Research On Suitability Evaluation For The Grand Canal Greenway Of Gongchenqiao Section

Greenways movement, with the return of humanistic spirit in the post-industrial era, has developed for nearly 20 years in Western countries. However, it is still an unfamiliar concept in China and both the theory and practice of it remain at the early stage. With the launch of the Grand Canal's application for UNESCO's world cultural heritage, Hangzhou has endeavored to administrate and protect the canal area comprehensively and "Thriving With the Canal" will be the regression of Hangzhou's relationship with the Grand Canal. Gongchenqiao Section is better than other sections in terms of urban development ideologies such as ecological remediation, heritage preservation and waterfront management not only because of its important location and special connection with the canal, but also of plenty of key protection projects within the area. Thus, the research has chosen Gongchenqiao Section as a sample and hopes to experimentally implement the prospective ideology of greenways to guide Hangzhou's comprehensive administration and protection of the Grand Canal.Research and implementation of greenways theory in Western countries provide important theoretical evidence for the research whereas the ample natural and humanistic resources of Gongchenqiao Section has provided good material conditions for greenways construction. As the second phase of the canal's comprehensive administration and protection work is coming to an end. the accumulated advanced development and construction ideologies have laid a more solid base for greenways construction in the area. Based on deep understanding of greenways theory and analysis of domestic and overseas examples, the research has summarised the suitability evaluation methodology which is applicable to the case according to the research objects and feasibility of evaluation methods. The thesis establishs objectives of greenways of Gongchenqiao Section considering its resources advantage and regional development and the suitability evaluation system of research objects by multi-criteria decision making. It also performs suitability evaluation of different resources for greenways development with the aspects of transportation, ecological preservation, cultural protection and entertainment. Thereafter, based on the evaluation results, it studies the possibility of greenways construction in Gongchenqiao Section and suggests respective development strategy with the purpose of enriching the ideologies of Hangzhou's comprehensive administration and protection of the Grand Canal and providing new insights for city waterfront development.