On the afternoon of December 16, 2023, the "Launch Ceremony of the 2023-2024 Annual Events of the Greater Bay Area Urban Designers Alliance & Award Ceremony for the 'Parks Around Us' Design Competition" was successfully held at the Multi-functional Hall on the first floor of the IF Factory in Nantou Ancient City, Nanshan District, Shenzhen. The event was jointly organized by the Greater Bay Area Urban Designers Professional Alliance and the Urban Planning Society of Shenzhen.
Attendees included relevant government officials and industry representatives, such as Yu Tao, Deputy Director of the Publicity Department of the Nanshan District Committee of Shenzhen; Ma Xiangming, President of the Guangdong Territorial Spatial Planning Association; Pan An, President of the Guangzhou Urban Planning Association; Sima Xiao, President of the Urban Planning Society of Shenzhen（UPSSZ）; Chen Zebin, Vice President of the Hong Kong Institute of Urban Design; Nuno Soares, Macau Director of CURB Architecture and Urban Planning Center; Tan Wenjie, President of the Zhuhai Planning Exploration and Design Industry Association; Chen Ribiao, President of the Shenzhen Survey and Design Industry Association; Zeng Hongliang, Executive Vice President and Secretary-General of the Huizhou Territorial Spatial Planning Association; and Li Hanfei, President of the Foshan Urban Planning and Design Institute. The event was hosted by Shan Liang, Executive Director of the Urban Design Professional Committee of UPSSZ.
In his speech, Ma Xiangming, stated that the Greater Bay Area is a collective of 11 cities and a shared home for 70 million people. It represents both a physical and a human concept. Since its establishment, the Alliance has provided opportunities for communication and cooperation among institutions and individuals engaged in design-related work in the Greater Bay Area, marking a progression from industrial collaboration and engineering connectivity to human exchange and cooperation. As both collaborators and creators of space, he hoped that through broader and more extensive cooperation, a more competitive Greater Bay Area could be built, jointly constructing a livable home.
Pan An, noted that since its inception, the Greater Bay Area Urban Designer Alliance has closely linked the professional forces of Hong Kong, Macau, Shenzhen, Huizhou, and Zhongshan. Over the past two years, as the rotating chair of the Alliance, the Guangzhou Urban Planning Association appreciated the strong support and active response from its member units, as well as the help and support from other cities in the Greater Bay Area. He wished the Alliance's work and activities in Shenzhen would reach new heights, making greater contributions to the high-quality development of the industry and academia.
Pan An then passed the Alliance badge to Sima Xiao, who shook hands and posed for a photo together.
Following the handover ceremony, Sima Xiao delivered a speech. He mentioned that the two previous events hosted by Hong Kong and Guangzhou had achieved great success, expanding the influence and visibility of the Alliance. Shenzhen, benefiting from the vibrant design creativity in the Greater Bay Area and as the youngest and most dynamic city in the region, looked forward to more urban designers using the Alliance as a platform to inspire youthful forces to contribute wisdom and value to our cities, showcasing Shenzhen's innovative and pragmatic design strength to the nation and beyond.
Pan An, Sima Xiao, Chen Zebin, Nuno Soares, and Tan Wenjie, as representatives of the founding units of the Alliance, officially launched the third edition of the events on stage.
According to the event agenda, after the launch ceremony, the event moved into the award ceremony for the "Parks Around Us" Design Competition. Shan Liang introduced the competition to the guests. He mentioned that the competition, themed "Parks Around Us," targeted undergraduate students nationwide (including those from Hong Kong, Macau, and international students) and young designers who had just graduated, aiming to build a practical exchange platform for young urban planners and designers in China, stimulating their thinking, insight, problem-solving, and communication skills. The competition received entries from various professional backgrounds across universities nationwide, including those from Hong Kong and Macau. After two rounds of evaluation, 10 finalist nominations, 2 creativity awards, and 1 design grand prize were selected.
The three winners of the best design awards introduced their respective design proposals in sequence. Jin Guangjun, Zhu Rongyuan, and Zhang Yuxing, consultants of the Urban Design Professional Committee of UPSSZ, provided targeted comments on the design proposals and engaged in full exchanges with the winners.
The event concluded successfully. After the meeting, the organizers arranged a rich guided tour, allowing guests to explore Nantou Ancient City and gain an in-depth understanding of its evolution and transformation.