The General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council have issued the "Opinions on Continuously Promoting Urban Renewal Actions."

Recently, the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council issued the "Opinions on Continuously Promoting Urban Renewal Actions," systematically outlining a path for high-quality urban development. The document emphasizes putting the people at the center, coordinating safety, cultural preservation, and functional enhancement, and promoting optimization of urban structures, improvement of urban quality, and innovation in urban governance. This follows... Following the proposal in the 14th Five-Year Plan to launch urban renewal initiatives, the Party Central Committee and the State Council have recently made their latest strategic arrangements for high-quality urban development. This article will outline the key policy points for you—let’s take a closer look together!

One

General Requirements

1. Guiding Ideology

Guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, we will implement the spirit of the Party’s important meetings and General Secretary Xi Jinping’s discourses on urban work, transform development approaches, establish urban renewal models and policy frameworks, and promote the optimization and upgrading of cities.

2. Work Principles

◦ People’s Center: Implement the concept of a people-centered city and create livable living spaces.

◦ Systems thinking: Follow urban principles, strengthen full-lifecycle management, and enhance systemic coordination.

◦ Planning-led: Leverage the strategic, foundational, and supporting roles of various types of planning.

◦ Integrated security: Prevent risks and enhance urban resilience.

◦ Prioritize protection: Protect urban cultural heritage throughout the entire process, using preservation to promote utilization.

◦ Tailor solutions to local conditions: Ground ourselves in reality and avoid “face-saving projects.”

3. Main objectives

To By 2030, urban renewal will have made significant progress, with improved institutional mechanisms and a successful transformation of development approaches. There will be notable enhancements in safety, services, environment, economy, and culture, thereby creating high-quality urban spaces.

Two

Eight Key Tasks

(1) Existing Building Renovation and Utilization

◦ Promote the renovation of dilapidated and dangerous housing in a categorized manner, reinforce earthquake-resistant structures of valuable buildings, and protect cultural relics and historic architecture.

◦ Promote energy-saving renovations, standardize materials management, and revitalize existing buildings such as aging factory premises.

(2) Renovation of Old Residential Areas in Urban Towns

◦ Eliminate safety hazards such as gas leaks, install elevators, and improve supporting facilities and public services.

◦ Strengthen quality supervision, establish a long-term management mechanism, and tap into cultural value.

(3) Comprehensive Community Development

◦ Improve public services and commercial facilities, build 15-minute living circles, and encourage diversified participation.

(4) Renewal of Old Neighborhoods

◦ Promote the upgrading of commercial formats in neighborhoods, preserve industrial heritage, and implement “one village, one strategy” renovation plans for urban villages to avoid large-scale demolition and reconstruction.

(5) Enhancing Urban Functions

◦ Complete and improve public service facilities, build “dual-use” facilities for both peacetime and emergency needs, promote age-friendly and child-friendly renovations, and expand public spaces.

(6) Infrastructure Renovation

◦ Identify and address potential hazards, upgrade underground pipe networks, tackle urban flooding, modernize waste management and transportation infrastructure, and promote new types of infrastructure development.

(7) Ecological Restoration

◦ Uphold mountain and water management, build sponge cities, control soil pollution, increase park green spaces, and protect biodiversity.

(8) Historical and Cultural Preservation

◦ Conduct a comprehensive survey of cultural heritage, delineate protection zones, establish a “survey first, then construct” mechanism, prohibit the demolition of authentic structures for the construction of replicas, and regulate urban landscapes.

Three

Support and Guarantee Measures

1. Implementation Mechanism Development

◦ Established with a demand- and project-oriented approach. The “Urban Health Assessment—Specialized Planning—Area-Level Strategic Planning—Project Implementation Plan” working system strengthens urban design guidance.

2. Improve land-use policies

◦ Persist “Factors follow the projects,” promoting mixed-use land development and land-use conversion, revitalizing underutilized existing land, and optimizing land pricing and real estate registration regulations.

3. Housing Safety Management

◦ Implement principal responsibility, strengthen inspection and health checks, innovate guarantee mechanisms, and refine policies on repair funds and public funding models.

4. Diversified investment and financing

◦ Secure central funding support, issue special-purpose bonds (with strict control over debt risks), implement tax and fee reductions, and encourage financial institutions and social capital to participate, thereby promoting... Issuance of REITs and similar products.

5. Building a Sustainable Model

◦ Guided by the government, operated by the market, and with public participation, we will leverage the role of street-level communities, encourage property owners to carry out autonomous renovations, bring in professional expertise, and establish a sound risk assessment mechanism.

6. Sound regulatory standards

◦ Accelerate legislation, refine technical standards (such as fire safety and public infrastructure), and strengthen technological innovation and the application of its achievements.

 

Four

Strengthen organizational implementation

1. Strengthen Party leadership: Under the centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee, various regions and departments are implementing the guidelines in light of their actual conditions. 。

2. Clearly define hierarchical responsibilities: Provincial Party committees and governments shall set regional goals and tasks and ensure smooth coordination. City Party committees and governments shall fulfill their primary responsibilities, establishing a framework characterized by city-level overall planning, inter-departmental collaboration, and tiered implementation. They should strengthen policy and financial support and avoid formalism.

3. Departmental Collaborative Promotion: The Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development will play a leading role, working together with relevant departments to provide overall guidance, coordination, and support, and to refine institutional policies.

4. Encourage innovative exploration: Support localities in exploring tailored approaches suited to their specific conditions and in establishing sound, sustainable urban renewal mechanisms.

 

Conclusion:

The issuance of the “Opinions” marks the entry of China’s urban development into a new stage characterized by quality and efficiency. Localities should formulate implementation plans tailored to their specific circumstances, ensuring that these policies are effectively put into practice and yield tangible results, thereby making cities more livable, resilient, and smart.