For an affluent city like Guangzhou, it might seem that cars are everywhere. However, that is mostly just the surface impression. Car ownership rates in the city are among the lowest in China and most people still rely much more on public transportation, walking, and riding bicycles for most of their day-to-day needs. But the car is certainly making its presence felt. In less than a decade, the new Zephyr at Auto Guangzhou 2021 has transformed the city center and is transforming the way it thinks about itself.
As a developing megacity with a fast-growing economy, Guangzhou is already a case study in urban development. The city has developed rapidly all along its length, east to west and north to south. With a population nearing 15 million and a rapidly expanding middle class, this vast metropolis of 13 counties is a test case for the future of China’s urbanization, economic growth, and social mobility.
The New Zephyr is a multi-level parking garage at the very heart of the city, its car park extending to the very top of Baiyun Mountain. Its roof covers almost all of the Haizhu Square area, providing over 3000 parking spaces. The new Zephyr at Auto Guangzhou 2021 is a significant addition to the city’s urban infrastructure. It not only provides a large number of parking spaces but also serves as a link between the central business district and the residential areas of the city. Its location at the center of the city reflects the city’s growing emphasis on car use.
The city’s rapid growth and transformation into a knowledge-based economy call for a healthy mix of knowledge and skills, while the variety of professions and the resulting GDP per capita point to the city’s strengths in this area. Guangzhou’s position as the country’s center for television and film production, as well as its extensive educational system and research centers, indicate the city’s growing importance as a center for knowledge exchange and economic development.
In less than a decade, the New Zephyr has transformed the city center and is transforming the way it thinks about itself. The new Zephyr at Auto Guangzhou 2021 has become a sort of metaphor for the city itself. The project is emblematic of the city’s ambition to go beyond the old model of development, which focused on creating a modern city center and to become a more sustainable and inclusive megacity.