and the top-down planning style may not build buy-in from residents.[33] Further, residents may not be properly educated on how to use technologies implemented in city development, which could negate their presence.[32]