I can upgrade the shelter-Chapter 835 - 733: Municipal Planning

Ultimately, out of the nine plots of land, only five can be used for constructing residential communities. One plot was taken by the education department to build a comprehensive high school, which will offer both regular high school courses and vocational-technical school courses, essentially providing two school systems within one institution.

This kind of school setup naturally has its advantages; aside from the regular full-time high school curriculum, students can also learn some vocational skills, allowing them to choose between pursuing further education and taking college entrance exams or opting for immediate employment after graduation.

The school system is also divided into two types, one of which is the full-time high school, following the standard high school curriculum. Upon graduation, those who pass the college entrance exams continue to university studies, while those who do not can remain at school for one to two years of vocational training before entering the workforce.

The other type involves starting with vocational training but includes cultural courses typically required in a regular full-time high school, albeit extending the study period by an additional year.

Choosing this school system allows graduates to directly enter the workforce, though motivated students with good grades can also take college entrance exams.

As for the remaining plots, one was jointly acquired by the hospital, fire department, and police department to build a hospital, fire station, and police bureau.

Previously, the three departments had office spaces, but all were temporary facilities. The hospital was somewhat better off, having been allocated a reasonably decent building, but it wasn’t a dedicated hospital.

Therefore, this time, they took the opportunity to rebuild and provide better services to the public.

No one opposed the construction of such public service facilities, and the fact that three departments shared one plot made it more efficient compared to the education department taking an entire plot. Thus, the use of this plot posed no problems.

Regarding the last two plots, one was initially intended by the municipal government to build a new municipal office building, but clearly, such a project would need to be postponed.

Therefore, although this plot is indeed reserved for future municipal office building use, it will first serve as a temporary relocation area, temporarily housing residents from other residential communities. Once these communities are vacated, they will be demolished and rebuilt to improve the existing housing conditions.

As for the final plot, Chen Xin suggested using it to construct a park.

Originally, the new city was planned as an ecological city, and though the ecological circle plan has now been removed, and the previously designated green spaces repurposed, a bit of greenery is still necessary in the city.

Initially, various departments were unwilling to use the valuable plot for a park. Despite four thousand people being planned to move to the new town, over one hundred thousand remain within the city. Ensuring their living conditions and improving the residential environment without causing resentment among those who move to the new town remains a significant challenge for the municipal government.

However, after discussions and persuasion, the municipal government agreed to this decision, allocating one valuable plot for park construction.

Aside from the park providing entertainment and recreational spaces for residents, improving the city’s environment and increasing residents’ happiness, Chen Mo’s demonstration of the cost of the new town’s projects really impressed the municipal leadership team.

After calculations, the municipal leadership found that the small dome project in the new town was genuinely "not expensive." If the government tightened its belt, they could save enough within three to five years to finance a new town.

Meaning that if the municipal government wishes, it could expand the new town within five years and completely adjust the city’s planning layout to a reasonable and comfortable model.

A five-year time frame is neither particularly long nor short; if a complete re-planning of the city is inevitable, why not resolve and plan in advance to avoid major upheavals in five years?

This is the main reason the municipal government agreed to build the park — having an extra small dome would expand the existing dome space significantly, allowing more plots for planning urban buildings beyond residential areas.

Of course, another factor was that the plot designated for the park was not large enough for other purposes. One project would seem too big, two projects wouldn’t fit, and after weighing the options, the government decided that a park was most suitable.

The current urban layout and planning approach differ fundamentally from pre-disaster practices. There’s no need to consider how to attract investment or sell land for development.

Conducting municipal construction or resident resettlement is now the essential objective of new city planning.

Although the new city has a planned commercial zone, it is similar to department stores of the 1980s and 1990s, primarily offering residents various essential goods; as people of those times seldom visited department stores, few frequent this zone. Hence, the commercial area’s scale is not large.

As for the other five plots designated for residential areas, there is nothing much to discuss; the purpose is set, and the design team will handle the residential community’s layout.

However, it’s worth mentioning that the design department managed to secure a small benefit, which is obtaining a bit of space to build a small building as its office within the plot reserved for the park.

Naturally, the main reason the design department could secure this benefit is due to its small team, requiring minimal space for office use. Previously, there was no suitable land; now that there is, the design department attempting to gain some benefits for itself is understandable.

After all, they are the city’s design department responsible for municipal planning and design; other departments wouldn’t want them to cause discomfort in their designs.

Bear in mind that when a designer drafts a house or other architecture, they don’t need to target anyone specifically; simply adjusting the locations of elevators or staircases can cause significant inconvenience.

Moreover, such modifications can’t be rectified afterward — a building is not just any object; you can’t simply decide to demolish and rebuild if dissatisfied.

Although the design department might appear unremarkable and discreet at ordinary times, other departments wish for comfortable office environments designed by them during critical moments.

Even Chen Xin himself plans to have the design department renovate and replan the current building used by the research department.