Next most livable place?
By Li Jing (China Daily)
Updated: 2006-09-22 13:58
The Jingshan neighourhood, adjacent to the Forbidden City, topped the list,
while two neighbourhoods in Shijingshan District, where the major polluter
Shougang Group is located, were at the bottom.
"Livable Beijing" has been a buzzword on the lips of 15 million Beijing
inhabitants since the city promised to host a "green" Olympics. The city's
master plan also calls for the lofty goal of becoming "a city suitable for
living."
"I believe the central Olympic district will become one of top five or even
top three most livable places in next two to three years," Zhang told China
Daily.
The central Olympic district he mentioned refers to an area that is
sandwiched between the northern parts of the Fourth Ring Road and the Fifth Ring
Road. The district reaches Tangli Road in the east and extends to the Badaling
Expressway in the west.
But people could be forgiven for being skeptical about whether Beijing's
theoretical embrace of "livability" can be translated into real improvements in
the quality of life in the Olympic district, which often feels like one enormous
construction zone.
And the district's ranking is alarmingly low compared with the high
expectation of a new "face" for Beijing when the Games is staged. However, this
region is experiencing fundamental changes day by day, which will not only
improve its own living conditions but also help its neighboring areas become
more livable, Zhang predicted.
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