UN-Habitat Urban Lab
UN-Habitat is working on an exemplary city extension for Yangon, the former capital of Myanmar together with an international team of planners, Felixx Landscape Architects is part of this team. The project is part of UN-Habitat’s Global Network of Urban Planning and Design Labs and results were presented at the Habitat III conference in Quito and at the Venice Biennale, as part of the 15th International Architecture Exhibition ‘Reporting From the Front’.
Yangon is the former capital of Myanmar, facing a projected growth from over 5 million inhabitants in the current situation to 11 million people by 2040. At the moment, insufficient facilities are available to accommodate all people moving to the city and vast informal settlements arise. The Htantabin area is one of seven sites that are appointed to accommodate this projected population growth. The masterplan by the UN-Habitat Urban Lab Team aims to turn this 100km2 area into a resilient and affordable urban environment, housing up to 750.000 people in 2040.
Yangon already suffers heavily from water- and flood problems, and the new extension site is projected on a wet rice field area along two rivers that regularly flood. Therefore the proposed setup of the new district is based on the creation of a resilient urban water system: a large green core performing as a water management machine, and 2 urban zones on both sides of this park, connecting to the existing city. All other strategies build on this basic setup. New centralities are proposed and different means of transport are integrated in the planning framework. Strategies are elaborated to allow for a phased development, realizing an urban environment with an adequate density, sufficient facilities and affordable housing units.
The project for Htantabin is being developed together with local planners from Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC) and the Ministry of Construction (MOC). The plan was presented this summer to the new minster of constructions, U Win Khaing, and was positively received. With this positive reception of the plan, the collaboration and capacity building continues into a next stage, for the further elaboration and implementation of the plan.
