Course Description
Chengdu is a dynamic city located in Sichuan, China. The city’s economy is rapidly transitioning
from the industrial to the service sector and the information economy is coming to dominate
economic activity. Located in the burgeoning Tianfu New District of Chengdu City, the
Luxelakes Eco-City is a 1400-acre new town integrating residential, business, recreation and
entertainment areas in a rehabilitated lakeside environment. Considering the area's lack of
ecologically grounded developments, the new Eco-City offers a new alternative to city dwellers
and a new paradigm of future city development in China.
The course led nine graduate students at MIT School of Architecture and planning to investigate
Chinese city development and propose innovative design solutions to activate the new
development Luxelakes in Chengdu city’s periphery.
The course operated in two phases:
1) A two-week fieldwork in China from January 3 to 18, 2020. Students first traveled to
Shanghai and connected with MIT SA+P alumni who are leading innovative design ventures.
Students then traveled to Chengdu to conduct regional study and engage with local
stakeholders.
2) During the Spring semester, students developed their research projects either individually or
in teams through weekly meetings with the teaching team and continuous virtual engagement
with stakeholders in Chengdu.