The development plan for Dongying’s new riverfront city centre, extending for approximately ten kilometres, was conceived around Qingfeng Lake and the Yellow River. ZDA’s concept translates the lessons of traditional European urbanism to the scale and requirements of a rapidly developing Chinese city. It combines the concentrated development of residential, commercial, civic and recreational functions with a network of pedestrian zones, public transport connections and carefully articulated public spaces.

The starting point of the plan was a perpendicular system of axes defined by the river and the lakeshore, around which four major development zones were organised. These comprise an administrative district connected to the existing city centre; an education and research district on the opposite bank of the river; a cultural and commercial pedestrian zone extending westwards; and a sports and Olympic district to the east. Together, they establish a new and clearly legible urban structure.

The concept was preceded by a study of ten European riverfront cities. The findings suggested that urban diversity could be achieved through districts of distinct character designed by several architectural teams working in parallel; that riverfronts should be developed as pedestrian, recreational and communal zones by limiting vehicular traffic; and that the proportions of public spaces, streets and building scales fundamentally shape the everyday comfort and experience of city residents.

The plan identified a total of sixteen development areas, each with a distinct character and the potential to shape Dongying’s urban identity over the long term. The Olympic Park, waterfront pavilions, Science Park and campus, Yellow River Museum, shopping arcades, theatre and hotel complexes, as well as residential and office districts informed by various European precedents, all explore how European urban traditions can be reinterpreted within a fundamentally different and rapidly evolving Chinese context.

Rather than adopting European architectural styles, the urban-scale proposal is based on the reinterpretation of patterns of use, spatial organisation and urban operation. By integrating public spaces, pedestrian connections, riverfront recreation and civic buildings, the concept outlines a district capable of functioning both as a framework for large-scale development and as a humane, accessible and genuinely usable urban environment.