How will the massive explosion in China affect plans for a megalopolis?

On August 23 the Chinese government released a document giving further details about the concept, which is intended to cure many of Beijing’s “urban illnesses”, improve standards of living in all areas and encourage innovation. 

Beijing would become “the national centre of political, cultural, and international exchange activities” as well as a technological innovation centre. Tianjin municipality would be a national research and development base for the advanced manufacturing industry, a shipping hub for north China, a demonstration area for financial innovation, and an experimental area for further reform and opening up. 

Hebei province would be an important national base for trade and logistics, an experimental area for industrial transition and upgrading, a demonstration area for modern urbanisation and the coordinated development of urban and rural areas, and an ecological buffer zone.

Already Tianjin is a huge manufacturing hub for China. Its port is the fourth busiest in the world and around 290 Fortune 500 companies have established a presence there.

Tianjin also has one of the world’s fastest supercomputers, Tianhe-1A. It is one of the few petascale supercomputers in the world and provides data services to more than 300 organisations across China. It is used by China’s military and for space exploration, exploration of new energy resources, and weather forecasting animation and design. Although Tianjhe-1 is situated barely a kilometre from the scene of the explosion, it was undamaged by the explosion. 

Although many shipping containers were destroyed, cargo loading and unloading at Tianjin freight terminals resumed as normal within two days of the blast. However, many factory operations are still sidelined and there are many concerns about the public’s health.

Clearly environmental and safety standards have to improve if the vision of the megalopolis is to be achieved. In addition to being more stringent, they will have to be effectively policed and enforced – authorities have conceded that the company allegedly responsible for the blast was storing dangerous chemicals well in excess of permitted levels. In the future, chemical plants will be moved away from residential areas, and in the meantime ships carrying hazardous materials are not allowed to enter the port. 

Tianjin is extremely important to China’s future. It is already China’s most important centre for advanced manufacturing, and integration with Beijing and Hebei will accelerate this development. Let’s hope that this recent tragedy will encourage much needed reforms and that the vision for the megalopolis will be realised.