Zhang Yu JeniZhang13@163.com GANQUAN Road, a small north-south road running only about 200 meters in Huaqiangbei Subdistrict, Futian District, is a seemingly unimportant road hidden in the bustling city center of Shenzhen. One may not be able to locate it without using an electronic map or find its story on search engines. But the Near-Zero Carbon Demonstration Community on this road has recently won the compliments of Maimunah Mohd Sharif, under-secretary-general of the United Nations and executive director of the United Nations Human Settlements Program (U.N.-Habitat). “This community park can be named U.N.-Habitat Park,” Sharif said cheerfully during a visit to the Near-Zero Carbon Demonstration Community on Ganquan Road on Oct. 21. Sharif was given a detailed introduction to the demonstration community, learning about its facilities firsthand and occasionally taking out her phone to take photos. She praised Shenzhen’s efforts in transforming an old community into a demonstration community where residents in the neighborhood can share a beautiful living environment. SZ endeavor toward sustainability In recent years, countries around the world have taken action to address climate change. In 2020, China announced that it will strive to peak carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. At the end of 2021, Shenzhen released an implementation plan for the construction of pilot zones with near-zero carbon emissions, encouraging parks, communities, campuses, buildings and enterprises to pilot near-zero carbon emissions. The Near-Zero Carbon Demonstration Community on Ganquan Road has come into existence under this backdrop. Previously, traffic congestion, parking difficulties, and lack of leisure space and public green space had long been nagging problems for the 20,000 residents of the community, which consists of about 20 old residential compounds. The near-zero carbon demonstration community project includes a smart mechanical car parking system, a near-zero carbon community park, and some energy-saving renovations. According to the city’s housing and construction bureau, the near-zero carbon demonstration community has adopted a low-carbon concept, widely applying renewable energy as well as smart, digital, and intelligent construction technologies to improve construction efficiency and reduce costs, energy consumption, and carbon emissions. Meanwhile, all new and renovated projects have met green building standards. Diverse technology solutions As one walks into the Near-Zero Carbon Demonstration Community on Ganquan Road, solar smart light poles, charging benches, low-carbon science popularization signs, and interactive facilities are pretty evident. By introducing cutting-edge technologies such as 5G and AI to the intelligent parking management system, the community’s mechanical car parking system provides intelligent recognition, smart billing, unmanned management, and diversified payment scenarios, which makes it possible for residents to park or pick up cars in only 80 seconds on average. Compared to the original ground parking capacity, the multi-level smart mechanical parking system has increased the number of parking spaces by 16%, and simultaneously made available 90% of land (5,130 sqm) for the construction of the near-zero carbon community park, greatly improving urban land use efficiency. The near-zero carbon community park covers an area of approximately 3,900 square meters and includes three major parts: a community park, a two-floor platform park, and a multifunctional hall that uses natural lighting to reduce carbon emissions from lighting systems. The park is equipped with 20 solar smart light poles, which are powered by solar photovoltaic modules and can be used for street lighting, real-time monitoring, and remote data transmission. Meanwhile, solar rechargeable seats, photovoltaic luminescent floor tiles, and other devices are installed to collect green energy. The park’s hard pavement is mostly permeable, which can collect a large amount of rainwater and absorb ground dust. In summer, it is cooler than regular roads, effectively replenishing groundwater in the community and alleviating the urban heat island effect. Meanwhile, small compost bins are installed in the park, which can ferment organic matter such as dead branches and leaves, and convert them into organic fertilizer. The park has also given priority to native plants with strong carbon sequestration ability, high survival rate and strong adaptability to reduce the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. | 