Interview with Business News Radio, Omroep Flevoland

Last week, we had a studio interview on Business News Radio, one of the leading news stations in the Netherlands, about our plan to change the Dutch province Flevoland into a new metropolitan area, using Chinese models for urbanisation.

You can listen to the whole interview below (note: it’s in Dutch!)

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A few days later, Omroep Flevoland made a special about our proposal for a Special Economic Zone in the Flevopolder.

Radio interview about ‘Mr Sun’ (in Dutch)

Radio interview Go West

Last Thursday, Michiel was interviewed on Dutch Radio 5, together with one of our co-readers, architect David Mulder of XML architecture research urbanism. You can listen to the broadcast online.

“Architecture most important form of art in China”

Last may, we interviewed architect and Chengdu Biennale curator Liu Yuyang for Dutch magazine De Architect. In the interview, Liu gives an insight in the chaotic and challenging conditions of the Pearl River Delta in the nineties, and the current architectural debate. And we touched upon a thing his work and ours have in common: a journalistic approach. With help of Wim van de Poll, the article is now also available in English:

‘The Chinese real estate market is overheated, and the workload is extreme’, says Liu Yuyang. ‘Most architects hardly have the time to do their day-to-day work, let alone theoretical reflection on their profession.’ The architect is sitting on a terrace in Shanghai and takes a sip from his cappucino.  There are not many architecture critics, says Liu. ‘If a make a list, I get to a number of thirty or forty. But the eagerness to debate is growing.’
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Exploding China: Chinese Cities in Amsterdam City Theatre

On September 13, the City Theatre of Amsterdam will host the program Exploding China – China’s New Megacities on unknown Chinese megacities like Wuhan, Shijiazhuang and Chongqing. These cities are transforming at breakneck pace into the big brothers and sisters of global cities like Rio de Janeiro, London and Moscow. Here, China is constructing the biggest urban society the world has ever seen.

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Feature in Shanghai Daily

Yesterday, we appeared in a feature article in English language newspaper Shanghai Daily. The article discusses the background of Go West, our method of working and our book ‘How the City Moved to Mr Sun’. It addresses the motivation behind our focus on central and western China:

“People need to understand that China is creating the biggest urban society globally,” Roggeveen tells Shanghai Daily. “These cities are developing at a breakneck pace, and can potentially conquer the world.”

Read the full article here or download it: 20110705 go west SH Daily

Essay, photo series, interview

Dutch architecture magazine ‘de Architect’ turned this months’ issue into a  theme-issue about young architecture offices in China. Go West contributed to the magazine with an essay and photo series called ‘Life in restlessness’,about life in Chinese megacities. Moreover we made an  interview with Shanghai-based architect Liu Yuyang. Liu heads architecture office ALYA and was one of the co-authors of the Great Leap Forward, a study about the Pearl River Delta.

So run to your bookstore!

Interviewed by the Global Times

Last week Journalist Ye Jun from the Global Times (no doubt our favourite English language newspaper in China) interviewed us about our project and asked us to give an assesment of China’s developping cities. Yesterday she published her story: a page-long article about Go West in the Shanghai People-section of the newspaper, illustrated with a rock&roll-like picture of Daan, Xinlin and me, standing on top of a pile of rubble of a recently destroyed village near Hefei.

Check that out! You can find a PDF-version of the article here and a link to the web-version here.

At the end of the article we mention an idea that we’ve been talking about quite a lot recently. In the last 30 years, China succesfully introduced the market economy by using the model of Special Economic Zones (SEZ’s), areas with a more liberal economic policy than other parts of the country. Following this model, wouldn’t it be possible for China to create Special Academic & Art Zones (SAZ’s), areas with a more liberal policy towards critical art and academics? We haven’t fully developped the idea yet, but it’s definitely something you’ll be hearing from us about again!

Taken hostage in a walhalla of construction

Last month, we were interviewed for Delft University newspaper Delta. The double-interview, together with Dutch architect Dirk Bekkering, got the optimistic headline ‘Taken hostage in a walhalla of construction’. Read the whole interview (in Dutch) here: TU Delta – Achtergrond: Gegijzeld in bouwwalhalla.

Go West in Dutch media

This weekend, Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad published an interview with Daan about Go West.

The interview explains the origin and content of the Go West Project and tells background stories about the taxi project Go West organized for the Shenzhen Biennale. Moreover Daan is asked to do suggestions how one can prepare for a trip to China. Here’s a wrap up – and some additional books and websites:

Internet:

Chinasmack, Danwei, ChinaDigitalTimes (translated Chinese blogs) – FYI: these are not available in China…

More: Six (great blog on the life of Chinese students in Beijing), Patrick Chovanec (great economic insights on China) Movingcities (about urbanism in changing conditions)

Books:

Inside the Red Mansion, Postcards from Tomorrow Square, Factorygirls.

More: What does China Think, Bad Elements.

On Architecture / Urbanism: The Chinese Dream, The Great Leap Forward.

Do you want to know more about our work, or do you have questions, suggestions or other ideas, please mail: info[at]gowestproject.com

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Download the full article here. (in Dutch)

Go West Live

Last week, we were interviewed for Dutch radio program OBA Live. If you want to hear (and see!) the radio interview please click here. The interview is in Dutch.

Eeuw van de Stad: Interview Liu Jiakun

In May this year, we did an interview with the architect Liu Jiakun from Chengdu. Mr. Liu has a clear and critical opinion on the urban developments in China. In the interview he gives an analysis of what is happening in his country: more cities starting to look alike, with a strive for the same identity. You can read the interview at: Eeuw van de Stad. (only in Dutch)