The masterplan for Songjiang was created after a tour by Chinese delegates to Poundbury in 2006
LEGACY
Groups of architects , planners and dignitaries from all over the world visit Poundbury to research and see for themselves how this landmark development works
One of the key objectives for Poundbury has always been to demonstrate to policy makers , planners and developers that timeless principles of urban design , build quality and management standards can all still be achieved profitably , and in this way Poundbury aims to inspire others to deliver more sustainable development . Delegations from all over the world continue to visit Poundbury on tours hosted by the Duchy of Cornwall , to understand how the development works , to witness how the blueprints have turned into reality and how the community has grown . So now across the globe there are many developments that , to a greater or lesser extent , have been inspired by the principles first set out for Poundbury over 20 years ago . One such example being the Chinese developers who used Poundbury as a blueprint for the new town Songjiang , known as Thames Town , which has been built just outside Shanghai in what in England would be record breaking time . The masterplan for Songijang was created after a tour by Chinese delegates to Poundbury in 2006 where they were impressed by Poundbury and decided to create their own vision of a traditional English market town . Thames Town is already home to 8,000 people and features cobbled streets , mock Tudor houses and English style boutiques . There is a mock castle , sandstone church based on a Bristol chapel and a replica of the Rock Point Inn in Lyme Regis . Simon Conibear , Estate Director for the Duchy of Cornwall , Dorchester , said : “ We have many groups from all over the world visit us weekly . Often groups want to know how we went about building Poundbury and overcoming the challenges .”
The Duchy of Cornwall is itself taking some of the principles and lessons learnt at Poundbury and applying them within a Cornish context and local vernacular , to build a new urban extension of Newquay in Cornwall . Work originally started on the 4.4-hectare 174 home Tregunnel Hill site in 2012 and will be completed by the end of 2015 . Tregunnel Hill was created to champion sustainable development in Cornwall and soon became a very popular demonstration of the character that can be still achieved in new buildings through the use of local materials including Cornish slate roofs and granite lintels and curbs . It has proven to be a very successful test bed for the major project , Nansledan ( Cornish for ' Broad Valley ') which has started on site but will take around 40 years to build and eventually comprise of 4,000 homes and 6,000 jobs .
The masterplan for Songjiang was created after a tour by Chinese delegates to Poundbury in 2006
Songjiang - Thames Town- just outside Shanghai
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