The Transformation on an Abandoned Railway area based on the concept of “Greenway”– study of the Nanjing Western Railway Station in Xiaguan District

Abstract: It has been a pressing issue in the process of urban planning how to deal with abandoned railways that have been rendered useless or outdated by the process of rapid urbanization and the technological advancements in rail transportation. It is thus a relevant issue to try to bring forth into a planning proposal their potential values and possibilities be fully displayed. This thesis mainly studied on the transformation of an abandoned railway area based on the greenway concept, aiming to give a new design proposal to the area around the abandoned Nanjing West Railway Station, making fully use of the local culture and history to create a comprehensive greenway and a lively district that connects back to the rest of the city. In order to achieve this goal, the greenway approach was used as the theoretical basis and to guide the design proposal. The literature on the greenway concept was first reviewed and then six principles were concluded from a comprehensive understanding of the concept to serve as guidelines to apply the greenway approach to the transformation of an abandoned railway. The literature review highlighted six principles that serve as a guideline: Linearity, Connectivity, Accessibility, Multi-function, Non-motorization and Sustainability. A case study of the Nanjing West Railway Station in Xiaguan was then conducted. Xiaguan is a historical district in Nanjing, which once was the transportation hub both in waterway and railway. The West Railway Station closed to passengers in 2012 and most sections of the railways have been abandoned, creating social, aesthetic and environmental problems on the railway itself and in the surrounding areas. By taking the local conditions into account, a design proposal was made to improve the current situation. The design proposal was inspired by the Greenway approach principles and by the examples studied from other cases. The thesis found from the case that the principles are the essential elements and simple guidelines, which can be used in different contexts when the intention is to create a greenway. But we cannot simply replicate an example because the local context is rather different. Instead, the local potential should be taken fully advantage of, such as the historical and cultural context. The transformation should not be isolated but to always connect with the surrounding areas. This is what the design proposal tried to achieve with the transformed abandoned railway, making it a small part of the greenway system in Xiaguan District and even in Nanjing in the future.