South Taihu Lake
Although many of us in the Western world think of the “Made in China” economy as being driven by manufacturing, China is actually the world’s largest producer and consumer of agricultural products. In fact, the agricultural sector represents approximately 13% of China’s total GDP—and feeds 20% of the world’s population. But between 1997 and 2008, China lost over 123,000 square kilometers (47,500 square miles) of farmland to urbanization—a land area equivalent to nearly the entire state of Iowa. To counter the argument that “progress” means that farmland must be sacrificed in the name of other uses, Sasaki’s master plan for South Taihu Lake illustrates how agricultural lands can adapt and contribute greater value to their surrounding communities. Emphasizing agriculture’s impact in the larger context of the contemporary Chinese economy, the project includes a diverse series of elements that comprise a modern agricultural ecosystem including food production, research and development for agricultural-related industries, adaptive reuse of a historic village featuring local farm to table restaurants, and the ecological restoration of a once highly degraded site.
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