China issues guidelines banning construction of skyscrapers over 500m to improve urban landscape
People walk past the temporarily closed 300-meter SEG Plaza in Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong Province on May 24, 2021. Photo: CFP
The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), China’s top economic planner, issued guidelines on Tuesday to ban the construction of skyscrapers over 500 meters high, and China will strictly limit construction of buildings over 250 meters high.
The regulations were listed in the latest issued new urbanization outline during the 14th Five-Year Plan 2021-25 which vowed to optimize city landscapes and rectify the pursuit of excessive architectural scale, direct copying foreign designs, and nonstandard buildings.
According to the statistics from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, a US nonprofit organization, China has 2,928 buildings taller than 150 meters, 953 skyscrapers higher than 200 meters and 102 super high-rise buildings above 300 meters as of now. All three indicators remain number one in the world.
China’s Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development and the Ministry of Emergency Management said in a statement on October 2021 that skyscrapers higher than 150 meters are not allowed to be built in cities with less than three million people while buildings higher than 250 meters must not be constructed in cities with large populations due to safety concerns.
NDRC had announced relevant regulations in April 2021 targeting the construction of skyscrapers over 500 meters in height, and the commission officially implemented a ban on construction of buildings taller than 500 meters in July.
SEG Plaza, a 356-meter-high tower in downtown Shenzhen, South China’s Guangdong Province, reportedly began swaying due to multiple factors including strong wind, vibrations from the subway and rising temperatures in May 2021. Use of the building was suspended for nearly four months, raising concerns about its safety.
Global Times
As an urban development enthusiast deeply engaged in architectural trends and city planning, the recent move by China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) to issue guidelines restricting the construction of skyscrapers over 500 meters truly resonates with ongoing global discussions on urban landscapes and safety considerations in architectural design.
The decision reflects a multidimensional approach to optimize city aesthetics, rectify excessive architectural scale, and prioritize safety concerns in urban construction. My familiarity with this subject stems from an in-depth understanding of global architectural trends, safety protocols in construction, and the evolving dynamics of urban planning, particularly in relation to skyscraper development.
The NDRC's directives align with a broader agenda outlined in China's 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) to enhance urbanization sustainably. This plan emphasizes the need to curtail the proliferation of excessively tall structures while addressing safety issues associated with skyscrapers, as highlighted by incidents like the temporary closure of the 300-meter SEG Plaza in Shenzhen due to swaying caused by factors such as wind, subway vibrations, and temperature variations.
Now, delving into the concepts mentioned in the article:
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National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC): China's top economic planner responsible for formulating and implementing macroeconomic policies and strategies, including urban development plans.
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Skyscrapers: Tall buildings typically exceeding conventional height limits, often defined as buildings over 150 meters, 200 meters, or higher.
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Urbanization Outline (14th Five-Year Plan): A strategic plan for urban development in China for the period from 2021 to 2025, emphasizing optimization of city landscapes and addressing issues related to excessive architectural scale and safety concerns.
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Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat: A US-based nonprofit organization that tracks, analyzes, and classifies tall buildings worldwide, providing data and insights into skyscraper construction.
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Building Height Regulations: Stipulations by Chinese ministries regarding the construction of tall buildings, with limitations set based on city population sizes (e.g., restrictions on buildings taller than 150 meters in cities with less than three million people).
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Safety Concerns in Skyscrapers: Highlighted by incidents such as the swaying of the SEG Plaza in Shenzhen due to various factors like wind, subway vibrations, and temperature changes, leading to temporary closure and safety evaluations.
Understanding these concepts showcases the intersection of urban planning, architectural design, safety protocols, and policy directives shaping the development of cityscapes and skyscrapers in China's evolving urban landscape.
