Geography of Dalian
Internal Spatial Structure
While the city proper of Dalian contains only about two million people, it's area contains more than five million. It is made up of five "counties" and includes both the city and the DDZ as well as many smaller towns and the planned New Urban Area or New Dalian.
This
map lets us see exactly how extensive the word city can really be. All of this
is considered the Dalian Metropolitan Area, despite the fairly rural character
of many of the outlying areas. Even within that part of the sketch labeled "City
of Dalian" we see both Dalian and the DDZ just down the coast.
Here
we see a historical map of Dalian. Darker regions are older. The city seems
to have grown out from and between the various ports. Speaking of ports, below
we see some of the new port areas. That on the top is the new oil port, through
which oil is transported both from the northeast and from a major pipeline that
finds its end in Dalian. Below that is a scenic shot from what I think is a
container port at sundown.
Finally,
here is a map/plan for the extended ports that are/will be a part of the DDZ
and Dagushan Peninsula region.
This
is a map that shows what was the original focus of this project, the new urban
area that is planned around the DDZ. Notice the bonded area in the DDZ. This
is one of the ways in which the Dalian government has worked to promote development.
Someday I hope to be able to study this new planned urban area.
This
is a closer view of the DDZ. It is a mix of commercial, residential, industrial,
and recreational areas.
Here's a photo of the
DDZ. Foreign investment has flown quickly into this area and is actively sought.
One side industry that has sprung out of this is a travel-service sector, including
the beaches we saw before and new, sometimes western-owned hotels. Here's one
of their entrances.
This is a photo of the new high technology zone. China and the municipal government are using this area to import technology and technical knowledge as well as companies in electronic manufacturing. We also see the large infrastructural investment in the roads surrounding the area.
Often
seen by the city's residents as a problem, industry is spread with amazing evenness
throughout the city. Often residences share a neighborhood with factories that
gush pollution. The circles, numbered 1-12, represent industrial areas in the
city proper. It also shows the cities main commercial street Xian Road, along
which numbers 6, 7, and 10 lie.
Finally,
this image lets us see that despite the DDZ, the vast majority of the population
lives in Dalian proper. However, this may change with the development of the
New Urban Area, which, while not projected to be finished for almost 40 years,
will house another two million residents. Below are some of the new residential
forms in the city that may give us some insight into the development pattern
that will emerge in the new urban area.
This photo shows us a view of a new neighborhood. It seems to be a break from both the large socialist apartment blocks and the incredibly dense, but low-rise, development of the core of older Chinese cities. The broad streets seem built for cars, and the buildings are surrounded by lawns. A significant amount of open space has also been preserved. Below are some close-ups of the new residential styles.
New Apartments
New Houses
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