The Specialized Academic Group on Industrial Zone Planning under the Urban Planning Society of China（UPSC）was established in Nanjing

Source: Southeast University

Having developed since the 1980s, China's industrial zones have now traversed a substantial forty-year journey. To systematically summarize the development and planning experience of China's industrial zones, propel innovation in industrial space theory and technological breakthroughs, and foster high-quality synergistic development between industrial zones and urban spaces, the Urban Planning Society of China (UPSC) formally established the Specialized Academic Group on Industrial Zone Planning (hereinafter referred to as the "SAG-IZP") in Nanjing on June 26, 2025. The inauguration ceremony was presided over by Ms. Qu Changhong, Deputy Secretary-General of UPSC and Secretary-General of its Organizing Work Committee.

Ms. Qu Changhong, Deputy Secretary-General of UPSC and Secretary-General of its Organizing Work Committee

The ceremony commenced with UPSC leadership introducing the attending guests. Associate Professor Hu Pan from the School of Architecture at Southeast University, the supporting institution for the SAG-IZP, reported on its preparatory work on behalf of the organizing group. Deputy Secretary-General Ms. Qu Changhong read the UPSC approval for the SAG-IZP's establishment and announced the list of candidate members. The meeting elected 23 SAG-IZP members, selecting Prof. Wang Xingping as Chair and Hu Pan as Assistant of the Chair. Mr. Shi Nan, Executive Vice President and Secretary-General of UPSC, presented certificates to the SAG-IZP members.

Secretary-General Shi Nan presenting the SAG-IZP Chair certificate to Prof. Wang Xingping

Following the inauguration, the SAG-IZP held its first working meeting. Prof. Wang Xingping, UPSC Council Member and Chair of the SAG-IZP, presented the three-year work plan and the annual work plan for the current year on behalf of the members, clearly defining the SAG-IZP's development goals, research directions, and phased tasks.

SAG-IZP members contributing insights

The members actively contributed insights and suggestions for the SAG-IZP's next steps, offering valuable recommendations from perspectives including theoretical research, practical innovation, and international cooperation. The consensus was that the development of industrial zones is currently at a critical juncture, transitioning from quantitative expansion to qualitative enhancement of existing assets, urgently requiring the establishment of a systematic theoretical framework for planning and technical standards. The SAG-IZP should focus on the deep integration of zone planning with industrial upgrading and spatial governance, strengthen industry-academia-research collaboration, summarize Chinese zone experience, and support the Belt and Road Initiative. Additionally, SAG-IZP members unable to attend in person, along with international members from Belarus, Thailand,and UN-Habitat, participated online, collectively strategizing for the SAG-IZP's development.

Mr. Shi Nan, Executive Vice President and Secretary-General of UPSC

In his concluding remarks, Mr. Shi Nan, Executive Vice President and Secretary-General of UPSC, emphasized that the challenges facing industrial zone development are increasingly complex and multifaceted. The establishment of the SAG-IZP, he stated, is both a crucial response to practical needs and a strategic choice to elevate theoretical standards and international influence. Secretary-General Shi Nan outlined four expectations for the SAG-IZP:

1.Focus on Scholarship, Elevate Theory: Systematically summarize over 40 years of Chinese zone development experience to construct a theoretical system for industrial zone planning with distinct Chinese characteristics.

2.Enhance Science Communication: Popularize the value of zone planning to the public through diverse channels and accessible language.

3.Promote Theory Guiding Practice: Ensure research outcomes not only serve academic advancement but also guide real-world decision-making, while facilitating the internationalization of Chinese experience.

4.Lead Institutional Innovation: Proactively explore replicable policy recommendations to provide institutional safeguards for the transformation and upgrading of zones.

Secretary-General Shi Nan stressed that the transformation and upgrading of industrial zones constitutes a systemic reform involving multiple dimensions-institutional, technological, industrial, and spatial-requiring long-term commitment and collaborative innovation from SAG-IZP members. UPSC, he affirmed, will fully support the SAG-IZP's development, aiding its evolution into a think tank platform that leads the industry, contributing planning wisdom to China's modernization efforts.

It is understood that UPSC and Southeast University have actively planned and organized a series of academic and practical exchange activities in this field for nearly a decade. They have successfully convened five consecutive international and national academic conferences, crystallizing a group of domestic and international peers into a sizable academic community. Related teams have secured high-level research platforms, including the "Innovation Team for Sustainable Industrial Zone Planning and Design" approved by the Ministry of Natural Resources and the "Belt and Road International Cooperation Center for Sustainable Industrial Zone Planning and Design Technology" endorsed by the China Association for Science and Technology.

Source:https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/eUJ1pef_5XbWZpx36MgqyQ

Editor & Translator:  Zhao Shengbo