Kunming, Kunming (FUA), China
City population: 8460088
Duration: 2023 – 2023
Implementation status: Completed
Scale: Micro-scale: District/neighbourhood level
Project area: 29050.1 m2
Type of area: Vacant or abandoned land
Last updated: September 2024

Due to rapid urbanization and development, cities in China, including Kunming, face challenges in managing neglected urban spaces, particularly vacated demolition sites and leftover land (Ref 1, 2, 3). To address this issue and enhance residents' well-being, Kunming has created 400 pocket parks since 2022, transforming forgotten corners into vibrant green spaces (Ref 4, 5). One of these parks, Wenxing Pocket Park in Xishan District, was built in 2023 on 2.3 hectares of land (Ref 6). Located next to a secondary school and two protected historical relics, the park not only preserves historical heritage but also reflects cultural value (Ref 6, 7). In addition to increasing urban green spaces, the park provides recreational and physical facilities for residents, children, and students (Ref 6). Its design is inspired by traditional architectural styles and incorporates wood craftsmanship, as well as ecological sponge facilities (Ref 6, 7). The park also features science gardens, promoting awareness and knowledge of herbs and sustainability (Ref 6). The project employs methods such as infiltration, stagnation, storage, purification, and drainage to manage rainwater effectively. By utilizing the natural terrain, it creates ecological dry streams and sunken gardens that absorb and store rainwater, helping to control runoff. This approach aligns with the "sponge city" concept, promoting natural water accumulation, infiltration, and purification. Additionally, the integration of various plants enhances the microclimate, supporting local wildlife and creating a healthy, vibrant public space. The Wenxing Pocket Park has been implemented by the Municipality of Xishan. (Ref.6,7)

wenxing-park
wenxing-park
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s?__biz=MzA5NzEwODAzMQ==&mid=2651229795&idx=2&sn=9f7246d53cbd044e7f6dcda5fe56b302

Overview

Nature-based solution

  • Green areas for water management
  • Rain gardens
  • Parks and urban forests
  • Pocket parks/neighbourhood green spaces

Key challenges

  • Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
  • Climate change adaptation
  • Environmental quality
  • Air quality improvement
  • Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
  • Green space creation and/or management
  • Regeneration, land-use and urban development
  • Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development
  • Water management (SDG 6)
  • Stormwater and rainfall management and storage
  • Cultural heritage and cultural diversity
  • Protection of historic and cultural landscape/infrastructure
  • Preservation of historic traditions
  • Health and well-being (SDG 3)
  • Creation of opportunities for recreation
  • Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
  • Social interaction
  • Environmental education

Principal problems in Functional Urban Area (FUA)

  • Climate-Related Hazards
  • Urban flooding (stormwater)
  • Land use and Socio-economic change
  • Rapid urbanization
  • Unequal availability and access to public green spaces

Key priorities

Climate action (adaptation and/or mitigation), Social Justice and community

Focus

Creation of new green areas, Creation of any other green urban spaces, Creation of semi-natural blue areas, Implementation of green areas for water management (e.g. rain gardens), Transformation of previously derelict areas, Transformation of vacant land into green spaces

Project objectives

To actively expand green ecological spaces, creating a park that encompasses science gardens and rain gardens, that together enhance residents' quality of life (Ref 3); To establish ecological dry streams and sunken gardens that absorb and store rainwater, effectively managing runoff on the site; To improve the microclimate environment, including air quality, through the integration of various plants. To build activity areas for children , fitness facilities, road signs, cultural exhibition centers, rest areas, and other amenities designed to provide recreational opportunities (Ref 9); To develop a cultural study community park based on the site's historical culture and relics (Wenxing Park is adjacent to the key protected cultural relics Wenxing Building and Yiguan Temple in Xishan District and its design has been based on the preservation of the historical relics of Wenxing Tower and Yiguan Temple as the starting point), integrating an "education +" approach and a parent-child focus within its layout, promoting community interactions (Ref 7, 9).

Implementation activities

Covering an area of 29,050.13 square meters and previously a vacant land, the park features a green area of 19,866.01 square meters, resulting in a green space ratio of 68.39% (Ref 12). It includes the planting of 480 trees, such as Yunnan magnolia, camphor, and Chinese tallow tree, along with 15,500 square meters of shrubs and ground covers, including rhododendron, photinia, and boxwood. Additionally, approximately 8,000 square meters of paving has been completed (ibid.). The park is equipped with various facilities, including children's activity areas, fitness stations, road signage, cultural exhibition centers, rest pergolas, and two science parks (Baicao and Rainwater Park) (Ref 6, 7). The entire park is constructed based on traditional architectural styles, utilizing mortise and tenon joints found in the building of palaces, temples, pavilions, and towers, as well as in furniture production (ibid.). The design prioritizes the cultural and historical relics of the site, incorporating ecological sponge facilities to create a flexible ecological space (Ref 7). The project employs methods of infiltration, stagnation, storage, purification, and drainage, taking advantage of the original terrain's height differences to create ecological dry streams and sunken gardens. This approach effectively absorbs and stores rainwater, controlling runoff on the site and realizing the sponge city development model of natural accumulation, infiltration, and purification (ibid.)

Climate-focused activities

Climate change adaptation:

  • Increase urban vegetation cover to reduce urban heat island effect
  • Implement sustainable urban drainage schemes to manage stormwater

Main beneficiaries

  • Local government/Municipality
  • Public sector institution (e.g. school or hospital)
  • Citizens or community groups
  • Young people and children
  • Marginalized groups: Children, young people or youth groups , Elderly people

Governance

Management set-up

  • Government-led

Type of initiating organisation

  • Local government/municipality

Participatory approaches/ community involvement

  • Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)

Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project

The Wenxing Pocket Park is led by Xishan Municipal and implemented by the Gardening and Greening Section of the Xishan District Urban Management Bureau in 2023. Actors from private sectors participated in the intervention as well, such as XAA Architecture which reconstructed the Wenxing Pavilion as part of the park amenities (Ref 10).

Project implemented in response to ...

... an EU policy or strategy? Unknown
... a national policy or strategy? Yes (The project is implemented in lines with Notice of the General Office of the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development on Promoting the Construction of "Pocket Parks (《住房城乡建设部办公厅关于推进“袖珍公园”建设的通知》) (Ref 1). )
... a local policy or strategy? Yes (In response to the Yunnan Province Green and Beautiful Urban Construction Three-Year Action Plan (2022—2024) (《云南省城乡绿化美化三年行动(2022—2024年)》), Kunming published the Kunming City Urban and Rural Greening and Beautification Three-Year Action Plan (《昆明市城乡绿化美化三年行动方案》), which the project is implemented directly in line with (Ref 11).)

Type of enablers

Technological innovations

Financing

Total cost

Unknown

Source(s) of funding

  • Public regional budget

Type of funding

  • Earmarked public budget

Non-financial contribution

Unknown

Impacts and Monitoring

Environmental impacts

  • Water management and blue areas
  • Improved stormwater management
  • Achieved improved stormwater management
  • Green space and habitat
  • Increased green space area
  • Achieved increased green space area
  • Increased number of species present
  • Achieved increased number of species present

Economic impacts

  • Unknown

Socio-cultural impacts

  • Social justice and cohesion
  • Improved liveability
  • Achieved improved liveability
  • Improved access to urban green space
  • Achieved improved access to urban green space
  • Increased visibility and opportunity for marginalised groups or indigenous peoples
  • Achieved increased visibility and opportunity for marginalised groups or indigenous peoples
  • Increased opportunities for social interaction
  • Achieved increased opportunities for social interaction
  • Health and wellbeing
  • Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
  • Achieved gain in activities for recreation and exercise
  • Cultural heritage and sense of place
  • Protection of historic and cultural landscape / infrastructure
  • Achieved protection of historic and cultural landscape / infrastructure
  • Education
  • Increased support for education and scientific research
  • Expected increased support for education and scientific research
  • Increased knowledge of locals about local nature
  • Expected increased knowledge of locals about local nature

Type of reported impacts

Presence of formal monitoring system

Unknown

Presence of indicators used in reporting

No evidence in public records

Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports

No evidence in public records

Availability of a web-based monitoring tool

No evidence in public records

Potential risks of implementation and trade-offs

Unknown

References

1.
Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development (住房和城乡建设部) (2022). 住房和城乡建设部办公厅关于推动“口袋公园”建设的通知. Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development (住房和城乡建设部), Accessed on August 26, 2024, [Source link];
2.
Hu, W. (2021). 口袋公园点缀城市形象 遗忘角落变成绿色空间. China Tourism News (中国旅游报), Accessed on August 26, 2024, [Source link];
3.
Yunnan Daily (云南日报) (2023). 昆明市全力推进“城市公园”建设——点亮家门口的诗和远方. Yunnan Daily (云南日报), Accessed on August 26, 2024, [Source link];
4.
Chen, X. (2022). 昆明：“口袋公园”扮靓城市空间. Xinhua News Agency (新华社), Accessed on August 26, 2024, [Source link];
5.
Chen, F. (2024). 昆明市将打造500个“口袋公园”，把城市变成大花园！. Yunnan Daily (云南日报), Accessed on August 26, 2024, [Source link];
6.
Wang,L.; Duan, X. (2024). 【西山两会】西山区做实口袋公园建设 增强辖区群众幸福感. China.org.cn, Accessed on August 26, 2024, [Source link];
7.
Xia, F. (2023). 昆明又“上新”一批口袋公园 位置在→. 都市时报, Accessed on August 26, 2024, [Source link];
8.
Xia, F. (2024). 童趣满满！西山区打造省内第一批儿童友好公园. Kunming Daily (昆明日报), Accessed on August 26, 2024, [Source link];
9.
Yang, J. (2023). 绿美西山系列报道② | “公园+文化”，让城市记忆重回都市. Xishan District Urban Management Bureau (西山市城市管理局), Accessed on August 26, 2024, [Source link];
10.
Li, B. (2022). 时空的对望：昆明草海文星楼公园项目 / XAA建筑事务所詹涛工作室. Position (有方), Accessed on August 26, 2024, [Source link];
11.
Dianchi Management Department of Kunming City (昆明滇池管理局) (2022). 昆明提出公园城市建设新目标—— 早日重现“五百里滇池”美丽画卷. Dianchi Management Department of Kunming City (昆明滇池管理局), Accessed on August 22, 2024, [Source link];
12.
Yang, Y. (2023). 游园打卡｜文星公园：与历史文脉相互呼应. Xishan District Urban Management Bureau (西山市城市管理局), Accessed on August 26, 2024, [Source link];
13.
然然 (2024). 第N次来这里遛娃. RED (小红书), Accessed on August 26, 2024, [Source link];
14.
超然爱大笑 (2024). 这个豆沙色的红墙美呆了‼️. RED (小红书), Accessed on August 26, 2024, [Source link];
15.
寰宇地理志 (2024). 云南省昆明市发展情况介绍（人口、面积、GDP）. WeChat Official Account, Accessed on September 13, 2024, [Source link];
16.
红黑人口库 (2024). 2023年[昆明]西山区人口常住户籍总人数口和第七次人口普查结果. 红黑人口库, Accessed on September 13, 2024, [Source link];
the-park1
the-park1
http://union.china.com.cn/txt/2024-02/27/content_42707601.html
park2
park2
http://union.china.com.cn/txt/2024-02/27/content_42707601.html
naturescapes bannerInformation about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the Naturescapes project funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101084341.