Unified system to aid efficient and green development

China expects to establish a national territory spatial planning system by 2020 that integrates the country's development plans in order to bring about a more efficient and eco-friendly development.

The new system will unify zoning, land use, urban and rural design, and other plans, Zhao Long, vice-minister of the Ministry of Natural Resources, said at a news conference on Monday.

Zhao said the system will be people-oriented and is expected to promote high quality, sustainable and green development.

Related laws, a technical standard and an evaluation mechanism will also be established by 2025 to guarantee the implementation of the new system.

By 2035, the country will witness the highly efficient use of land and water resources, which will significantly raise people's living standards and contribute to sustainable green development.

Compared with previous plans that were sometimes hard to implement due to conflicts between departments, the new system will serve as the only plan for the country's land use at all levels, according to Zhang Bing, deputy director of the ministry's National Territorial Spatial Planning Bureau.

"The system will be made in accordance with people's basic daily needs, including living spaces, medical and educational services, exercise, culture and entertainment areas," Zhang said.

"Plans will be made from state level to village level according to the actual situations. Regional or thematic plans, such as Plans for the Yangtze River Economic Zone, will be made through negotiation with multiple sectors," he explained.

According to Zhang, experts from all fields will contribute to drafting the system, and the ministry is also welcoming suggestions from the public.

Zhuang Shaoqin, chief planner at the ministry, said they are building a platform that will have the latest information on natural resources, mapping and population, and will be shared with other public sectors to provide guidance for planning.

On Friday, the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council released the guidelines on establishing the system and supervising its implementation.

Li Xiaojiang, former head of the China Academy of Urban Planning and Design, said cities released their latest regional plans last year, which propose a high quality of city development and people's living conditions.

"Such a principle that focuses on eco-civilization and being people-oriented will also be seen in the new system," he said.