Xinhua: China accelerates urban renewal efforts to create livable, resilient cities

China aims to transform its cities into liveable, resilient, and smart spaces through ongoing urban renewal programs, which enhance the urban environment, improve residents’ living standards, and stimulate domestic demand.

At a State Council executive meeting on Friday, urban renewal work was analyzed and called for accelerated efforts to renovate older neighborhoods and urban villages. The meeting also emphasized the importance of improving urban infrastructure, restoring urban ecosystems, and preserving urban history and culture.

Professor Chen Jie from Shanghai Jiao Tong University noted that China’s urbanization rate has surpassed 66%, following a rapid and extensive urbanization process in recent decades. However, with rapid urbanization, issues like inadequate underground infrastructure and poor urban planning have become more prominent. Chen highlighted that urban renewal programs aim to address these challenges facing cities.

Additionally, the State Council meeting encouraged increased efforts to attract private capital to urban renewal initiatives and pledged support for innovative solutions tailored to local circumstances to promote high-quality urban development.

Executive Vice President Dong Yu from the China Development Planning and Research Institute of Tsinghua University noted that urban renewal projects hold significant market potential. However, due to their significant capital requirements and lengthy operating cycles, a sustainable approach is required, where the government provides guidance and private capital and the public collaborate in urban renewal efforts.

An official from the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development emphasized that urban renewal project implementation requires thorough research and surveys. These efforts must address public concerns and resolve issues hindering a city’s competitiveness and sustainable development.

By 2025, China aims to complete renovations of older urban neighborhoods built before 2000, finish renovations of aging gas pipelines identified, and eradicate smelly water bodies in county-level cities. The country will continue renovating underground infrastructure and promote urban waste classification, as well as constructing pocket parks and urban green spaces, according to the ministry.