Strategies

Guest Column
Common Values, Contrasting
Demands Drive Global Markets
Perspective Gleaned From Experience
In California, China; Similarities End
With Scale Of Mixed-Use Development
By Robert Steinberg, FAIA
Several common trends are dictating mixed-use
development internationally. In China, where unprecedented
development is under way, there are interesting comparisons,
as well as contradictions, to what is happening in the U.S. and
elsewhere.
Our outlook on where housing is going is based on being
active participants in two of the most dynamic markets in the
world: the hot California market and even hotter China market.
Steinberg Architects has been active in China since 2007.
From that perspective we have observed three common values
driving mixed-use development: Urbanization, Demographic
Transitioning and Authenticity.
Urbanization
The urbanization of the world is accelerating. People want to live
and work in cities. This is as true in California as it is in China. The
difference is in approach and scale.
In the U.S., mixed-use developments are being built adjacent
to transit, retail and employment. While ground-up, mixed-use
developments such as San Jose’s Santana Row have proved
successful, today’s investors don’t want the risk of such a largescale
challenge. Instead, the trend is to leverage in fill sites
adjacent to existing retail or complementary, synergistic locations.
This trend is leading to a surge in infill development of downtowns
in places like Sunnyvale and Walnut Creek. Likewise,
underutilized industrial space in Pasadena and downtown
Steinberg’s award-winning concept for Changsha. The megadevelopment
is envisioned with 80 million square feet spread
over 3-square miles in south-central China.
parking lots in Burlingame are being converted to mixed-use
developments.
In China, scale is much less of an issue. The Chinese are creating
Robert Steinberg is President
of Steinberg Architects.
Volume 16 . Number 1
entire communities from the ground
up. These massive mixed-use developments
are building both horizontally
and vertically.
Steinberg Architects is currently
actively designing several of these
mega-developments. After winning
an international design competition,
the firm will begin design for the
extensive Changsha Songya Hu
mixed-use project in China.
Set in the scenic outskirts of Changsha, a regional metropolis
with 7 million residents on the Xiang River about 400 miles north
of Hong Kong, Changsha Songya Hu will develop 7,000 acres.
Key aspects of the project include a waterfront business district,
an entertainment district, and an ecological model community
mixing residences and green public spaces. The total building
area is 80 million square feet – the rough equivalent of 30 Empire
State Buildings spread across a 3-square-mile area. Changsha
Songya Hu will include 63 million square feet of residential space,
5.5 million square feet of office space, 4 million square feet of
commercial space, 1 million square feet of hotel space and 1.5
million square feet of community space.
The design of this new city is also influenced by several demographic
factors.
Demographic Transition
Gen Y, the aging population and growing economic stratification
are elements of demographic transition affecting development
trends, too.
Gen Y influence – Gen Y (also known as the Millennial
Generation or Echo Boomers) is dictating trends the worldover.
Characteristics of the generation – which includes those born
around 1980 to 1995 – vary by region, depending on social
and economic conditions. However, it is generally marked by
an increased use and familiarity with communications, media,
and digital technologies, as well as a penchant for living in
the moment.
This Gen Y demographic eats out more often, so less food
preparation area is needed. Kitchen and dining areas are less
formal, more open. In fact, there is less room definition and a
sense of attitude. While the individual units may be smaller and
more informal, multifamily projects feature larger and enhanced
common areas and amenities – everything from bike workshops
to multi-media lounges to “gamer gardens.”
Aging population – The world’s aging population is creating
a huge demand for senior housing, as well.
During the last few years in the U.S., financing has been difficult,
so senior housing development activity actually slowed. However,
new models – shifting from ownership to rental and away from
isolated, stand-alone developments to intergenerational mixeduse
communities – are becoming the new standard. This
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