Design of Public Spaces in Guangzhou International Bio Island under the Concept of Industry Community

In recent years, there has been increasing attention in the academic field towards the transformation of industrial parks into industry communities. However, research in this area is still in its early stages, and there is a lack of mature and systematic theories specifically focused on the design of public spaces in industry communities from the perspective of urban design. This paper aims to address this gap by proposing design strategies for public spaces in the context of the Guangzhou International Bio-Island, under the concept of an industry community. The study begins with a review of relevant theories, including the origin of the industry community concept, the development history of industrial parks both domestically and internationally, and the current status of theoretical and practical research on industry communities. It analyzes the spatial characteristics, factors influencing public spaces, and common problems associated with industry communities, providing a foundation for further research and design. Based on a combination of theoretical analysis and empirical studies, this research identifies three scales for designing public spaces in industry communities: macro, meso, and micro. At the macro scale, the study emphasizes the need to consider the overall relationship between the city and the park, including spatial structure, functional layout, transportation connections, and industrial positioning. The meso scale focuses on establishing an adaptable and diverse public space system that is community-based and open to multiple functions. At the micro scale, the research highlights the importance of flexible shared interfaces, comfortable spatial experiences, diverse informal interaction spaces, and the creation of distinctive cultural symbols to foster community belonging. Furthermore, the paper compares international and domestic case studies of bio-pharmaceutical industry communities with the Guangzhou International Bio-Island, highlighting differences in functional layout, land use, road transportation, and public spaces. This comparative analysis provides valuable insights to guide the subsequent design process. The study then conducts an empirical research on the urban design proposal for the Guangzhou International Bio-Island. Through literature research, questionnaire surveys, and on-site investigations, the main issues that need to be addressed in the development of the Bio-Island as an industry community are identified. Based on these issues, the paper proposes principles and strategies for the design of public spaces in the Bio-Island industry community, including enhancing connections with the city, promoting function mix based on publicness, establishing a hierarchical system of public spaces, and incorporating transportation links based on public space networks. The paper presents public space guidelines and provides exemplary designs through node design. Finally, the economic and technical indicators of the design proposal are evaluated to demonstrate the social, economic, and cultural value enhancement brought by the urban design proposal for the Bio-Island. This paper systematically presents design strategies for public spaces in industry communities, using the Guangzhou International Bio-Island as a case study. The conclusions of this research have important implications for the theoretical development and practical transformation of Chinese industrial parks, particularly for bio-pharmaceutical industry parks with specific spatial adaptation needs.