The Chengdu Luxelakes Community Foundation is proud to announce its role as the official partner for the "Students Reinventing Cities" initiative, an international competition organized by C40 Cities. Notably, Luxelakes has been distinguished as the only community in China selected to participate in this global program, making it a premier site for exploring the frontier of park-city pilot construction.
This project offers an unparalleled opportunity to transform a 20-hectare site within Chengdu’s Tianfu New Area into a global benchmark for carbon-neutral urban living.
In 2018, the "Park City" concept was established in Chengdu to redefine the relationship between urban development and nature. As the inaugural "Park Community" pilot, Luxelakes serves as a vital urban wetland, with a water area of 1.4 million square meters that exceeds the total lake area of Chengdu’s five main districts. The mission is to evolve this ecological foundation into a high-quality, zero-carbon neighborhood that balances social vitality with environmental order.
Proposals should focus on innovative, tangible solutions that address the urgent challenges of climate change, specifically targeting the mitigation of the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect. The project is built around four primary pillars aligned with C40 standards:
Carbon-Neutral Mobility: Designing streets with a focus on tactical urbanism and people-centered transport within the Tianfu New Area.
Circular Resource Management: Establishing community-level trading platforms and waste reduction systems to promote resource circularity.
Green Building & Energy: Decarbonizing energy infrastructure and implementing strategies to drastically reduce energy demand.
Complete Neighborhoods: Utilizing the "15-minute city" model to ensure mixed-use proximity and adaptable public spaces.
Luxelakes is more than a residential site; it is a thriving ecosystem of resident-led environmentalism. The community currently hosts eight active action groups, including the Residents' Participatory Water Quality Monitoring Group and the Community Organic Waste Reduction and Composting Group. This project provides scholars with a rare opportunity to engage with a strong volunteer action system where enterprises, businesses, and residents work together on environmental protection.
Participating students gain more than academic credit; they gain a pathway to professional implementation:
Internships & Support: Opportunities are available in fields such as architectural design, environmental protection, and community governance.
Project Implementation: Winning projects may be selected for physical implementation on-site.
Global Exposure: Your work will be showcased within a community that attracts three million visitors annually and hosts over 50 international design studios.
Site Area: Approximately 20 hectares, including a community government service center, public activity building, and five residential groups.
Language: Proposals must be submitted in English or Chinese.
Goal: To assist Luxelakes in its mission to become a landmark zero-carbon community by 2025.
Join us in reinventing the urban landscape. Your insights are essential to illuminating the complexities of sustainable development and contributing to a more humanistic and efficient urban ecosystem.
Chengdu Luxelakes Community Foundation
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