In southern Taiwan there is an "emerging urban utopia" that is the result of Kaohsiung Mayor Frank Hsieh's (
The city that once existed as a monument to inhumane urban planning is now being described by some as a city with potential, whose people can be optimistic about the future.
GRAPHIC: KAHSIUNG CITY GOVERNMENT
After a half century of neglect by all levels of government, Kaohsiung is experiencing Taiwan's most extensive and expensive urban renewal project.
PHOTO: MICHAEL BENNETT, TAIPEI TIMES
The programs include building a full sewage treatment system for the city and a new MRT line, as well as a city park construction program.
The urban renewal program is planned to be completed in time for the World Games in 2009.
GRAPHIC: KAOHSIUNG CITY GOVERNMENT
The Birthday Park, planned for the corner of Siwei Road and Linsen Rd in the downtown Lingya district, is only one part of this program, which is attempting to create a more livable and people-centered city.
This new vision is said to aim to provide Kaohsiung with a quality of life that characterizes the best cities in the world.
During the Martial Law era, no priority was given to quality of life through urban planning. From city to city, the design was the same: rows of cellblock-style houses, and police stations that were intended to assure central control by the authoritarian government of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT).
Kaohsiung's struggle against cinderblock oppression is best symbolized by an event that occurred in late June, when police in riot gear stood by as workers from various departments of the city council responded to a protest by squatters who were being evicted from the land they occupied.
The squatters put up a fierce resistance. But the potential for violence was tempered by the fact that the squatters had already been compensated (despite the fact that they had no legal claim to the land) and were facing regular workers from the city government.
"Representatives from all of the agencies involved faced the residents, we walked hand in hand," said Charles Lin (
The government's move to demolish the shanties and evict the squatters had the support of those who lived nearby.
"When I passed by before, [the area] was always very dirty and disorganized, now it will be very nice," said Jason Wang (
With his long involvement in Taiwan's democracy movement, Hsieh has been making an effort to set an example for the campaign through his governance as the head of the southern special municipality.
While undertaking the Birthday Park project, Hsieh has impressed people with an ability to act as a bridge between the slum dwellers, the police and the five local government departments associated with this project, according to city officials.
"No former mayor had the guts to remove the squatters. But according to our policy of increasing public space for citizens, it had to be done. With some political determination we got rid of them last year," Lin said.
The relatively peaceful resolution of the Kaohsiung squatter problem was in contrast to similar problems during the construction of No.14 and No.15 parks in Taipei in 1997.
Lin was able to describe this from his first hand experience as a city planner in Taipei at the time.
"In the Taipei case, there was a lack of cooperation among city government agencies. The bureau of public works alone was responsible for the removal of the squatters, but they used the wrong way, causing a direct confrontation. It was a total failure," Lin said.
As Martial Law was a recent memory, the public did not trust the words of most government officials and there was deep skepticism about any government's ability to solve problems, Lin said.
In Taipei, the squatter situation prompted an aggressive approach by the city government. Eventually the clearance was achieved, but not before three elderly veterans committed suicide and there was lots of emotional turmoil on all sides.
In contrast, the Kaohsiung city government followed a more diplomatic approach. They took actions to divide the squatters, and whenever possible negotiated with residents individually. The city officials were careful not to take any action that would lead to a unified resistance.
"If the Kaohsiung model had been adopted in Taipei five years ago, it may well have succeeded. The Taipei case was much more political and the city government really didn't team up," Lin added.
According to Lin, good urban planning is really about bringing out the best in people, encouraging rather than inhibiting social evolution, allowing people to take pride in where they live and better connecting with neighbors and nature.
Most people in Kaohsiung consider that the money spent on urban renewal is worth it.
"I think the effect of the city planning program will be very good, but it could have been better thought out," said Robin Wang (
"For example, they should have planted flame trees along the Love River, if they did this it would look really special in springtime. Kaohsiung could be really unique," she said.
The Birthday Park is part of a larger Kaohsiung city program aimed at addressing the lack of quality parks and places for children and the public to enjoy.
The park's theme reflects the importance of birthdays in local culture.
The extensively landscaped park will contain sculptures of the 12 Chinese zodiac animals, which the public can visit on their birthdays.
Since 1987, Taiwan has focused on and achieved impressive economic progress, but this unbalanced approach has come at a price.
The over-emphasis on the country's economic strength as a solution to its social and environmental problems has been regarded by many as a failure.
The idea that children should grow up happy and healthy while being able to commemorate their birthdays in a city park will soon become a reality in Kaohsiung.
The city government said it wishes the people of Kaohsiung can share a special place with their children as a city's gift from one generation to the next.
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