Department of Urban Development, Taipei City Government

The International Co-workshop by University/NPO Grant Program debuted on October 23rd, 2013. It took place in the Xinyi Public Assembly Hall-A Building for a week. The theme for the entire conference was “One Day Taipei.” The Taiwan Institute of Landscape Architects and Chaoyang University of Technology collaborated with the professional teams from the US, Switzerland, Italy and South Korea. Different concepts such as landscape treatment, development of vertical greening, and energy-saving designs were used for the planning of Zhongshan Green Community project, Taipei Main Station, Jian-Guo Brewery and Huaisheng country house. National Chengchi University’s collaboration with academic disciplines from Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Xiamen and Australia emphasized on the needs of the residents and highlighted urban self-evident design thinking. They progressed with the urban design guidelines of Wenshan Area. On the other hand, Environmental Planning and Urban Research Foundation of Legal Foundation, using cultural preservation and dynamic creativity as core concepts, cooperated with teams from UK, Belgium and the Netherlands. They took into account Taiwan Railway Administration’s interest in coming up with a proposal for the plan of Taipei Railway Workshop.
Taipei City Government’s Deputy Mayor, Chang Chin-Oh, said that to commemorate the 130th anniversary of the founding of Taipei City next year, the Taipei City Government is not only working for the overall urban construction efforts, but also pursuing the city’s historical context of storytelling. He believes that the characteristic of the city depends on how it reveals its taste. Developing talents in this field is crucial for the future of urban development of a city. Thus, the Department of Urban Development continues to provide support for national universities to exchange with non-profit organizations and international organizations. This way the students receive exposure to international perspectives and participate through global exchanges to develop creativity. In turn, the students will propose refreshing ideas in transforming urban space planning and design to reveal the charm and the fascination of Taipei City
The project conducted this year involved a total of four groups. After six months of site visit, international consulting exchanges, workshops, forums, lectures, and regional exchanges, each group has proposed four major characteristics of the plan through participation, adaptation, happy living, and innovation. The exhibition was presented by combining home furnishings together; there were also professional staff that provided explanation for creative proposals. Each group has worked hard to achieve tangible results. The Department of Urban Development has noted that it will consolidate all the data and results gathered from this research and analysis. It will combine these creative thinking ideas and merge them into governmental construction plans. This will develop Taipei City in becoming a design-driven, friendly, dynamic and livable city.
Since 2010, the Department of Urban Development at the Taipei City Government has been promoting The International Co-workshop by University/NPO Grant Program. This event has attracted professors, students and elites from Europe, America, Australia, Japan and South Korea ever since its inception. This year served as the fourth year for the international forum that took place, and it gathered five NPO groups, 18 domestic universities, nine overseas universities and four international teams formed by professionals. All collaborated and exchanged through layers of perspectives during this international event to realize the potential and energy of the city.