With the opening of Phase I of the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Railway Heritage Park, taking kids to "Jingzhang" for outings and leisure sports has become a new daily routine for nearby residents. So how will the surrounding environment be upgraded and renovated? A reporter from Beijing Youth Daily learned yesterday from the Haidian District Development and Reform Commission that the upgrading project for the Jingzhang corridor and areas along the line began construction in July. The project coordinates seven plots around the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Railway Heritage Park, "edging" the park with 58,000 square meters, and is expected to be completed by the end of November.

It is reported that Haidian District is deeply advancing the special action of "vacating, rectifying and improving," coordinating the use of vacated space and underground space resources, adding public service facilities, and systematically planning the overall development of the Jingzhang corridor and areas along the line. On the basis of fully protecting the historical relics of the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Railway, deeply exploring its history, and systematically optimizing the overall regional transportation organization and functional layout, this renovation and upgrading will add venues for cultural life and fitness activities, creating an ecological, cultural and leisure functional zone integrating patriotic education, historical relic display, and public recreation and entertainment.

　　New scenery to be added to the Jingzhang corridor

The Beijing Youth Daily reporter learned that this renovation and upgrading project is located around Phase I of the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Railway Heritage Park, extending south to Zhichun Road, north to Tsinghua East Road, east to Wangzhuang Road, Zhanchunyuan West Road and Dayuncun Road, and west to Heqing Road and Zhongguancun South 5th Street. The project involves seven plots, implemented in three parts—A, B and C—with a total area of about 58,000 square meters.

A staff member of the Haidian District Development and Reform Commission introduced that Part A of the Jingzhang corridor and areas along the line is located from Tsinghua East Road to Chengfu Road, surrounded by universities, research institutes and innovation industry centers. Its construction theme is a sci-tech innovation market and all-weather running track node, and a community connectivity node. Specifically, in the sci-tech innovation market and all-weather running track node section, the old road will be transformed into a running track focused on smart technology, with ornamental flowers planted on both sides so that residents feel happier while exercising; at the community connectivity node, new road paving will be laid and seats, running tracks and ornamental greenery added, creating more open and convenient activity space for residents and further enhancing the landscape effect.

"The Jingzhang corridor and areas along the line are located in the place with the densest concentration of universities and research institutes in Beijing and even the whole country. Surrounding it are 18 famous universities and research institutes including Tsinghua University, Beihang University, Beijing Jiaotong University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the density of sci-tech innovation enterprises exceeds 800 per square kilometer. This upgrading will provide a brand-new open space for interaction among universities and supplement different types of public services. At the same time, during the renovation and upgrading process, the project will follow the principle of ecological priority, uphold the sponge city concept, use water storage modules for rainwater collection and recycling, build a sustainable rainwater collection and discharge system, and promote the enhancement of the ecological benefits of urban green space," said the staff member of the Haidian District Development and Reform Commission.

　　Adding new space for public leisure and entertainment

Part B of the Jingzhang corridor and areas along the line refers to the area from Chengfu Road to the North 4th Ring Road. Here, an international youth interaction platform featuring Jingzhang cultural characteristics will be created, focusing on urban cultural exchange space, the Jingzhang outdoor geological garden, and a railway culture children's playground.

"This renovation and upgrading will design a circular park activity venue themed on the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Railway to meet the entertainment, leisure and rest needs of surrounding crowds; add vehicle and slow-traffic systems, and set up motor vehicle and bicycle parking lots and running tracks to fully meet the travel needs of different groups of people nearby; the children's playground will revolve around track elements, mainly featuring arbor trees and lawns, not only adding amusement facilities and equipment to meet children's play needs but also increasing forest coverage, while forming relatively open sightlines and activity space under the trees. At the same time, a spring-view peach blossom avenue will be designed, with both sides of the park avenue planted with ornamental flowers such as peach blossoms under the trees," introduced the staff member of the Haidian District Development and Reform Commission.

After the renovation, Part B of the Jingzhang corridor and areas along the line will become a good place for residents to chat, stop and exercise, and a leisure and exchange space integrating entertainment, leisure and rest functions.

Improving inter-campus culture and railway crossing memory nodes

Part C of the Jingzhang corridor and areas along the line extends north to the North 4th Ring Road and south to Zhichun Road, and is likewise surrounded by universities, research institutes and innovation industry centers. According to the characteristics of the surrounding plots, inter-campus culture and railway crossing memory nodes will be built, featuring functions such as an intelligent running track under the bridge, campus culture display, inter-campus sci-tech innovation market, and community activity garden. The project has designed dedicated vehicle and slow-traffic systems, reasonably separating motor vehicle parking lots and bicycle spaces, motor vehicle lanes and non-motor vehicle lanes, making the activity space at the subway station entrance cleaner and more orderly, making pedestrian travel more convenient, safeguarding residents' daily parking needs, and rationally planning the traffic layout.

It is understood that in view of the current situation of uneven paving of ground gravel roads, inconvenient travel and poor landscape effects, this renovation will build new pedestrian paths and plant trees and shrubs to create a pleasant landscape effect and provide residents with more standardized activity space.

"Systematically planning the overall development of the Jingzhang corridor and areas along the line is of great significance for further establishing horizontal connections between the east and west sides of the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Railway and strengthening the integration of surrounding land use with residential, cultural and educational, and sci-tech innovation industry functions. It is an important practice in exploring the use of railway heritage space to promote urban renewal," said the staff member of the Haidian District Development and Reform Commission. "In the future, Haidian District will continue to use vacated land and revitalize space under bridges, continuously improve urban quality and the living environment, and enhance the level of refined urban governance with 'embroidery' craftsmanship."