Foster + Partners has won the design competition for Guangming Hub, a new Transport Oriented Development situated on the high-speed rail link that connects Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Guangzhou. The design scheme also includes three new metro lines within the city and is the central focus of a new masterplan for the region.

"We are absolutely delighted to have been chosen as the designers for the Guangming Hub – a fantastic opportunity to develop a contemporary urban centre with an integrated and sustainable transport hub at its heart," said Foster + Partners Head of Studio Grant Brooker in a statement. "The generously landscaped, walkable town centre will seamlessly connect to a smart autonomous transportation system, combining both wellbeing and convenience and creating a vibrant urban focus for the surrounding neighborhoods."

The "smart city" will support the flow of people and goods with dynamic infrastructure, transport networks, public services, and generous landscaping. The design team devised a set of key constraints that were integrated into a "specially created software program" developed by the practice. The result was an "ideal" masterplan.

"The central idea is to capitalize on the natural beauty of the site, utilizing the lush landscape to create a lively experience for visitors and locals," said Young Wei-Yang Chiu, Partner at Foster + Partners in a statement. "It will be a forest gateway into Shenzhen. Our proposals link the site with a slow-moving traffic network that provides efficient and easy connection to the Hub. These shared surfaces ensure better accessibility throughout the whole masterplan area and create a platform ready for innovative transportation solutions for the future."