PGRS-A: The Renewal of Industrial Parks in China: Case studies in Suzhou

中国的产业园更新：基于苏州的案例研究

297000 (Fees-Only Scholarship: FOSA2506046)

This PhD research aims to explore the future of industrial parks in the Yangtze River Delta and to provide a vision for new urban-industrial complex. Industrial parks have played an important role in facilitating industrialisation and urbanisation in China in the past thirty years. In return, the Integrated City-Industry Development mode has been considered important in China’s New-Type Urbanisation. While due to the transformation of socioeconomic structure, the arising of emerging technologies and the upgrading of affiliated industries (e.g., artificial intelligence, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle and low-altitude economy, etc.), some existing industrial parks need to be renewed. This has also been considered as one of the key tasks in the Action Plan for New-Type Urbanisation in the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) and thereafter.
A mixed-methods research is designed to explore the interrelationship between “traditional & emerging technologies – the corresponding socio-economic activities and lifestyles – spatial layout of industrial parks”. Case studies of real-world industrial park projects located in the Old Town of Suzhou (Gusu District) and in Suzhou Industrial Parks (SIP) will be conducted to test and further verify the relevant renewal strategies and business models. Innovative renewal strategies and the relevant design-renovation-operation/management proposals will also be tested and evaluated.
It is expected that some findings from this research would help re-envision urban-industrial complex in future and thereby inform the renewal of the existing industrial parks.

Key Words: Industrial Parks; Urban Renewal; Urban-industrial Complex; Industrial Upgrading; Low-altitude Economy.