Abstract
Residential area is the space vehicle of a better life and the basic principle of planning and development for such area is people-oriented, green development and livability, with the overarching goal to improve in quality and functions of such area, give priority to ensure positioning of public facilities and to improve living environment. Over the past two decades of comprehensive reforms in China’s housing institution, people’s living quality has been improved through a large scale of residential building development. Such residential development is both the fundamental driver of China’s economic growth and the main factor that hinders positive urban development, such as shown in excessive pursuit of high intensity development, high density construction, large area of impervious pavement, giving rise to problems of neglecting utilization needs of people and running short of public service facilities and public green space, among others. The National Standard of China, Code of Urban Residential Areas Planning & Design (GB 50180-2018), is one of the essential standards in the field of urban planning in China, which came into effect in 1994 and its latest revisions were published and have taken effect since Dec. 1st, 2018. The updated standard sets out technical details such as target guidance, control requirements and metrics specifications to change the tiered scale of traditional residential area with pedestrian-friendly approach, to identify reasonable neighborhood scale with ecological and green mindset, to apply a maximum height cap of residential buildings with livability and moderation as the rule, to improve positioning of public service facilities with diversified sharing as the philosophy, to construct urban public space with pleasant vitality as the orientation and to enhance design requirements of living environment for all age groups, with the all-age friendly approach to elders, children and the disabled etc. The updated standard has played a positive role in guiding reasonable and effective use of land and space, equipping a comprehensive system and diversified types of public service facilities, creating safe, accessible high-density road network and making dynamic public spaces for planning and development of residential area, among others.
