Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City puts its money on low-carbon future

Its support for high-quality development of green industries includes tax, talent policies

- Lim Min Zhang

Xinjiang native Chen Lei first moved to China's northern port city of Tianjin for university more than 10 years ago.

She bought a home in Tianjin Eco-City (TEC) in 2012, drawn by its low housing prices, even though the place lacked amenities and public transport back then.

Now 33 years old and an insurance firm business manager, Ms Chen, who is married and plans to start a family soon, has since bought a second property in the Eco-City for her parents, who moved there from the western region of Xinjiang in 2023.

"My bigger consideration was to find a place where I can bring my parents over to live after their retirement," she said, adding that the city's attractiveness had gone up during the Covid-19 pandemic, when travel was prohibited, given its easy access to nature.

Ms Chen now counts the Sino-Singapore Friendship Garden, which overlooks a meandering river that was formerly a wastewater pond, among her favourite haunts - one that she would often take visiting friends to.

Tianjin Eco-City, a Singapore-China inter-government project, has grown considerably since ground was first broken on the project in September 2008.

The 30 sq km city, about thrice the size of Sengkang, is home today to more than 150,000 residents and 30,000 registered companies - many of which are drawn to its reputation for sustainable urban development. In 2012, there were some 10,000 residents and around 600 companies.

The project has largely met its initial goal of building a sustainable and liveable city. Among the key performance indicators that the city has met by the end of 2022: All its wetlands are protected; all its buildings conserve water and energy; and all its residential areas are within a five-minute walk to a park or green space.