Good Design Award, the “oriental Oscar of design”, declared this year’s winner today (3), and Taichung Water Resource Bureau was awarded with “Shin Sei Green Waterway”, and was elected “Best 100”, whose award-winning rate is as low as 2%. The Bureau will receive the Award and join the exhibition in the end of October in Tokyo, promoting the beauty of Luchuan in Taichung.

Bureau Director appreciated the recognition. This is the City Government joined the competition with “Shin Sei Green Waterway”, focusing on river restoration, branding and innovative curation. Of which, the restoration including flood prevention, security, water quality improvement, culture conservation, and scenic construction. The river extends long as 610 m, and was polluted over industrial development. Now it has upgraded to a new river attraction, and people will come back and even get closer to it. From the recognition of old town life and culture, it brings opportunities in the old town area.

The Team won judges’ attention by introducing cultural branding and connecting local specialties to create a social design concept that links construction, brand and curation. The judges highly acknowledged the work “the long river is now successfully restored. Residents along the river are willingly to develop intimacy with it. For the first time a city runs with the brand of Luchuan, transformed and revitalized local industry. This is truly a regional regeneration.”

Director Zhou indicated that the restoration will be conducted throughout the entire river, from Central District to South District, under the second and the third phase of restoration. The ongoing second phase (Fuxing Rd. to Aiguo St., South Dist) will be completed by the end of the year, while the third phase (Xinyi S. St. To Daming Rd., South Dist) has been granted by the Forward Looking Water Environment Program and is now under planning. The construction will be subcontracted by the end of the year, envision a railway, parkway and waterway based water living space.

Led by Water Resource Bureau Director Zhou Ting-zhang, “Shin Sei Green Waterway” began in 2015. The professional team began on fundamental flood preventive construction and wastewater purification. After decades, the log cemented Luchuan finally has improved its water quality, improved the residents’ living quality. The construction even became old town’s new attraction, drawing domestic tourists’ attention.

In addition, the Bureau worked with Xu Zhe-yu and Guo Zhong-yuan, the teachers of Ling Tung University whose profession is brand design and industry innovation, to work on cross-regional cooperation of construction and design, create a first registered water bank brand. The exhibition of “Chuanyou Buxi” (The River Never Stops) interpreted the humanity, art, life of Central District in a new way, revitalize the faith and energy to placemaking in Taichung old town area.

As a winner of Top Japanese Design Award, the project encourages the Team to work on cross-territory collaboration of water construction, branding, art exhibition. This is a starting point for Taichung and other cities to create more conversational space, induce placemaking and passion for regional development.