After a span of 10 years, another Central Urban Work Conference was held in Beijing. General Secretary Xi Jinping attended and delivered an important speech, charting the course for urban development in the new era and new journey.
Cities are the spaces of civilization and the carriers of modernization. Within the broader context of advancing Chinese modernization to build a strong nation and realize national rejuvenation, this conference carries profound strategic significance. On the morning of July 14th 2025, at Jingxi Hotel, General Secretary Xi Jinping entered the venue to warm applause. A similar scene took place on December 20, 2015, when the first Central City Work Conference of the new era was convened.
Amid the surging tide of history, the flourishing of over 690 cities has become a dazzling landscape in the grand picture of the new era. After 10 years, the Party Central Committee is once again holding a conference on urban work, mainly to summarize the achievements of urban development since the new era, analyze the challenges facing urban work, and deploy tasks for the next stage.
At this meeting, General Secretary Xi Jinping systematically summarized the accomplishments of China’s urban development in the new era. The urbanization rate rose from 53.1% in 2012 to 67% in 2024, with the urban population growing from 720 million to 940 million. Nineteen city clusters now accommodate 75% of the population and contribute about 85% of GDP. The total length of operating urban rail transit reached nearly 11,000 kilometers. More than 68 million units of affordable and relocation housing were built, benefiting 170 million people. China now has 143 nationally recognized historic cities, 312 historic towns, and 487 historic villages, with more than 1,300 designated historic districts and 68,900 recognized historic buildings. In 2024, the average PM2.5 concentration in key cities was 60% lower than in 2013, and per capita park green space reached 15.7 square meters.
These achievements cover hard indicators such as urban population, economic capacity, and infrastructure, as well as tangible improvements in residents’ sense of gain, happiness, and security-fully reflecting the principle of “treating cities as organic living systems.” Xi Jinping noted with sentiment: “Counting one by one like this shows how remarkable the achievements of the past decade have been.”Across China, vibrant and ever-changing, cities are renewing themselves with vitality, and urban clusters are rising with momentum, opening up broader development horizons.
Outside the venue, midsummer Beijing showcased the lush greenery of the central axis that connects north and south, past and present, exuding an extraordinary timeless charm. Xi recalled: “At last year’s Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, an African leader told me that when he first visited Beijing in his youth, he hardly saw any trees. Now it’s completely different-it’s so much better!”The transformation of the ancient capital is a microcosm of the “historic achievements in urban development.”
The General Secretary said: “In addressing overpopulation problems in megacities, Beijing has blazed a new path in recent years. Most praised is the improvement in air quality. In 2024, Beijing’s average PM2.5 concentration was 30.5 micrograms per cubic meter, a 65.9% decrease from 2013. Blue skies are now the norm. The ‘APEC Blue’ I promised to the world at the APEC summit was not an empty word-it has been realized.”
At present, China’s urban development has reached a new starting point and faces new circumstances. One conclusion stands out: “China’s urbanization has shifted from a period of rapid growth to one of steady development. Urban development is moving from large-scale expansion to a stage focused on improving quality and efficiency of existing stock.”Certain principles remain consistent: “At the Central Urban Work Conference 10 years ago, I spoke of ‘one respect and five integrations.’ These remain relevant and must continue to be implemented.”
The “five transformations” are particularly striking: transforming urban development concepts, modes, drivers, focus, and methods. The “one optimization and six constructions” are clearly defined: optimizing the modern urban system; building vibrant, innovative cities; livable and convenient cities; green, low-carbon, and beautiful cities; safe and resilient cities; virtuous and civilized cities; and smart, efficient cities. Concepts guide action, and epistemology determines methodology.
“I emphasized ‘transformation,’” Xi explained. “Here we stress governance investment rather than other forms of investment. We must focus on connotative development. These are key shifts we must deeply understand and actively adapt to.” One example illustrates this point: “China has become the country with the most high-rise buildings in the world. We must strictly limit super high-rises, strengthen high-altitude firefighting capabilities, and comprehensively improve housing safety.”“To look the world in the eye on equal footing”-this reflects both the change of the times and the change in mindset. The historical need to prove oneself through skyscrapers “as high as the clouds” has quietly passed.
Adapting to local conditions and differentiated guidance is a fundamental principle. It is not about uniformity, but about diversity. Bigger is not always better. “Optimizing the modern urban system must focus first on enhancing the overall capacity of cities to support population and economic development, fostering cluster-based and networked modern city groups and metropolitan areas. This is not about sprawl or bigness, but about connotative development.”
Urban architecture should not blindly pursue novelty. “Architecture is the most direct ‘face’ of a city. We must strengthen design management so that Chinese cities better embody Chinese aesthetics and contemporary style.” “Substance” and “appearance” are equally important. “Upgrading old urban pipelines is critical. Many are aging and entering renewal cycles, posing risks. But active renewal can also drive effective investment and expand domestic demand. These are projects that must be invested in and will yield returns.” Every city has its own endowment and character. By relying on natural landscapes and cultural heritage, residents can live close to mountains and rivers, keeping alive their sense of home.
Xi stressed: “A modern people’s city should harmonize material and spiritual civilization. Construction must be rooted in China’s fine trad itional culture and highlight Chinese character and style.” Cities embody a nation’s culture and collective memory; history and culture are the keys to urban charm.
From Beijing’s Qianmen Hutongs to Tianjin’s Ancient Culture Street, Guangzhou’s Yongqing Fang, Pingyao Ancient City in Shanxi, and Suzhou’s Pingjiang Road-wherever Xi Jinping has visited, he has emphasized protecting historic towns, streets, and buildings, guiding the inheritance of urban cultural lineage. Cultural heritage endures over centuries, saturating alleys and shaping urban character-not by the efforts of one person or overnight.
In recent years, ancient town development has boomed. Xi urged a balanced view: “For ancient towns to become cultural icons and tourist hotspots, they must go through a process of standing out.” Urbanization is a gradual process that must align with economic and social realities. It cannot be rushed. “I love studying history,” Xi said earnestly. “For policymakers, not knowing history, especially Chinese history, means lacking the historical depth to understand today’s tasks and goals, making it impossible to do good work today.”
Urban ecological construction is one such long-term undertaking. The General Secretary recalled: in the Song Dynasty, Prefect Zhang Boyu of Fuzhou promoted planting banyan trees, earning praise for making the city cool and green. During his time in Fuzhou, Xi Jinping encouraged residents to know, love, and protect banyans, personally planting trees. In an essay titled Let the Banyan Trees Benefit Fuzhou, he wrote: “A modern city needs greenery as adornment.” “We must embrace nature’s beauty, preserve mountain and water systems, protect rivers, lakes, wetlands, and water environments, and create ecological parks and urban landscapes appropriately,” Xi urged.
A city flourishes because its people flourish. From “increasing parking and charging facilities,” to “building safe, comfortable, green, and smart housing for citizens,” to “focusing on seniors and children, improving elderly care, and developing integrated childcare services”-the conference’s concrete measures fully embodied the principle that “a people’s city is built for the people.”“On matters involving the vital interests of the people, we must design policies systematically to maximize fairness and justice, without trade-offs. Where people feel things most strongly, do not neglect them. ‘Even the smallest matters of the people must touch our hearts.’”
Following the logic of urban governance and upholding the principle of people-first. In 2023, Xi Jinping emphasized during an inspection in Shanghai: “Cities must not only have height but also warmth. Our socialism must follow the path of common prosperity.”Today, Xi Jinping’s words resonated firmly: “China is a socialist country. All urban governance must firmly adhere to the socialist orientation and fully reflect the superiority of the socialist system.”
Source from : https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_31196018
Translated By Jingyuan Zhang
Copyright @ 2014 Urban Planning Society of China
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