b'MUDD 24 URBAN NETWORKS|URBAN GATEWAYSRESEARCH THESIS Jin TianSignificance of urban design to improve living conditionsa case study of Wutong urban village in XiamenBegiining in the 1990s, there has been an urbandemolished and rebuilt. This may undermine form developed with unique characteristicsthe original culture and customs and create a throughout China: the Urban Village. It is themonotonous urban form. However, the urban result of urban expansion and unaccomplishedvillage might potentially be retained if effective urbanization in rural areas. urban design can be used to alleviate existing problems and improve the living conditions. Wutong Village as a typical urban village inThis research reviews the planning documents Xiamen, Fujian Province, has many issues suchof Xiamen City, studying the advantages and as high density and illegal buildings, fire controldisadvantages of existing urban design, and 171 problems and a poor environmentlackingevaluates the possible impacts of existing policies adequatemanagement. This makes the villageand plans on urban villages. Wutong Village is an eye-catching contrast to the modern urbanused as an example to explore the importance of morphology around it. However, Wutong Villagethe historical, social and aesthetic significance of has a rich cultural ancestry and is full of historicurban villages. Sustainable strategies including materials and as such, it preserves the intangibleretaining the organic urban context, providing heritage and tradition of Southern Fujian andpedestrian friendly and safe traffic movement Overseas Chinese style architecture. To date,and expanding green connections emerge from Wutong Village has been repositioned as part ofthis research as an alternative redevelopment the Cross-Strait Financial Centre, which mainlypathway that can improve living conditions provides office, retail, residential and hotelwithout damaging cultural and historical values.uses. Now there is a risk of the village being MUDD 24 - Urban Gateways | Urban Networksnormal research page0131 8 PT.indd 14 26/11/2019 5:02:49 PM'