ULI Asia Pacific Thought Leadership Webinar Series: Reconciling Competing Interests: Conservation, Education, and Urbanization – A Case Study of the Chengdu Panda Reserve with Sasaki

The giant panda is a symbol for wildlife conservation around the world and an icon of Chinese culture. With only 1,800 left in the wild, pandas are one of the most vulnerable species on Earth. Although a staple at many zoos around the world, they are native to only one region in western China near Chengdu, which is also one of Asia’s fastest growing cities.

The Chengdu Panda Reserve is critical to the protection of this charismatic species. Since 1987, its research, educational, and public outreach programs have contributed to a significant increase in both captive and wild populations. This success, however, has put a strain on the current facilities. In 2020, over 18 million people are expected to visit the Reserve—a figure that surpasses current annual visitors to Disneyland. To accommodate this growth, the plan for the Reserve’s expansion seeks to guide growth proactively.

Join us for this edition of the ULI Thought Leadership Webinar Series, where our corporate partners can share innovative ideas, concepts, industrial insights and best practices across the region. In this presentation, designers Michael Grove and Tao Zhang from Sasaki will share this project’s significant effort to increase public awareness, reconcile conflicts between conservation and urbanization, and re-establish native habitats.