Shenzhen is transitioning from the pursuit of "Shenzhen Speed" to emphasizing "Shenzhen Quality." Shennan Avenue, evolving alongside the city's development, has transformed from a 7m-wide dirt road into a 100-meter-wide super-landscaped boulevard. As a witness to Shenzhen's reform and opening-up, Shennan Avenue serves as a prime window into the city's spirit and the origin of China’s “landscape boulevards.” The study area spans the entire 25.6km of the road, covering a total area of approximately 310 hectares.

Our team proposed the overarching vision of "Avenue Park, Shenzhen Life," aiming to create a continuous east-west "Deep Blue Path" through micro enhancements. This vision integrates citizens' needs for walking, cycling, jogging, and leisure by transforming the closed greenbelts on both sides of the road into open urban parks. The goal is to reimagine Shennan Avenue as more than just a traffic corridor—it becomes a showcase of Shenzhen’s identity as a forest city and a global garden city, as well as an aspirational destination for a high-quality lifestyle.

To ensure a harmonious, sustainable, and vibrant transformation of Shennan Avenue into a space that embodies the essence of Shenzhen life, the planning framework includes six key design guidelines to support implementation:

1. Guidelines for Greenery and Planting Design

2. Sponge City Technical Guidelines

3. Guidelines for Street Activity Spaces

4. Safe Slow-Movement System Guidelines

5. Urban Furniture Design Guidelines

6. Guidelines for Lighting and Public Art