Exhibition
Community Gardens and Community Building Exhibition
The 3rd International Symposium on Community Gardens and Community Building – Suzhou Forum was successfully held on November 11th at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University. The event attracted nearly 100 participants, including government representatives, community leaders, residents, social organizations, and business representatives from various districts in Suzhou, as well as scholars and students from educational institutions ranging from primary to higher education. The forum was organized by the Design School of XJTLU, in collaboration with the XJTLU Urban and Environment University-level Research Centre, the United Nations Regional Centre of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development (Suzhou), and the XJTLU Overseas Chinese Federation. The event featured presentations from government officials, academics, and practitioners, discussing topics such as community garden development, public participation, sustainable urban renewal, and community building. The symposium also included interactive sessions like World Café discussions and an open space exhibition showcasing community garden projects and practices.
Suzhou Design Week 2019
Reinventing Suzhou
Presenting project from the XJLTU Department of Urban Planning and Design and the Design Research Center
As an international university located in Suzhou, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) passionately explores the past, present, and future of the city. This exhibition presented two projects combining research and educational objectives. First, the research by design “Suzhou Garden: Design of a Water City” (UPD in collaboration with IUAV (IT) and EPFL (CH)) reimagines, at different scales, the city’s relationship with its water system.
The research is published in the book Urban Waterfront Analysis and Comparative Design. Beijing, Suzhou and Yinchuan, published by TU Delft open access; it can be found here:
Waterfront Analysis and Design: Comparative Report of Beijing, Suzhou, and Yinchuan
Secondly, the interactive multimedia exhibition “1 City, 7 Identities” (UPD + DRC ARC) explores the many facets of the old city of Suzhou. Featuring a horizontal, sensitive and subjective reading of the historic city, this exploration offers a complementary alternative to standard top-down methods of urban regeneration.
Curators team
Dr Arch Paola Pellegrini, Project Leader
Dr Ir Arch Christian Nolf
Ir Arch Florence Vannoorbeeck
Arch David Vardy
Safeguarding Heritage and Community of Shuangta Area
The Shuangta Exhibition 2023 showcases the outcome of the research project ‘Safeguarding Heritage and Community of Shuangta Area’ (hereafter, the Shuangta Project), a collaborative effort between the Gusu Planning Bureau and the XJTLU Design School. This exhibition consists of staff research and student work from the Shuangta Project, along with the shortlisted entries from the Design School Student Competition 2023. Under the title ‘Think Globally, Act Locally; Place-based Innovation and Designs’, the competition invites students to propose their ‘Shuangta Vision’ by answering a key question: ‘How might your design proposal make a real-world impact?’ Students are encouraged to propose ideas that contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Meanwhile, their works closely resonate with the research strengths and specialist expertise of the Design School, focusing on themes such as sustainable regeneration and revitalization, green and smart cities, digital design for enhanced human environments, sustainable and advanced materials, and social innovation. A series of civic engagement activities, including charrettes with residents, public lectures, city walks, and a student award ceremony, were held during the three-week exhibition period. By engaging with local stakeholders and communities and understanding their needs, the project has fostered a greater sense of place and community pride, built on the unique history, identity, and heritage assets of the Shuangta Area.
Location: Suzhou Tourist Information Centre (Dinghuisi Lane and Phoenix Street)
Duration: 25 March to 16 April 2023
Host Organization: Design School, Xi’an Jiaotong Liverpool University
Partnership: Suzhou National Historic City (Gusu) Branch Office, Suzhou Natural Resources and Planning Bureau; Suzhou Cultural Heritage Conservation Institute; Suzhou Tourist Information Centre, Dinghuishixiang Neighborhood Committee, Shuangta Street Office, Gusu District;
Curators: Yiping Dong, Yiwen Wang, Quanqing Lu
Video Editing: Zhengyu Wu, Xuxiong Xiao
Fashion Design: Kimvi Nguyen, Vicente Esteban
Education & Outreach: Yanhui Lei, Xuefeng Wang, Chang Guan, Yiwei Li, Jinnnan Li, Lemeng Liu
Exhibition Production: Jian Chen, Hailin Zhao, Yao Chen, Yunquan Chen, Qiang Wang, Fukang Li, Xiajun Li
Admin Support: Xu Xu
Relevant Links:
UPD Summer Exhibition “Papers published on our lands”
The 2024 UPD Summer Exhibition ‘Papers Published on Our Lands’ takes place in the EB building from 31 May to 15 September. The exhibition aims to present the academic and professional achievements of the Department of Urban Planning and Design. It is composed of several parts, including a general introduction to the programs and staff of UPD, topic areas focusing on ‘Urban Regeneration’ and ‘Rural Revitalization’, film montage and posters showcasing students’ work, design projects and published papers from staff members, and a selected showcase of UPD alumni work. The exhibition is curated by Yifei Huang, Lab Technician of the Design School and an alumnus from the Department of Architecture.