Beyond greenbelts and zoning: A new planning concept for the environment of Asian mega-cities

Asian mega-cities have realized explosive growth in the post-war decades. Such growth, however, resulted in serious environmental problems including air and water pollution and a lack of adequate urban infrastructure. This growth also created a chaotic mixture of urban and rural land use in the fringe of the cities. Western urban planning concepts such as zoning and greenbelt additions have been applied to the cities to encourage controlled urban growth. These landscapes located in the fringe of Asian mega-cities indicate that such attempts have not achieved significant success. Asian cities historically place land use patterns of urban and rural character next to each other. These vernacular landscapes have in the past demonstrated a workable relationship between the urban and rural environments. It is therefore perceived that a planning concept, which respects the mixture of urban and rural land uses, should be developed and applied to encourage an ordered growth of Asian mega-cities. Farm and wooded landscapes provide key ecological functions, visual amenities and cultural services that help justify the continued relationship of rural and urban land use mixes. A planning concept that respects the vernacular landscape of the past can help provide new stability to the Asian urban environment of the 21st century.