[2] The district is rapidly urbanizing and was declared an important area for development by the Chinese government in the eleventh Five-Year Plan due to its strategic location in the Jing-Jin-Ji region and its proximity to the Bohai Sea.

[3] Caofeidian serves as a crucial shipping port for neighboring cities like Beijing and supports heavy industries such as manufacturing and steelworks.

[4] The district has gained recent attention due to its role as the site of the Caofeidian Eco-City, which aimed to combat the effects of urbanization, promote sustainable living, and offset the environmental impact of neighboring heavy industry.

[7] Chinese economic reform permitted foreign investment in Tianjin in 1984, creating an industrial production boom in surrounding cities, including Tangshan.

[12] Reclamation was selected as a cheaper and less disruptive alternative compared to the relocation of existing rural communities, which would have otherwise been required given the region’s density.

[3] In 2003, the Caofeidian Port was constructed to further promote industry growth, increasing capacity to support large ships up to 300K tons.

[15] Economic growth initiated a focus on urbanization to house the necessary workforce,[16] with Caofeidian being selected as the location of one of the first eco-cities in China in 2005.

[7] The Caofeidian East Railway Station connects the district to the broader region, with passenger service to Tangshan starting in 2018 and to Beijing in 2019.

[33] The district’s strategic location allows it to serve as a connection for the nearby cities of Beijing and Tianjin to the Bohai Sea,[34] making it an important port and industrial zone in the Jing-Jin-Ji region and a major economic growth center for Tangshan and Heibei.

[32][34][35] The port is one of the largest in China by cargo output and serves as a domestic and international trade hub,[30] primarily supporting energy and ore.[34] In 2019, the district was approved as a free-trade zone.

[37][41] The project’s objectives included reducing emissions and energy consumption, as well as accommodating the rapidly growing urban population in the country.

[41][38] The new development’s concept included several sustainability measures to address the environmental challenges faced by the surrounding industrial zones.

[37][38] Amenities included government offices, business centers, industrial factories, housing, parks, and a wetland area.

[36] The lack of amenities and the district’s heavy industry-based economy instead of high-tech office jobs made it difficult to attract residents and investors.

[42][47] In 2019, Caofeidian District was approved as a free trade zone, spurring renewed investment and the resumption of construction on some projects.

[37] The emissions savings from the city have been considered insufficient to offset Caofeidian’s carbon-intensive heavy industry as well as the wider region’s development.