The public service center in Sino- Singapore Tianjin Eco-City starts operation in September 2008. Photo: CFP

By Guo Lu

Although the "eco-city" concept is new to Wei Qian, a 32-year old sales manager for a Beijing-based export company, her interest was piqued when she saw sales information six months ago in Tianjin for its Eco- City development and returned with her husband last Saturday to inquire about prices.

In a meeting with Tianjin Eco-City sales staff, Wei was told homes were not yet ready for sale, but she put her name on the long buyer's waiting list. She told the Glabal Times she has good reasons to buy an Eco-City apartment.

"An 70-square-meter apartment in Beijing is 2 million yuan ($293,000) at least, and I heard rumors that the price (for a 70-square-meter-apartment) will be 45 percent cheaper in the Eco-City. That is a good deal and investment. Besides, my parents are Tianjinese, so they are in favor of buying an apartment there."

"And of course, I noticed that the city will go 'green,' I think it's a fashion trend and could save a lot of money," said Wei.

According to salesmen from the Tianjin branch of Century 21 China Real Estat, they receive "many" calls daily from potential buyers like Wei, though the project has not been completed nor prices have been set. It began construction in July 2009 and the first stage is scheduled for completion by the end of 2011, when homes will go on sale. The entire Eco-City is expected to be completed by 2024.

The Singapore connection

As the name implies, an Eco- City is designed for its residents to live comfortably while using minimal natural resources. In 2009, China and Singapore planned the green community for 350,000 people near the western shore of the heavily polluted Bohai Sea.

Tianjin Eco-City, or Sino- Singapore Tianjin Eco-City, located between the Tianjin Binhai New Area and the Bohai Rim, occupies approximately 30 hectares of land. It is intended to serve Northern China's growing need for clean technologies and sustainable urban solutions.

"Tianjin Eco-City is learning a lot from Singapore, which has built the world's top eco-cities. Singapore holds half the stake in the city and is helping with both technology and finance," Mu Xin, corporate communications manager for the city, told the Global Times.

Mu said, "Green or 'eco' planning is one of main strategies for the city. In order to achieve the eco-concept, the main plan includes many environmentally friendly features, including optimal building layout, building design, landscaping, energy and water strategies, and waste management."

Eco-friendly living

"Solar energy, a light rail transit and low emission shuttle bus will be close to every home, shops, schools and clinics will be situated within walking distance to help reduce car journeys by 90 percent," Mu said.

"Most buildings will use green materials, every building has domestic water supplies to capture rainwater and recycle 'gray' water, and 60 percent of all waste will be recycled," he said.

There are six major real estate investors in the project, and half of them are from overseas, according to Mu. "They are Japanese property investor Mitsui Fudosan, South Korea-based property developer Samsung C&T Corporation, Malaysian developer Sunway City Berhad and a Hong Kong-based large property company, Shimao Property Holdings."

"One important reason for the investors to build houses in Tianjin Eco-City is the convenient transportation," Mu added.

The city is near major expressways for Beijing, Tianjin and Tangshan. These major highways connect with Tianjin Port to the south, Tianjin City and Tianjin Airport to the west, as well as Beijing and Tangshan to the north and beyond. "Since the journey from Beijing to Tianjin lasts only 30 minutes by train, the city will also attract buyers from both cities," Mu said.

"Companies and merchants wishing to set up business in the city should be low-emission ones," Mu said. "There have been 12 companies prepared to sign contracts to enter the city since 2008 , and another 20 are on the table."

Total investments for the city amounted to more than 30 billion yuan ($4.4 billion) at the end of 2009, according to Mu.

Limited impact?

However, experts have doubts and skepticism about Eco-City's impact and positive environmental influence.

Liang Benfan, a researcher from the Urban Development and Environmental Research Center in the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times, "An eco-city is worth building, but it may not work in China

"An eco-city should have a perfect system for both the economy and nature, and grow with the en-vironment. China is a highly-polluted country, and an eco-city that occupies 30 hectares may provide some limited help to the area, not to mention for the animals and other creatures," Liang said.

"Another question is how to prevent the city from becoming the general money-making-machine for some property developers, since there are many speculators who want a piece of the project. And the more developers who come will mean more difficulties to work in concert with the Eco-City's system, " Liang warned.