Academics knock city development

BUILDING BLOCKS:Several academics have criticized the government’s ‘careless development’ of urban areas, labeling its performance as ‘out of control’
By Chris Wang  /  Staff reporter

Officials said yesterday at a forum that more creativity and a new mindset would have to be introduced in all plans for urban development in the future as academics expressed disappointment over the government’s performance in this area during the past decade.

“New legislation, ideas and approaches are required for metropolises such as Taipei City and the New Taipei City to improve their urban environment,” said Hung Chia-hung (洪嘉宏), director-general of the Construction and Planning Agency’s Urban and Rural Development Branch.

Czech Republic seeks upgrade in ties with Taiwan: CECO head

Taipei, March 30 (CNA) The Czech Republic is ready to boost its exchanges with Taiwan to a fuller scale as it hopes to upgrade bilateral relations, especially in trade and culture, after the economic crisis, top Czech diplomat in Taiwan told CNA in an interview Tuesday.

Commenting on current Czech-Taiwan relations, Czech Economic and Cultural Office (CECO) Representative Juraj Koudelka said that in terms of the number of tourists, the number of Taiwanese companies investing in the Czech Republic and bilateral exchanges of goods, the Czech Republic's relations with Taiwan "are on a high and very good level." The CECO's effort in promoting bilateral relations has been fruitful in recent years, but it is not satisfied yet, Koudelka said. As the global economy is showing a rebound, he said, his office intends to do more to facilitate more exchanges, which are expected to translate into stronger bilateral ties.

An estimated 15,000 Taiwanese tourists visited the Central European country last year. The number is expected to grow and return to the pre-economic crisis period because there will be more travelers now that the economy is starting to show signs of recovery, said Koudelka, who took office as the de facto ambassador in January, in the absence of formal diplomatic ties.

Tourism is important in increasing bilateral understanding, because of the "people to people contact, " he said.

Koudelka said he didn't know exactly when Taiwan will be granted visa-free privilege to the Schengen Area, which currently consists of 25 European countries, but he expected the visa-free program would make it easier for Taiwanese tourists to travel.

The Czech Republic has been very supportive of the proposed measure, he said, noting that it was his country which first raised the issue during its European Union (EU) presidency in the first half of 2009.

Meanwhile, the representative dubbed his country's year-long "Czech Gems" exhibition tour, which just concluded in the southern city of Tainan after making trips to other major cities in Taiwan, a big success and a great opportunity to promote Czech culture.

The exhibition is composed of three parts, including the country's renowned Baroque architecture, a creative recycling art of the PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles, and a collection introducing Czech gems, such as the Prague castle, the largest castle in the world; peasant Baroque farmhouses; the unique breed of Old Kladruby Horses, and composer Antonin Dvorak's Symphony No. 9.

Koudelka's office would like to support as much cultural exchanges as possible and keep raising awareness of the possibilities for more Taiwanese companies to follow the footsteps of some 30 well-known local corporations -- including Foxconn, computer maker Acer and bicycle manufacturer Giant -- to invest in Czech, he said.

Czech companies are more than welcomed to invest in Taiwan, he said, adding that the current number of Czech companies in Taiwan is "less than we would like to have." Taiwanese companies are also encouraged to take advantage of the Czech Republic's geographic position, which is located in the heart of Europe; its educated workforce with advanced knowledge of science; its lower wages and low production cost; and its emphasis on the rule of law, he said.

Since the Czech Republic has a strong automobile industry, with car maker Skoda Auto, now a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group, selling 600,000 cars a year, Taiwanese businesses will be welcomed to explore partnerships. Other sectors, including textile, nanotechnology, environmental technology, and biological and chemical products, also present opportunities, Koudelka said.

Meanwhile, CECO also would like to bring in more Czech investment and imports, although the office could only make suggestions and recommendations, he noted.

Asked about the recent debate in Taiwan about whether to abolish the death penalty, Koudelka said that he will not try to give advice to anyone. As an EU member country, he said, abolition of the capital punishment came naturally for the Czech Republic.

He observed that the discussion regarding the death penalty in his country had also been very difficult and he believed that due process is very important.

Offering observations, he said that several things are quite important as "first, it (the death penalty) is forever and you can't undo it. Second, sometimes it can be misused, which has happened in our history. Third, research has found that the death penalty does not serve as an effective tool to reduce criminality." The Czech Republic abolished the death penalty because "in our view, human rights are very important. They are a very strong part of what we do and what we believe in," said Koudelka. (By Chris Wang) enditem/cs 

Officials, developers learn from U.K. urban regeneration experience

Taipei, Dec. 4 (CNA) Local officials and land developers were keen to learn from the experience in the United Kingdom during a conference Tuesday as several major urban regeneration projects are being implemented in various regions throughout Taiwan.

"We don't have enough experience in major urban redevelopment here in Taiwan. That is why we're having this conference to learn from the U.K., which has enjoyed success in this field and developed its expertise, " said Charles Lin, Director-General of Construction and Planning Agency (CPA).

Lin said that the conference, co-organized by the CPA and the British Trade and Cultural Office (BTCO) in Taipei, would bring valuable knowledge and experience to the participants who are expected to be engaged in many projects in the future.

"Urban regeneration is not easy and it can be expensive. But it's an important task for any modern country, " BTCO Director Michael Reilly said, adding that he was glad that up to 10 regions had been selected to undertake such urban transformation.

With many successful cases in the United States and the U.K., such as the Canary Wharf business district in London and Cardiff in Wales, Taiwan will launch its own multibillion dollar urban regeneration projects at the end of year, including renovation of railway stations in Hsinchu, Keelung, Chiayi and Kaohsiung Port and Taipei's Huakuang Community adjoining the Taiwan Democracy Memorial Hall, Lin said.

During the industrial revolution and after the years of World War II, a lot of large scale and cheap housing projects were built without consideration of the cultural and social context, which is why urban renewal was introduced, said Rupert Robinson, Board Director of the British Urban Regeneration Association (BURA).

Urban regeneration could lead to destruction of buildings, relocation of people, and sometimes expropriation to make available private property. It also involved many parties, including the government, developers and residents, and covered a broad range of social, economical and cultural contexts, Robinson said.

Dialogue with communities and reaching a consensus were extremely important to the process, said Shawn Riley, who also serves as BURA's Board Director.

"Developers and the government had to tell the residents exactly which part of town needed to be regenerated first and what the town would be like in phase one, two and three so they had a clear picture of what the future would be, " Riley said.

The government was also expected to use infrastructure as an enabler and attract investment from private sectors under a well-structured financing plan so all parties could benefit from regeneration plans, Robinson added.

In Taiwan, the government should be very careful with the role it plays during the process because resources are limited, Lin pointed out.

"We have to make it right, not spread it out, " he said.

British design exhibition shows creativity, commercial success

Taipei, Oct. 11 (CNA) A collection of 20 outstanding British designs from various fields are being displayed at Taipei 101 to showcase the United Kingdom's creative industries and highlight their combination of creativity and commercial success.

The exhibition, titled "Love and Money, " features 20 projects and designers that balance business ambition and commercial success with the invention and experimentation for which Britain's creative industries are internationally renowned, said Michael Reilly, Director of British Trade and Cultural Office (BTCO) in Taipei.

From Oct. 11-21, design projects of well-known architect Zaha Hadid, the first female architect to win the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize, Tom Dixon, Jamie Hewlett, and other design companies and studios will try to showcase the U.K's very best in a number of categories, said curator Christine Losecaat in the opening ceremony.

"British design still values money, which means investment and returns, before emotion, " Hanif Kara, who founded the structural engineering firm Adams Kara Taylor (ATK) , stated matter-of-factly. However, he added, the degree of creativity and quality of production are what differentiates good designs from "just designs."

A series of events will also be held during the exhibition, including an architectural design symposium, a design forum, and a "Pecha Kucha Night" at which invited designers will get together to present and exchange ideas in a casual setting.

The exhibition, which is jointly organized by UK Trade and Investment and the British Council, has been held in Japan, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, and following its visit to Taipei will travel to its last stop Seoul, South Korea.

ARCHITECTURE COMPETITION LAUNCHED FOR HAKKA CULTURAL CENTER

Taipei, July 16 (CNA) The Council for Hakka Affairs (CHA) launched an international architectural competition Monday to design a Taiwan Hakka Cultural Center (THCC) -- a NT$1.8 billion (US$54.54 million) project -- in Tongluo, Miaoli County.

The 11.2-hectare cultural center, which will be located at the south entrance of the Tongluo Science Park, and the Liouduai Hakka Cultural Center in Pingtung County, are both important projects in the government's plan for cultural facilities. The two state-level cultural centers will underline the richness of Hakka culture in northern and southern Taiwan, according to CHA Deputy Minister Chiu Yi-ying.

Architects from around the world are eligible to enter the two-stage open competition to secure a NT$119 million contract (US$3.62 million) with the best design. The winner will be announced next January, said an official from the THCC preparatory office.

Unlike the Liouduai project, which focuses on introducing Hakka culture in southern Taiwan, key elements of the Miaoli project will be a museum and a research facility, Chiu said. The Miaoli project looks to be a platform that encourages locals to understand Hakka culture.

There are an estimated 4 million Hakka people in Taiwan, which represents about 17 percent of the population. Not until four or five years ago did people start to work on the preservation and promotion of the unique culture, Chiu said.

The THCC Miaoli branch is expected to be completed in 2010 and to open in 2011.

JAPANESE ARCHITECT DELIVERS CHARITY SPEECH IN TAIWAN

Taipei, June 9 (CNA) Japanese architect Tadao Ando, who has long been regarded as one of the greatest living architects in the world, delivered a charity speech on architecture in front of an audience of more than 11,000 Saturday in Taipei.

Ando talked about achieving the harmonious balance between human and architecture, architecture and environment, and the social responsibility of architects in the two-hour speech and forum at Taipei Arena. All the proceeds of the speech will be donated to various charities in Taiwan.

Highlighting the idea of "One Asia, " the 66 years-old architect said modern day architects should pay more attention to environmental protection as environmental issues such as global warming has become a serious concern of all mankind.

"Asia, as a whole, is a unity. While the majority of 6.6 billion global population live in Asia, we have to take the responsibility [to protect the environment], " he said.

Ando underlined the importance of forestation and planting more trees in cities a number of times during his speech and pointed out that more people will visit Taiwan if it decided to do so.

What surprised Ando was his popularity in Taiwan, which has been described as the "Ando fever, " as more than 30,000 people had registered for tickets. Architects, designers, students and professors of Architecture departments, even political heavyweights such as the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Frank Hsieh and Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin were all in
attendance.

An audience of 2,300 when he had his first speech in Taiwan in 2004 was already impressive, Ando said, adding that the number of attendance he had in Japan was 2,000 at best.

Born in Osaka, Japan, in 1941, Ando has worked as a truck driver and professional boxer prior to launching his architectural career. He has never received formal school education in architecture.

Ando was well-known for his habitual use of fair-faced concrete in most of his works, his ability to develop a unique spatial aesthetic with the combination of Japanese tradition and Modernism elements, and his special way of creating space with concrete, wood, water and lighting.

In 1995, Ando won the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize, which is generally considered to be the equivalent of the Nobel Prize in architecture.

CITIZEN PARTICIPATION ENCOURAGED IN NEW MILLENNIUM LIVING WORKSHOP

Taipei, June 4 (CNA) Citizen participation has been long overlooked but will be an important factor in our living in the new millennium as well as an integral part of urban design and community infrastructure establishment, a German architect said Monday in an international workshop.

Three groups of workshop participants presented their ideas and plans on the themes of rivers, garden city and community public spaces in the final presentation of a five-day workshop titled "Living and Housing in the 3rd Millennium: Ideas and Strategies for Better Living in Taipei" that was guided by German architect Klaus Luig.

"All human beings are responsible for our future with the objective of enhancing quality of life. While nature and sustainable growth know no borders, it's essential to exchange ideas, " Luig said, adding that modern day urban development often ignores the citizens.

The workshop, organized by the German Cultural Center in Taipei, brought together participants from different generations, nationalities and professional backgrounds to work on ideas for Taipei's future during five days of discussions and brainstorming.

"Taiwanese architecture and urban design are dominated by elitism and ignore civic participation, " said Janice Chen, who was in a group that developed a plan to better make use of the riverside park on the Hsintien river.

"It's time to let the real users -- the citizens -- participate in the development, management and design of their communities and environments, " she added.

The other groups worked out plans to redevelop New Garden City, an old community in suburban Taipei, and the sustainable utilization and management of community public spaces in Taipei.

"Some of the ideas these participants came up with are actually workable and will be a very good source and reference for the government, while some of them are pretty idealistic, " Luig commented after the presentation.

"Don't forget, however, the building of a wall starts with the first brick. This is a good start, " he said.

INT'L ARCHITECTURAL COMPETITION LAUNCHED FOR KAOHSIUNG ARTS COMPLEX

Taipei, Oct. 16 (CNA) The Council for Cultural Affairs (CCA) launched an international architectural competition Monday to design the largest performing arts complex in Taiwan -- a NT$6.5 billion (US$200 million) project to create the National Kaohsiung Performing Arts Center (NKPAC).

"We hope the arts complex will be the catalyst to begin bridging the cultural gap between northern and southern Taiwan," CCA vice chairperson Hong Ching-feng said of the center, which will be located in the southern metropolis of Kaohsiung, Taiwan's second largest city.

The NKPAC will occupy the 67-hectare Wei-Wu-Ying Metropolitan Park (a former military base), and include three theaters and one concert hall -- providing a total seating capacity of 5,800.

In addition to the NKPAC's main building, the project includes the design and planning for the surrounding area, Wei-Wu-Ying Metropolitan Park and nearby Zongzheng Park.

Architects from around the world are eligible to enter the two-stage open competition to secure a NT$702 million contract (US$21.2 million) with the best design. The winner will be announced in March 2007, said Lin Cho-hao, director of the NKPAC preparatory office.

"Hopefully the project will be mentioned in the same breath as New York's Central Park and London's Hyde Park," said Hsu Po-yun, who serves as commissioner of the CCA's Committee on Architectural Art and is one of the competition's 10 jurors.

The NKPAC's construction is expected to be completed in 2011, Lin said.

TAIWANESE ARCHITECTS TO PRESENT MICRO CITIES CONCEPT AT VENICE FAIR

Taipei, Aug. 16 (CNA) Taiwanese architects will offer introspection on micro cities at the upcoming Venice Architecture Biennial to confront the trend of "The Meta City" -- the main topic of the prestigious architectural exhibition.

The exhibition will take place in Venice, Italy from Sep. 8 to Nov. 9. Taiwanese architects Hsieh Ying-chun, Huang Sheng-yuan and Liu Kuo-chang will present their works in an exhibit titled "Micro Cities and Non-Meta Architecture in Taiwan" along with a pair of Nordic studios.

The meta-city -- defined as a city with a population of over 5 million people -- is the contemporary trend, said curator Roan Ching-yueh. However, the Taiwan architects want to reflect at the exhibition on the price our environment has paid for this trend and on how conventional structures, including culture, society, morality and religion, are losing out in "the global giant system."

"This is where the concept of the micro city comes from, " Roan said, explaining that "a micro city is a small, self-sufficient city with a complete cycle of food, energy, waste and information. It is able to face the individual needs of its residents."

"Such a city can also co-exist inside or outside any mega-city, " he added.

Taiwan will also host an East Asia forum in Palazzo delle Prigioni, where the Taiwanese design will be displayed, discussing the global impact of emerging East Asian cities. Forum participants will include architects from Taiwan, Korea, Singapore and China.

The architecture section of the Venice Biennale, which includes art, cinema, music dance and theater categories, was established in 1980.