Chinese cities: How urban governance works for the people

In modern human society, cities are like living mosaics. Here, streets and subways are the arteries, while governance is the heartbeat that keeps them vibrant.

Since China began its reform and opening-up process over 40 years ago, the country has undergone the broadest and fastest urbanization the world has ever seen. By 2024, Chinese cities were home to 940 million people, with a national urbanization rate of 67 percent.

For many, urban life has become easier to navigate — better connected and closer to nature. Below is a look at how that change has taken place, including the systems that have been put in place and the efforts that have been made to make Chinese cities cozy homes.

Better housing, better life

Since 2013, China has steadily improved urban living conditions by overhauling shantytowns and refurbishing aging residential communities.

Between 2013 and 2024, renovation was begun in 280,000 older neighborhoods, benefiting more than 120 million residents. In these neighborhoods, energy-efficiency upgrades were carried out on 446 million sq m of housing, while 78,000 community service facilities — such as elderly care and childcare centers — were added.

Housing quality has risen markedly to meet people's demand for better living environments. At the same time, China has established the world's largest housing support system for its low-income population, delivering over 68 million units of affordable housing and shantytown-resettlement housing for more than 170 million low-income households.

Greener space, greater happiness

China has been developing urban eco-governance so that residents can "see green when they look out their windows and step into a park when they leave their homes". Cities across the country are advancing zero-waste initiatives through various approaches.

In Wenzhou, Zhejiang province, neighborhoods compost household kitchen scraps to fertilize community vegetable plots. In Harbin, Heilongjiang province, technology-enabled plants treat more than 1.9 million tons of household waste annually, with a 100 percent safe disposal rate, while waste-to-energy generation exceeds 720 million kWh per year.

Meanwhile, the government is expanding an interconnected network of parks and greenways. As of January this year, China had 212 national forest parks, about 48,000 pocket parks, and over 128,000 km of greenways. Urban park green space now averages 15.65 sq m per capita.

Tailored policies, smarter growth

Given the vastly different landscapes and developmental stages of Chinese cities, policymaking has focused on leveraging local strengths rather than applying one-size-fits-all plans.

Take Karamay in Xinjiang as an example: located in the Gobi Desert, the city is known for its strong winds, limited rainfall and long winters — conditions that are challenging for most industries.

Turning this constraint into an asset, Karamay has built a cloud-computing park with six large data centers. With data reaching Shanghai in around 60 milliseconds, the city has become a key node in China's "East-to-West Computing" network, utilizing the cooler, energy-efficient conditions of the west to handle computational workloads from the east coast.

Voices heard, concerns addressed

Local governments actively respond to public concerns and maintain open communication channels. By 2024, 249 cities had set up a "12345" citizen service hotline — a single, easy-to-remember number for municipal services and problem-solving.

In Beijing, the 12345 Citizen Hotline Service Center operates more than 700 call stations and is staffed by over 1,700 people handling requests around the clock. Over the past six years, the center has processed a total of 150 million cases. Last year, 96.7 percent of the reported problems were resolved and 97 percent of users expressed satisfaction.

The hotline doesn't just solve individual problems, it also identifies citywide, high-frequency issues requiring targeted solutions. For example, officials launched special campaigns to tackle more than 60 recurring knotty problems — such as delays in obtaining property ownership certificates and the installation of elevators in older residential buildings — bringing tangible improvements to community life.

More accessible, more convenient

A well-functioning public transit system is essential to keeping a city's economy moving.

China's urban rail network now spans approximately 11,000 kilometers — the largest in the world — and city bus routes add up to roughly 1.75 million kilometers. Daily passenger trips amount to around 100 million on urban rail, another 100 million on buses, 100 million via taxis and ride-hailing services, and about 24 million on shared bicycles.

Digital tools and AI are used widely to manage congestion in real time, optimize routes and traffic signals, and enhance overall operational efficiency. The result is faster, more reliable commutes and a steady infusion of vitality into urban economic life.

The author is an observer of international affairs. 

The views don't necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

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