In the framework of the cultural exchange between Italy and the People's Republic of China promoted by the President of the Italian Republic Carlo Azeglio Ciampi and by the Mayor of Tianjin, Gregotti Associati has drawn up a Master Plan proposal on the area of the former Italian Concession, extended to part of the former Russian Concession. Located in the area identified by the meander of the river Hai He on the shore opposite to the ancient Chinese town, the 1902 Italian Concession was planned and built in the following years and it was completed in 1945. The city occupies an area of approximately 39 ha, included between the railways to Beijing and the river a few kilometres away from its mouth to the ocean.

The Master Plan drawn up by Gregotti Associati for the refurbishment of the Italian city is a proposal aiming at three complementary purposes of historical, economic and operational inspiration: revitalising the historical quality of the Italian Concession city, finding a solution to make the revitalisation financially viable, putting forward a plan proposal offering innovative improving guidelines which are not included in the plan which has been already set up in Tianjin. The new formulation is based on the Italian historical sensitiveness and on the experience, once again from Italy, in enhancing urban and building witnesses in order to transmit them to future generations, enriching the large modern city with a historical wealth.

The concepts put forth by the proposal are relatively simple and formulated on the totally state-owned condition of the land:

1) Maintaining the typical presence of detached houses with gardens in the city, as consistently as possible with the original plan.

2) Restoring the architectural quality of the buildings to be preserved through urban architecture qualities restoration or maintenance.

3) Distributing the new buildings to be constructed in the A zone areas made available through demolition actions avoiding altering the image of the city of the detached houses by placing new volumes in less significant spots in the urban landscape perspective.

4) Distributing the considerable volumes planned for the B zone in order to build a dense urban fabric surrounding the detached houses area, enhancing the differences.

5) Changing the road system plans in order to keep the busiest roads in outer areas and keep traffic restricted to pedestrians and service vehicles for the activities established within the inner areas of the former Italian Concession.

6) Establishing commercial premises and offices in the areas in the neighbourhoods of the train station and offices and residences in the higher buildings in the North. Grouping the Italian representation premises in the inner areas along with entertainment and amusement facilities and small commercial areas displaying Italian products.

7) Concentrating the green areas needed by the intervention in central areas, building underground parking areas in order to let the citizens park their vehicles and move freely on foot.

8) Making the garden city more attractive, maximising the free land open to the public in order to create a particular urban landscape, a large garden within which the buildings are built.

9) Making the former Italian Concession the green central area with the rare typical functions of a centre of a large city as the modern Tianjin.

10) Constructing all the required new buildings to make the transformation economically and financially viable.