The government of Miyi County in Sichuan Province has begun construction on an ecologically sensitive new town, which will eventually house 100,000 people. The 825-acre site, located south of the city of Pazhihua along the Anning River, will include higher-density housing and commercial zones as well as new wetlands and recreational and agricultural districts.
SWA Group, a landscape architecture, planning and urban design firm based in Los Angeles, won the master-plan competition in 2008. A promenade made up of parks and public spaces, designed by SWA, will provide river access. SWA hired Los Angeles-based architectural firm Studio SHIFT to design the public buildings. The centerpiece Miyi Tower, to be located at the southern end of the promenade, will contain community event spaces, open-air spaces, an observation deck and restaurants. In addition, there will be an aquatic center, a 10,000-seat sports complex and a hybrid pedestrian/vehicular bridge.