On August 25, the Yichang Urban Forest Garden Residence Pilot Plan (Trial) was released by the Yichang Municipal Bureau of Natural Resources and Planning. According to the Plan, the pilot projects for urban forest garden residence will be conducted in Xiling district, Wujiagang district, Dianjun district, and Xaoting district respectively.

　　Requirements for the design of the pilot projects of urban forest garden residences are as follows. The building height should generally not exceed 80 meters. For projects with complex structures exceeding standard requirements, the construction company needs to apply for approval. The district government, along with relevant authorities, will conduct wind load and structural tests or assessments. The architectural appearance should conform to the Regulations on Architectural Appearance of Riverside Areas in Yichang and other relevant planning regulations. Both the aerial gardens and shared aerial platforms of the residential units shall meet the architectural design requirements in the Pilot Plan, as well as structural and usage safety requirements. The thickness of the cover soil of green planting of the aerial gardens and shared aerial platforms should not be less than 0.6 meters (for tree planting areas, the cover soil thickness should not be less than 0.8 meters), and it should meet the green construction standards specified in the Pilot Plan.

　　Compared to traditional low-rise luxury residences, urban forest garden residences are more land-efficient. Extensive vertical greening enriches the urban facade landscape and the unique open public leisure platforms promote neighborhood communication. In addition, urban forest garden residences satisfy people’s needs for courtyard-style living, thus raising the quality of the living environment. (Correspondents/Huang Yue’e, Li Xing)