Paradigm Shifts Of Urban Design In China(1921-2018)

Urban Design in China has developed into a hot field while its complicated propositions,viewpoints and specific working methods are in confusion.On the one hand,these problems are deeply disturbing the value of urban design;on the other hand,they are constantly shaking the rational basis of their own disciplines,thus forming a crisis for the further development of urban design in China externally and internally.Objectively and rationally understanding China’s urban design,grasping its historical context and future direction is a historical task.The research reviews the overall history of urban design development in China since the establishment of modern city system,revisiting the macroscopic state of existing research,and then points out the inapplicability of historical staging research and literature statistical methods,forming the basis of Chinese urban design history research.Chinese urban design is conceived in a complicated context system,which presents a tortuous,intermittent,fragmented and fragmented development.Then the study extracts the consensus and contention of the academic community on the concept of urban design,and establishes a “technology-value” cognitive model,which can be seen as a new approach to sort out urban design paradigm in China.That cognitive model is used to examine the macroscopic development of the ideological concepts,theories and methods of urban design in China since 1921,and to establish a framework for the paradigm shift of Chinese urban design development.It has been found that paradigm such as “design of form”,“comprehensive design”,“control of design” and “design of policy” constitute the four directions of Chinese urban design evolution.Through the interpretation and criticism of them,this study reveals the logic of Chinese urban design trends since 1921,discovers the hidden model issues,and re-recognizes concept,role,scientific and operational systems.Chinese urban design presents a distinct era,and its paradigm are developed and carried out under the support of gradual rationality and openness.Realistic demand and external induction make its growth a reactive and passive type.The impact-response evolution logic presents the relay and nesting relationships between different learning samples such as traditional models,European and American models,and the Soviet model.The conceptual connotation,role and operational mechanism of urban design are influenced by such models.They are under an unstable evolution in different sociopolitical forms and complex institutional environments,Accompanying with positive progress and reverse retreat.The current academic community should view the external experience with a correct attitude,realize the good grafting and regeneration of external models,and strengthen the scientific research before engineering technology innovation.Rebuilding our belief of Chinese urban design is the key to solve the crisis.