中国的城市规划
搬到了中国之后，我第一次注意到中国的城市规划。我之所以对这个话题有浓厚的兴趣，是因为我认为一个城市的结构反映了一个国家的政治制度和社会,并且会影响到城市居民的生活方式和条件。尤其是在中国这个人口众多的国家，中国政府如何设计居民的生活环境一定非常重要。
为了疏解北京现有的问题 – 比如堵车严重，地铁拥挤，供水紧缺 – 中国的政府打算在河北省设立新的大城市叫雄安。这个新区代表了中国城市发展的新模式。 习近平希望，在2030年之前，雄安能成为他的”中国梦”的象征之一。雄安的市政府会把可持续发展放在第一位：绿空间将占比70%以上，区森林覆盖率将达到40%以上。毫无疑问，中国总是与空气污染的问题和工业化联系起来，所以这样的绿色政策让我对中国的未来十分乐观。再者，中国政府希望雄安会成为中国的科技枢纽，比如雄安的市政府已经与百度商定了一个无人驾驶的项目，这证明了未来的中国城市会颇具特色。
虽然北京是个很大的城市，但人们去不同的城区都挺方便，因为北京的公共交通系统很发达。而且，北京的共享单车随处可见，你在任何地方都可以方便地骑上自行车，让你有自由自在的感觉。然而，北京还面临不少的问题，对我而言最重要的问题是北京的人口密度过高。最近二十年来，很多从农村来的人为了谋生而搬到北京。如果你乘坐地铁，你就可以看得出来，距离北京成为一个真正美好的城市的那一天，北京市政府还有一段路要走。
ENGLISH:
After moving to China was the first time I started to pay attention to Chinese urban planning. The reason I have a deep interest in this topic is because I believe the structure of a city reflects a country’s political system and society, and it also influences the lifestyles and conditions of the city’s residents. In particular, in a country like China which has a massive population, the way the Chinese government designs the living environment for its residents is very important.
To alleviate the current problems of Beijing – such as extreme congestion, overcrowded subways and water shortages – the Chinese government is planning on building a new big city in Hebei Province called Xiong’an. This new district represents the new style of Chinese urban development. Xi Jinping hopes that before 2030, Xiong’an will become one of the emblems of his so-called ‘Chinese dream’. The city government of Xiong’an is making sustainable development one of its priorities: green spaces will make 70% of the city, and forests will cover up to over 40%. With no doubt, China is always associated with air pollution and industrialisation, so this type of green policy makes me feel very optimistic about China’s future. Moreover, the Chinese government hopes that Xiong’an will become the technology hub of China. For example, the city government of Xiong’an has already agreed with Baidu to run a driverless vehicle project, which shows that the China of the future will be very distinctive.
Although Beijing is an enormous city, going to different parts of the city is pretty convenient, as Beijing’s public transport system is very advanced. Also, you can find Beijing’s public bikes almost everywhere. Wherever you are, you can conveniently ride a bicycle to your next destination, which makes you feel very free. However, Beijing is still facing many different problems. In my opinion, the most significant problem is Beijing’s overpopulation. In the most recent 20 years, lots of people from the countryside have moved to Beijing to make a living.
If you ride the subway, you can clearly see that Beijing’s city government still has a long way to go before Beijing can truly become a wonderful city.