Is seamless connection achieved after opening up? The CAS Member asked Shanghai Suzhou Metro Avenue | Development | Seamless

One day in 2012, Zeng Gang, president of the Urban Development Research Institute of East China Normal University, received a phone call from Lu Dadao, an economic geographer and academician of the CAS Member, saying that he would invite several friends to get together. On the other end of the phone, Lu Dadao's tone was flat: "To celebrate my birth again, I have welcomed my second life." He seemed to have psychologically accepted that he was a disabled person.

The previous year was an extremely difficult period for Lu Dadao. On the afternoon of March 29, 2011, Lu Dadao went swimming at the gym as usual. To alleviate the dizziness caused by long-term cervical spondylosis, the doctor suggested that he swim every other day. But less than 10 minutes into the water that time, Lu Dadao felt unwell and suffered a sudden spinal cord injury when he got up, resulting in paralysis below the 11th thoracic vertebra.

It has been 12 years since the accident, and now, Lu Dadao, who has welcomed his "second life", has openly stated his physical condition and even changed his WeChat name to "disability speaking". However, his work enthusiasm is not at all like that of "disability speaking".

In the morning of July 4, a rainstorm suddenly hit Beijing, which was hot for several days. However, more than 20 minutes before the interview time, Lu Dadao had already appeared in the office of the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, in a wheelchair pushed by a nurse. 83 year old Lu Dadao still works at the research institute every day. He usually arrives on time at 8am, goes home for lunch and rest, and returns to the office at 1:30pm, even during the Spring Festival. Faced with the journalist's admiration, he didn't take it seriously: "Before, I used to work twelve or thirteen hours a day."

In the 1970s, the young and energetic Lu Dadao conducted on-site investigations and studied the composition of enterprises, infrastructure, and urban service supporting materials in dozens of cities and industrial zones across the country. The notes he extracted and organized included sporadic experiences of millions of words. These down-to-earth survey data laid the foundation for his later proposal of the "point axis" theoretical model and the "T-shaped" macro strategy.

In the 12 years after spinal cord injury, Lu Dadao wrote 15 academic papers, led the writing of 5 works, and also initiated the "China National Conditions and Development" forum, giving dozens of academic reports... He drafted 12 consulting reports covering China's regional sustainable development strategy, coordinated development of Beijing Tianjin Hebei, and the protection of the Yangtze River.

In 2018, Lu Dadao was appointed as an expert of the Yangtze River Delta Decision Advisory Committee. For the rapid pace and tremendous changes in the Yangtze River Delta over the past five years, the old academician commented that preliminary results have been achieved.

Lu Dadao is working

Two layers of fear

There is a thick stack of materials on Lu Dadao's desk. The materials of different periods are packed in different kraft paper envelopes. Open a kraft paper envelope and a piece of history will jump out. On September 28, 1984, at the Bogda Hotel in Urumqi, a seminar on the large-scale development of the western region was being held. The 10 speakers launched various discussions on the issue of "shifting the focus of economic development to the western strategy." The atmosphere of the meeting was enthusiastic and there was applause. It seemed that "shifting to the western strategy" has become a certainty. Lu Avenue, who was sitting under the stage, was worried. "I am very afraid, afraid of another strategic shift, the reform and opening up that has just begun will face difficulties." Lu Avenue looked at the paper manuscript copy version taken out of the envelope and fell into memories. From 1980 to 1982, Lu Dadao was a visiting scholar in the then Federal Republic of Germany. He saw that in a gas station downstairs in the dormitory, the number on the blue price tag was turning up every day. At that time, the world was facing an oil crisis, which led foreign investors to turn their attention to East Asia, creating external conditions for China's reform and opening up. "It cannot be transferred!" When it was Lu Dadao's turn to speak, he quickly stepped onto the stage and bluntly raised his objections. "Affected by severe international geopolitics, my country has been carrying out third-line construction for more than ten years. The site selection is hasty and the construction speed is fast. It brought a heavy blow, but this was what had to be done under the national conditions at the time." Lu Dadao said, "If a strategic shift is implemented, it will turn a large number of development zones, key projects, and policy support system construction into countless 'half-lazy' projects, and foreign investors and businessmen will be in a chaotic situation of being overwhelmed and even large-scale divestment. This is completely contrary to the objective law of spatial economic development. If this happens, the great cause of China's reform and opening up may be abandoned halfway." In order to prove the seriousness of the problem, Lu Dadao specially calculated that it would take 12-15 years for the coastal areas to basically build a number of open and developed cities and form a strong comprehensive strength. It was also in that speech that Lu Dadao put forward the most important discussion in his life-the "point-axis" theoretical model and the "T"-shaped macro strategy. The "point-axis" theory holds that in the process of national and regional development, most of the socio-economic factors are gathered at points, forming an axis between points. The point here is the central city and residential areas at all levels, and the axis is the infrastructure axis connected by transportation, communication, energy, water and so on. Applying the "point-axis" theory to my country's land development and economic layout map, it can be seen that the two major development axes of my country's coastal zone and the Yangtze River intersect on the map, forming a large "T" character. In fact, there is another layer of "fear" in Lu Dadao's heart when he speaks ". "A capital English letter, put forward at that time, is unthinkable." Lu Avenue narrowed his eyes. After being admitted to graduate school in 1963, his tutor Wu Chuanjun advised him to avoid English when learning a second foreign language in order to protect Lu Dadao. However, at the 1984 meeting, Lu Dadao decided to write the capital letter "T" into the paper. "Compared with this level of worry, I am more afraid that the reform and opening up may give up halfway." Now, Lu Avenue will be the inner torment of the time and the truth. Fortunately, the two floors of Lu Avenue "fear" did not come true. At that meeting, Lu Dadao's speech attracted the attention of Chen Hu, then director of the Land and Resources Bureau of the State Planning Commission, and Fang Lei, director. They invited Lu Dadao to

In 2004, Lu Dadao reported the issue of western development to relevant departments

Tongcheng Inheritance

"Look at this door, the dots are like hinges on the door, and the axis is like a door shaft. The hinges drive the door shaft, and the entire door panel rotates, driving the development of the entire area." To help the reporter better understand, Lu Dadao pointed to the door of his office.

The two sentences pasted behind the door stood out: the article seeks purity and elegance, and standing upright avoids climbing. Sign off, Old Tongcheng. This is the most commonly used signature on Lu Dadao in recent years, and it instantly brings the reporter back to Lu Dadao's childhood, which was the place where he first became acquainted with geography and economy.

In 1939, Lu Dadao was born in Baizhuang, Tongcheng, Anhui. It is now located in Qilin Town, Zongyang County. It is a village with thirteen households, facing west and east. Due to his father's early death, Lu Dadao and his mother lived together, and their lives were very difficult. In his mind, a picture often comes to mind: from a distance, two black shadows are slowly moving forward on the edge of a water surface. Looking closer, there is a child in front, with both hands resting on the shoulder pole on his left shoulder, leaning to the right. At the back was an old woman with a hunched waist and hair tied in knots. The two of them were carrying a large manure bucket filled with water.

"The big bucket was completely embraced by her mother's left hand, and the pole was tilted so much that I only served as a fulcrum in front of it," Lu Da Dao wrote in his recollection article. My mother doesn't have much culture, but her home style teaching is very useful. To this day, Lu Dadao still remembers what his mother said to him, "As long as you work hard, an iron pestle can be ground into a needle." "A person should be 'tough', diligent, hardworking, and tough until they can't move."

The days were tough, but in the memory of Lu Dadao, every blade of grass and every tree in his hometown was so interesting: to the north of the village was Daiao Mountain, and the water on Daiao Mountain entered the Yangtze River from north to south. There is a hill and a small river in the village. After June, rice begins to sprout and poplar flowers bloom, and a refreshing fragrance wafts from the green rice fields. The pond at the entrance is the amusement park of Lu Dadao. "I'm fishing for small fish in the pond, it's too hot," Lu Dadao's tone became relaxed and lively.

At that time, a question popped up in Lu Dadao's mind: why is his own village relatively small while other villages are relatively large? Is there any rule that works? When he was in middle school geography class, he was very interested in the distribution map of China's railway network. He thought to himself: Why are there cities marked with circles at railway intersections? Why are some cities with small circles and only one floor, while others have two or even three floors? These questions were the starting point for Lu Dadao's later admission to the Department of Geology and Geography at Peking University and his long-term research in economic geography, land development, and regional development issues.

Now, of course, Lu Dadao can answer these questions. "I'll tell a story. A long time ago, there were basically no people in the Yangtze River Delta, but a large area of land had already formed and was covered with grass. People from the past migrated here, and where would the first person go?" Lu Dadao asked himself, "The first person may have built a small shed by the water, planted a few acres of rice, and lived well. The second and third people also moved here, and we built facilities and exchanged goods together, gradually forming villages, markets, and docks."

This condensed history of village formation also answers how the "point axis" spatial structure system proposed by Lu Dadao was formed. In undeveloped areas, any economic object must exist and operate in order to have other objects connected to it, so that socio-economic objects can be concentrated in one region and generate agglomeration benefits. However, due to issues such as traffic congestion, insufficient supply of water and soil resources, and social management, a certain degree of decentralized development is required. This aggregation and diffusion gradually form a "point axis" spatial structural system.

But sometimes, geographical divisions are also quite accidental. Lu Dadao calls himself "Old Tongcheng" and the high school he attended was Tongcheng Middle School. But in 2016, his hometown of Zongyang County was transferred from Anqing City to Tongling City, which sparked a heated discussion on how to inherit the cultural heritage of the Tongcheng School.

"I am from Tongcheng, and the Tongcheng School emphasizes halal and elegant writing, which is also what I demand of myself," said Lu Dadao.

In October 1976, Lu Dadao participated in the new Tangshan planning in a tent at Tangshan Airport after the earthquake. The fifth person from the left is Lu Dadao.

In May 2023, Lu Dadao delivered a speech at the 70th anniversary commemoration conference of his alma mater, the School of Geography at Peking University

For the sake of truth

After spinal injury, Lu Dadao, who enjoys exploring everywhere, rarely goes on business trips. Zeng Gang, who was familiar with Lu Dadao, once invited him to Shanghai for a meeting, but the hotel's soft bed became a big problem. As soon as he lay down, it was difficult for him to even turn over. The final solution is to find a piece of cardboard to lay on the bed, at least with a grip. "It's too difficult for such a strong person to suffer from such a disease," sighed Zeng Gang. In an article titled "Life Review and Reflection", Lu Dadao wrote about this emotional journey: I often recall the "paralytic" I saw in the village when I was young. He was placed by his family next to a pile of straw, disheveled and disheveled, begging with one hand holding up his bowl. After ten and a half days, he was transferred to another village. It can be imagined that in less than a year and a half, one will undoubtedly die. However, the physical pain ultimately did not erase the will. During the first year or so of treatment, Lu Dadao worked hard every day to exercise and dared not make a single move. After confirming that he couldn't stand up, he resisted the bad temper of the driving school master and obtained a disability specific driver's license. On the 10th anniversary of the "Second Life", he wrote a poem: "If there were no heavenly chairs with me, perhaps it would be like plaster to grow flowers. The spring tide of China stretches ninety thousand miles, and fate is grateful for the sunset."

In July 2011, Lu Dadao underwent initial rehabilitation for his hemiplegia at the hospital, with his wife Yang Jun on the left side

In recent years, Lu Dadao has organized the drafting of many consulting materials. When there was a trend of reckless urbanization, he proposed that significant adjustments needed to be made to the urbanization policy; When the industry discusses the development gap between the eastern and western regions of China, he believes that the stability of the Hu Huanyong Line will exist for a long time; When scientific research results show a SCI only evaluation orientation, he also pointed out the negative impact of "academic excellence" on technological development. He fought against the pain with all his might, and even more so against the "irrationality" in his eyes. "Every time I see an old man speaking out in academic terms, I am shocked." Chen Wen, from the Nanjing Institute of Geography and Lakes Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, said that at academic conferences, Lu Dadao often raises sharp questions, which sometimes embarrasses people, but later often proves that his vision is unique. Zeng Gang advised Lu Dadao not to speak so straightforwardly, but to be more "artistic", but Lu Dadao didn't understand: "There must be someone standing up and telling the truth, right?" "Mr. Lu loves his career to the point of madness." Zeng Gang described it this way, "For the sake of truth, he can burn himself." For academic research, Lu Dadao always works diligently. After that interview, Lu Dadao specially sent his latest article "Basic Understanding of Urban Agglomeration and Yangtze River Delta Integration" to the reporter. He evaluated that the integration of the Yangtze River Delta has achieved a good start and achievements, and suggested that it should be tailored to local conditions, not to create too advanced ecological and water features, and not to deviate from reality. "I see that the rail transit between Shanghai and Suzhou is connected. Can I immediately transfer to the subway over there and seamlessly connect from here?" Lu Dadao, who couldn't go to the scene to experience the transportation transfer, asked the reporter a question. "Don't act on your own, cross institutional barriers." Lu Dadao's suggestion is still straightforward.