Shanghai Released Urban Renewal Action Plan for 2023 to 2025 (Part 1)

▲ An evening view of the Lujiazui area in east China's Shanghai. [Xinhua/Wang Xiang]

Shanghai Municipal People's Government released Urban Renewal Action Plan (2023-2025) to the governments and relevant departments under its jurisdiction. The action plan is formulated to fully implement the Shanghai Urban Renewal Regulations, promote urban renewal actions in an orderly manner while pursuing high-quality urban development to achieve high-performance governance and create high-quality life for the people. 

1. Overall goal. 

By 2025, urban renewal actions will be carried out in a comprehensive and orderly manner, the institutional mechanism and policy system of urban renewal adapted to high-quality development will be improved. The concept of organic renewal will be embraced by the people, and urban renewal work will enter a new stage. All this will create solid foundations for building modern socialist international metropolises with international influence. 

2. Workings Principles. 

2.1 State planning as guidance and conduct pilot programs first.

Adhere to the combination of top-down planning guidance and bottom-up renewal needs, and adhere to problem-oriented, pilot programs first, point-to-area, project-based promotion, and explore new models, new paths, and new mechanisms for urban renewal.

2.2 Coordinate regions, promote the renewal as a whole.

Adhere to the simultaneous development of "preservation, modification and demolition", focus on preservation, utilization, and upgrading, coordinate the management and control of all elements including building space, waterfront space, street space, green space, and underground space to promote the overall renewal of the region. 

2.3 Prioritize people’s living conditions, put quality first. 

Adhere to the people-centered approach, fully consider the needs of children, the elderly, and the disabled, and other special groups, strive to make up for shortcomings in people's living conditions, pay more attention to the balance between employees and residents, provide higher-quality services, and constantly improve the people's sense of gain, happiness, and security.

2.4 Achieve green and low-carbon, build a safe and resilient city. 

Adhere to intensive, connotative, green and low-carbon development, enhance urban governance capacity and level, defend the bottom line of metropolises operation safety, and improve urban resilience.

2.5 Inherit culture, promote the spirit. 

Adhere to the inheritance and demonstration of the traditional Shanghai culture, and promote the “Shanghai spirit” of “inclusive of different cultures, pursuit of excellence, enlightenment and wisdom, broad-minded and modesty”.

2.6 Lead by government, encourage co-construction and sharing. 

Adhere to the leadership of Party building and government guidance, fully stimulate market vitality, introduce social capital in multiple ways, and establish a mechanism for diverse and equal consultation, co-construction, governance and sharing.

3. Priority Actions.

Focus on regions, sort out by category, six priority actions will be carried out for urban renewal in Shanghai. 

3.1 Comprehensive regional renewal action.

Enhance development capacity, coordinate and promote comprehensive regional urban renewal, focus on key sectors and key areas, optimize classified guidance, and strengthen overall coordination of all elements.

Target: By 2025, carry out more than 10 comprehensive regional renewal projects, with a focus on the renewal of the "Two Rivers" coastal areas, "the second facade" of the Bund, the Hengfu historic style and features area, North Bund, Wusong Innovation City, and Hongqiao International Central Business District. 

3.2 Human settlement quality improvement action. Improve people's well-being, promote the improvement of human settlement quality, continuously improve living conditions to meet the growing needs of the people for a better life.

Target: Accelerate the renovation of "old housing and urban village". By 2025, the renovation of scattered substandard housing below Level 2 in the central urban area will be completely finished, and the upgrading of old prefab houses will be basically completed. Implement higher-level renovation and renewal of 30 million square meters of various types of old residential buildings and complete the installation of 9,000 elevators in existing multi-storey residential houses. The "urban village" renovation project around the central urban area will be fully launched. And 1,000 new era "Beautiful Home" characteristic communities and 100 new era "Beautiful Home" demonstration communities will be completed. 

Source:<https://www.shanghai.gov.cn/nw12344/20230419/0525317031c54e86bde6fdf0cabbe1f4.html>

Edited and translated by Guo Xinxin