Rethinking Utility Infrastructure

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Shenzhen has grown at breathtaking speed in recent decades, now reaching nearly 20 million residents and anchoring China’s third-largest economic region. Because such rapid expansion was unforeseen, infrastructure has had to adapt continuously. How significant are the challenges this creates?

Speed defines urban development in China. Planning appears driven almost exclusively by five-year plans, with little long-term thinking in day-to-day local government operations. Rather than anticipating infrastructure needs five or ten years ahead, authorities often react only once capacity limits are reached. Decisions are frequently made at the last minute, leaving no time for meaningful community consultation.

The wastewater plant at Honghu Park is a typical case. It became necessary due to surrounding high-density neighborhoods, but the need was recognized only once the situation became urgent. The government decided first, then launched a technical competition for engineering firms. What followed was labeled a “community approval process,” but in reality it involved no genuine public consent. Because the site lies at the heart of an old neighborhood, residents reacted strongly. Wastewater plants are widely perceived as unpleasant and disruptive, and people expected improvements to their living environment—not industrial infrastructure. Protests forced the planning process to pause. Eventually, the authorities moved the facility underground so it would no longer be visible. This trial-and-error approach is very typical in China: projects proceed until resistance becomes too strong.

Climate change fundamentally reshapes how cities must approach growth and infrastructure. What does this mean for planning and design in Shenzhen?

In practice, the system remains almost entirely top-down, with each bureau—the construction, planning, and land bureaus—operating vertically and with little cross-department coordination. Climate adaptation is largely reactive.

A clear example is Luohu District along the Shenzhen River. In September 2023, a severe storm flooded large parts of the old neighborhood. Authorities recognized the need to upgrade infrastructure only after the disaster. Often, solving one problem creates another one elsewhere. Climate change and disaster risk are addressed passively—and, frankly, inadequately.

Water infrastructure is particularly sensitive. Wastewater treatment plants are often unpopular. How are residents involved, and how can public support be achieved?

Infrastructure planning occurs at the state level and typically does not involve community consultation. In principle, an environmental impact assessment (EIA) and public disclosure are required before project approval. In practice, communities are rarely informed, and for urgent projects, construction may begin before the EIA is completed. Legally, community hearings are required only if mandated by a higher-level government, and state authorities are not obligated to obtain public approval.

Misconceptions about wastewater facilities persist, so community concerns are understandable. Only when opposition becomes significant—as in Honghu Park—do negotiations begin, and even then usually at a late stage. In that case, relocating the plant underground—an “out of sight, out of mind” strategy—made the infrastructure largely invisible in daily life, providing the basis for our design intervention.

You joined these projects at a relatively late stage. How did collaboration with the engineering institute work?

Collaboration was challenging. Many hydraulic authorities believe engineering solutions alone are sufficient, often seeing architecture and landscape design as surface decoration. Our approach is first to understand the engineering logic, technical constraints, and priorities. Only then can design meaningfully integrate with—and improve—engineering systems rather than simply masking them.

Did you deal directly with residents and their concerns?

It depends on the project type. In urban village renewal, we visited communities with the subdistrict office and village management, gathering perspectives that informed design adjustments. Infrastructure projects, by contrast, typically involve no community dialogue; negotiations are limited to landowners and legal rights holders. In Honghu Park, engagement was largely confined to the government department, the investor, and engineering leads. Once we joined as a later-stage design team, we communicated with operators and end users to refine park-use areas. This should not be seen as a replicable model; processes vary case by case.