More resources used for improving living environments

China has channeled greater resources to renovate old residential areas for people to have modern and convenient living environments, said a member of the country's top political advisory body.

Zhou Lan, a member of the National Committee of the 14th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said that the nation has so far carried out over 66,000 urban renewal projects nationwide with about 250,000 old residential areas in cities being updated or renovated, with these projects benefiting over 100 million residents.

Zhou said that urban renewal projects refer to the renovation and optimization of long-standing residential areas or districts, and these projects were performed in many cities including Nanjing and Suzhou in Jiangsu province, Guangzhou in Guangdong province, Shanghai and Beijing.

"These urban renewal projects have not only optimized local residents' living environment, but also drawn much new and efficient investment to these cities, protecting their cultures and history," she said, adding that the whole process of carrying out these projects require systematic management, from planning and design, to construction and daily operations.

"It's important to plan the urban renewal project systematically, and soliciting advice from the public to get to know the real needs of the residents. Highlighting the innovation and artistry of designs is also important, which can increase the charm of the space. It's necessary to reduce the impact on local residents' life during the construction period and pay more attention to people's real needs in the future management of the renewed areas," she said.

"Foremost is the need to keep the people-centered philosophy in mind and make sure that their homes get safer and that their living environment becomes more convenient and beautiful through these urban renewal projects."