Taipei Mayoral Candidate Slams Incumbent's 'Vision' as Existing Projects

Taipei mayoral candidate Shen Po-yang has challenged incumbent Mayor Chiang Wan-an's vision for the city, asserting that projects like the Taipei Dome and the presence of Nvidia do not constitute a genuine urban vision. Shen argued that a city's vision should focus on future planning and development, not on existing structures or companies. He specifically pointed to the Taipei Dome as an example of something already built, not a future plan. Regarding Nvidia's presence, Shen suggested that a true vision would involve developing a substantial tech cluster, drawing parallels to successful models in Singapore or New York's BigApps initiative. He questioned the viability of such a vision if basic infrastructure, like reliable electricity, remains unresolved, a point raised by Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng. Shen stressed the importance of a holistic approach, encompassing not just individual projects or lines of development, but a comprehensive view of 'points, lines, and surfaces.' He advocated for creating a robust tech ecosystem that attracts talent and fosters innovation, rather than focusing solely on housing or transportation improvements. Shen proposed that the Taipei Science Park could become a national and city-level think tank, serving as an outsourced 'brain' for the city government, citing Seoul's long-standing implementation of similar strategies. He also called for clear metrics to achieve the goal of becoming an AI top-ten city by 2035, such as measuring AI research output and talent density, questioning how this can be assessed without a dedicated research institute. Ultimately, Shen defined a complete urban vision as one that establishes an ecosystem, attracting talent and forming a true cluster, which he believes is essential for a city's future development.

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A city vision refers to future planning, not something that already exists like the Taipei Dome. That is not a vision.