Living With River

Abstract: This project aims to establish a river park with purification capacity and conservation of soil and water, protecting habitats for plants and animals. Combining local history and culture to form new urban landscape and improve the urban living environment.  Historically, Yangquan had a very favorable ecological environment and was one of the birthplaces of agriculture and culture in Shanxi province. From the 1950s, after a long period of exploration, it was discovered that Yangquan had a large amount of coal resources. Since then Yangquan City has become a coal mining-oriented city. With the development of coal mining industry in recent years, the ecological environment has been deteriorated due to over-exploitation, discharge. The city's most important river, Taohe River, has suffered from declining water volume and fragile water environment, which even led to the loss of self-purification ability of the rivers.  Pollution is not the only issue with the Taohe River, but there are also floods and droughts caused by extreme weather. Therefore, river management is necessary before Yangquan transforms into a livable city. Three strategies, Optimize Water Resource, Anti-Flooding and Diverse Programs, are proposed to solve urban river issues and achieve the aim of living with river.