Planning

The Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-city has a total land area of 30 km2 and is planned for a population of 350,000. The Master Plan for the Eco-city was jointly developed by the China Academy of Urban Planning and Design, the Tianjin Urban Planning and Design Institute, and the Singapore planning team led by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA). It strikes a balance between competing needs of the Eco-city, including social, economic and environmental needs. The planning principles include the following:

Land-use Planning

The Eco-city is planned to be compact, with a good mix of land uses. It is developed in a way that maximises the amount of residential, commercial and recreational space within walking distance from public transport, which will increase public transport ridership among residents and workers in the Eco-city. Each district in the Eco-city has amenities and jobs located close by. Local and centralised facilities serve the needs of residents in each neighbourhood.

Transport Planning

Green transport is a key feature in the transport planning of the Eco-city. The aim is to increase trips via public transport and non-motorised modes of transport within the Eco-city. Hence, the transport network in the Eco-city has been planned to give priority to pedestrians, non-motorised transport and public transport.

Green and Blue Network Planning

The Eco-city is planned with extensive green (vegetation) and blue (water) networks to create an endearing living and working environment. The green network comprises a green lung at the core of the Eco-city and green-relief eco-corridors to the other parts of the Eco-city. Waterbodies in the Eco-city are linked together for greater water circulation to enhance the ecology and to provide an attractive environment for waterfront development and water-based recreational activities. The Eco-city Administrative Committee, which is the local government of the Eco-city, had rehabilitated and transformed a wastewater pond into the clean and beautiful Jing Lake.


Master Plan Overview

The Eco-city can be visualised as 1 Axis, 3 Centres, 4 Districts.

  • 1 Axis refers to the Eco-valley that cuts across the Eco-city, providing a scenic trail for pedestrians and cyclists.
  • 3 Centres refers to the main city centre on the promontory on the south bank of the Old Ji Canal and the two sub-centres in the south and the north.
  • 4 Districts refers to the residential districts in the southern, central, northern and north-eastern parts of the Eco-city. Each district contains several housing neighbourhoods, and each neighbourhood comprises a variety of housing types, as well as the respective commercial and amenity centres serving the community.

A key concept in the Master Plan for the Eco-city is the Eco-cell system. Eco-cells are basic building blocks and each of them is about 400 m by 400 m. Four Eco-cells make an Eco-neighbourhood, and several Eco-neighbourhoods form an Eco-district. There are four Eco-districts in the Eco-city. The Eco-cell system encourages walking as 400 m is generally accepted as a comfortable walking distance.



KPIs

The planning and development of the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-city is guided by a comprehensive set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) covering its ecological, economic and social development. The initial set of 22 quantitative and 4 qualitative KPIs were jointly formulated by experts from Singapore and China in 2008. Due consideration was given to the national standards in Singapore and China, and the higher of the two standards was adopted, wherever feasible. Prevailing best international practices and the local conditions in Tianjin were also taken into account when formulating the KPIs.

To maintain its position as a front-runner in eco-city development, Singapore and China endorsed a revised KPI framework in 2018 to guide the Eco-city in achieving higher targets in environmental, social and smart-city developments. The revised set of KPIs has 30 quantitative and 6 qualitative KPIs which are aligned with international standards, as well as China’s and the Eco-city’s latest development priorities.

Revised Quantitative KPIs

Good Natural Environment

Ambient Air Quality
The air quality in the Eco-city should meet China’s National Ambient Air Quality Grade II Standard for at least 85% of the year by 2028. Taking 2017 as the base year, there should be at least a 20% improvement rate in ambient air quality by 2023. The PM2.5 concentration should not exceed 50µg/m3 by 2023.

Quality of Water Bodies within the Eco-city
All water bodies in the Eco-city should meet Grade IV of China’s latest national standards.

Noise Pollution Levels
Noise pollution levels must meet all the stipulated standards for the functional zones.

Wetland Protection Rate
There should be 100% wetland protection.

Ecological Shoreline Retention Rate
There should be 100% ecological shoreline retention by 2023.

Healthy Balance in the Urban Environment

Native Vegetation Index
At least 70% of the plant varieties in the Eco-city should be native vegetation.

Access to Parks and Green Spaces
All residents should have access to parks and green spaces within a 5-minute walk by 2035.

Urban Heat Island Effect Intensity
The intensity of the urban heat island effect in the Eco-city should not exceed 2.5°C by 2035.

Good Lifestyle Habits

Per Capita Daily Water Consumption
The daily water consumption per day for each person should not exceed 110 litres by 2035.

Per Capita Daily Domestic Waste Generation
The amount of domestic waste generated by each person should not exceed 0.8 kg daily.

Proportion of Green Buildings to Total Buildings
All buildings in the Eco-city should meet green building standards by 2023.

Proportion of Green Trips to Total Trips
At least 65% and 95% of trips within the Eco-city should be in the form of green trips by 2023 and 2035 respectively. Green trips refer to energy-saving, efficient, and low-carbon forms of transport including electric vehicles, non-motorised transport, i.e.cycling and walking, as well as trips on public transport.

Proportion of Active Social Groups to Total Social Groups
At least 80% of the social groups must maintain a certain level of activity by 2035.

Residents’ Life Satisfaction Level
The residents’ satisfaction level towards living in the Eco-city should reach at least 80% by 2035.

Resident Health Literacy Rate
The resident health literacy rate in the Eco-city should reach at least 45% by 2035.

Comprehensive Infrastructure

Quality of Drinking Water from Taps
There should be drinking water from all taps in the Eco-city.

Annual Runoff Control Rate
The Eco-city should achieve an annual runoff control rate of at least 80% by 2035.

Access to Recreational and Sports Amenities
All residential areas in the Eco-city should not be more than 500 m away from recreational and sports amenities.

Barrier-Free Accessibility
The Eco-city should achieve 100% barrier-free accessibility.

Sound Management Mechanism

Proportion of Affordable Public Housing to Total Housing
At least 20% of housing in the Eco-city should be in the form of affordable public housing by 2035.

Overall Recycling Rate
At least 70% of total waste should be recycled by 2035.

Wastewater Reuse Rate
There should be a wastewater reuse rate of 100% by 2023.

Social Security Coverage
All residents in the Eco-city should be insured by the Chinese Government’s social security package by 2023.

Smart and Efficient Management

City Management Digitalisation Rate
The Eco-city should achieve 100% city management digitalisation in real-time monitoring and publishing rate of municipal data by 2035.

Efficient Use of Resources

Carbon Emission Per Unit GDP
The carbon emission per unit GDP in the Eco-city should not exceed 100 tonne-C per US$1 million by 2035.

Usage of Renewable Energy
The proportion of energy utilised in the Eco-city which will be in the form of renewable energy, such as solar and geothermal energy, should be at least 32% by 2035.

Usage of Water from Non-Traditional Sources
At least 60% of the Eco-city's water supply will be from non-traditional sources such as desalinated water and recycled water by 2035.

Promotion of Technology Innovation

R&D Workforce in the Eco-city 
There should be at least 150 Research & Development (R&D) scientists and engineers per 10,000 employed persons in the Eco-city by 2023.

Company Innovation Activity Rate 
At least 75% of the companies in the Eco-city should participate in “active innovation” by 2035. “Active innovation” includes participation in innovation activities such as product, process and marketing innovation.

Industry-City Integration

Employment-Housing Equilibrium Index
At least 50% of the local employable residents in the Eco-city should be employed in the Eco-city.

Revised Qualitative KPIs

  • Protect conserved areas and ecological resources, and maintain ecological security.
  • Enhance urban design and create a distinctive Eco-city.
  • Develop response mechanism for regional policies and system for cross-departmental coordination.
  • Improve the residents’ quality of living and social security, enhance the delivery of health, education and employment services, promote fair and balanced development, and showcase the vitality, inclusiveness and openness of the Eco-city community.
  • Promote traditional culture, contemporary culture, and support the creation of new culture.
  • Develop business-to-business (B2B) service industry.


Milestones

29 Dec 2021: Singapore and China signed a Memorandum of Understanding to jointly enhance Tianjin Eco-City into a "Garden City".

1 Dec 2020
: Singapore and China signed the enhanced Memorandum of Understanding for the Singapore-Tianjin Economic and Trade Council.

15 Oct 2019: Singapore and China signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the implementation framework to promote the replication of the Eco-city’s development experience.

28 Sep 2018: The Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-city commemorated its 10th year anniversary.

20 Sep 2018: Singapore and China signed a Memorandum of Understanding on promoting the replication of the Eco-city’s development experience.

1 Jul 2018: Launch of the Eco-city’s city centre.

25 Jun 2017: Water Reclamation Plant officially opened.

28 Apr 2016: Ground-breaking for the Z4 rail line in the Eco-city.

5 Nov 2013: The first community centre (No. 3 Community Centre) came into full operation.

Mar 2012: First batch of residents moved in to the Eco-city.

27 May 2011: Official opening of the National Animation Industrial Park in the Eco-city.

28 Sep 2008: Ground-breaking ceremony for the Eco-city.

18 Nov 2007: Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and former Chinese Premier Mr Wen Jiabao signed the Framework Agreement to develop the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-city.

25 Apr 2007: Then-Singapore Senior Minister (SM) Goh Chok Tong and former Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao met in Beijing and an agreement was reached for both countries to jointly develop an eco-city in China.