Innovative the new orientation for urban development

Editor's note: Urban development in China is now at a stage where changes are imperative. China City News spoke to Yun Shuang, president of the Tsinghua Tongheng Urban Planning and Design Institute, to learn about the new characteristics of China's urban development during the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) period. Yun shared her views on urban renewal and other issues. Below are excerpts of the interview. The views don't necessarily represent those of China Daily.

China's urbanization has developed rapidly during the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) period. At the Central Urban Work Conference, held in July after a 10-year hiatus, it was pointed out that the urbanization drive is shifting from fast growth to stable development, while urban development is moving from the stage of large-scale expansion to one focused on improving the quality and efficiency of existing urban areas.

The importance of urban expansion has not been denied, but it's no longer the priority. Renewal has emerged as the new priority for urban development. But discussions are continuing on how the work should be carried out.

In the initial stage, urban renewal meant demolishing the old and building the new. Later came the notion of "weaving-and-mending" or "acupuncture-style" small-scale, targeted urban renewal projects. But that approach also focused on the spatial aspect.

The latest round of urban renewal bears a lot of responsibility, as it is called on to improve people's sense of happiness, preserve historical and cultural heritage, demonstrate a city's characteristics and facilitate high-quality development.

So it is not only about optimizing the use of space, but also a lot of other issues, including economic development, historical cultural inheritance and institutional innovation. The greatest driving force for urban renewal is therefore the ideal of building high-quality cities.

Urban renewal takes many forms. Some are aimed at shoring up infrastructure, such as the renovation of old residential neighborhoods, and it is best that the government provides initial funding for these projects.

Some renewal projects are purely commercial, such as the renovation of factory buildings. These projects should be driven by market forces, as these will determine their feasibility and revenue potential.

Even for government-led renewal projects, it doesn't mean that government departments have to take on the tasks of both renovation and operation. They can entrust some of the tasks to professional organizations. There are a lot of professional organizations in the private sector that can do such work, relieving local governments of the burden.

In fact, if a residential community is being operated effectively, a virtuous cycle can be formed. When people see their residential communities improve, they will be more willing to pay property management fees to maintain them, providing the operator with a steady revenue stream.

The development of innovative cities involves complicated and systematic efforts. It's like an extensive network. Every city needs to find its own approach to innovation that suits its circumstances. Nowadays, cities at all levels are striving for opportunities in emerging fields such as biomedicine and artificial intelligence. This reflects their aspiration to seize development opportunities.

But it's worth noting that not all cities can establish successful innovation hubs such as Zhongguancun in Beijing. The key is to make a plan for innovation that matches local conditions, rather than blindly imitating others.