Executed by the Taiwan Design Research Institute, Hsinchu city has recently 
hosted the Taiwan Design Expo. The Expo broke spatial format to convert the 
entire city into the exhibition space. Citizens were invited to enter the city 
and the exhibition venues, which were also the sites of renovation. With the 
theme "Check in Hsinchu", Hsinchu presented two main exhibition venues, six 
pedestrian routes, and 12 pavilions, along a single axis, and introduced 
Hsinchu's unique technological features into design, using magical lights and 
data to lead people onto a journey through which the 300-year-old ancient city 
becomes a city of digital technology. The expo also designed and created the 
"Hsinchu Monsters" in various corners of the city to attract people into the 
small alleys in the old downtown area, hoping to generate experience and 
consumption; wandering through those alleys, the visitors not only got to learn 
the wonderful things of the city, but also brought life back to the area. 

For the full multimedia release, click here:
https://en.prnasia.com/mnr/TDRI_202011.shtml

City Mayor Lin Chih-chien presented the Hsinchu city's transformation on the 
International Design Forum: https://futurecity.cw.com.tw/special_preview/56

Hsinchu is a small city with an area of 104 km2 and a population of 450,000. In 
addition to having the highest number of high-tech companies in Taiwan, Hsinchu 
is also an ancient city with 300 years of history. Due to the recent growth of 
the science park, new citizens continue to move in. Hsinchu has transformed 
into a city with a high-income, high-education, high-birthrate, and young 
population. Mayor Lin Chih-chien of Hsinchu has decided to respond to the young 
citizens' needs of living, and launch a complete transformation of the city. 

Hsinchu's old downtown area was the oldest part of the city. It is small and 
has narrow streets. However, with the development of the science park and shift 
of urban center, the development of the old downtown area stagnated. Hsinchu 
City Government has decided to take this area as the starting point of the 
city's transformation. Highlighting the area's qualities of small and crowded, 
the city has proposed the "Pedestrian City Project" and applied for subsidy of 
"The Forward-Looking Infrastructure Development Program" of the "central 
government".

Hsinchu City has introduced design thinking into city governance, allowing 
design to blend with local culture and history. Historic sites, such as Hsinchu 
Train Station and Shinchiku (Hsinchu) Prefecture Library Women and Children's 
Hall, have been renovated to rediscover the city's historical memories. As for 
quality of life, the city prioritizes citizens' needs, and has taken on a 
humancentric approach, respected professionals, and adopted subtraction design, 
for the renovation of Hsinchu Park, Hsinchu Zoo, and the city's waterfront. 
Also, the city expands the scope of transformation, striving to become a more 
livable city through New School Campus Movement, park renovation project, 
signage system redesign, safe pedestrian routes, pedestrian-friendly 
intersections, and underground transmission lines. 

According to the CommonWealth Magazine's "2020 City Happiness Survey", over 90% 
of Hsinchu citizens express that they are happy living in the city. The 
magazine also discovered that Citizen Happiness Index are significantly higher 
in cities where the mayors value design. It has been proven that the Taiwanese 
society is no longer after numbers when it comes to government satisfaction; 
people now consider social issues, such as historical preservation, and 
cultural education. The successful story of Hsinchu has shown that introducing 
design to a city can change citizen behaviors, solve more urban issues, and 
nurture unique urban DNA.

SOURCE: Taiwan Design Research Institute

Image Attachments Links:

   Link: https://iop.asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=377782

   Caption: Hsinchu Monsters created by Taiwan Design Expo on the roof of 
Hsinchu bus station

   Link: https://iop.asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=377784

   Caption: The T1 exhibition area by revealing the management system of daily 
life, seeing the operating context of the city and real-time individual 
participation, turn Hsinchu into a city with active

   Link: https://iop.asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=377785

   Caption: Target design for Taiwan Design Expo

   Link: https://iop.asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=377786

   Caption: The T5 exhibition area think about within the interaction between 
men and environment, and balance between demise and regeneration

   Link: https://iop.asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=377788

   Caption: Markets scattered in the old town area during the Taiwan Design Expo