NL Urban Solutions has won the first prize in an international landscape design competition. The jury praised their winning design for the Jinghe River in Xi’an, China, for its ecological and natural approach and innovative ideas. The other six selected  international companies and consortia were representing China, Japan, Australia and America.

The Jinghe River has a gorgeous historical culture and will cross Jinghe New City, one of the five major development areas in Xixian New District, with a planned population of half a million people in a project area of 21.7 km². NL Urban Solutions (NLUS), is excited that they can implement their design: “Our design for 17 km centrally in the new city located river front combines the flooding safety with ecological recovery of the natural river, maintains the dynamic river balance and creates bio-habitats for various local flora and fauna. The plan includes a floodplain area, riverfront parks, a boulevard park of 5 kilometers with 80,000 m² of commercial space, wetlands and lakes, and connects the new city with the green-blue network and upgrades the rural area with several villages. The river park will help to position the Jinghe New City as a touristic destination integrating the rich history, unique culture and heritage of the region.”

The jury praised the systematic and integral approach, the advanced design concept and the professional water management knowledge. “Although many companies are aiming to create an ecological river, the design by NLUS is the only one that can truly achieve this goal. In the concept design ecology measures are well integrated with the landscape”, says jury member Jiancang Jie.

The client for the project is Xixian New District Jinghe New City Development Group. Director of their design department, Xining Zhang, is looking forward to implementing the design: “We like the nature-based design, which emphasizes the harmony of human and nature. The boulevard park can become a real name card for the new city. It integrates the commercial space in an innovative way with the landscape and offers a view balcony to the river.”

NLUS works on further developing the concept design. The result will guide the riverfront development in the final design  and construction design phase, which will be finalised by a local office next year.