City Planning Review（2025.8）

♦ THEORETICAL FOUNDATION OF CHINESE MODERN URBAN GOVERNANCE: ESTABLISHING URBAN SOCIOLOGY AND URBAN SCIENCE SYSTEMS FOR THE NEW ERA

Author：GE Tianren; WANG Guangtao

ABSTRACT: Chinese modern urban governance path is a comprehensive and systematic approach led by the Party to advance urbanization with Chinese characteristics. To meet the demands of Chinese modernization and high-quality development, it’s essential to establish an urban discipline system with the guidance of Urban Studies in the new era, further strengthen its theoretical foundation, fully promote interdisciplinary research, and apply systems science to address macro-level strategic urban challenges. Urban Sociology in the new era is crucial for developing the urban science system, and the depth of its research determines the system’s validity. Amid new requirements and technological advancements, it faces both theoretical and methodological transformations while developing an independent knowledge system. Research should be strengthened on five key topics: new models for integrated urban-rural development, urban social-ecological evolution, urban social conflict governance, impoverished urban space regeneration, and urban governance in the Global South. Establishing an independent knowledge system of Urban Sociology in the new era, based on the experience of Chinese modern urban governance, is both timely and of global significance.

KEYWORDS: Chinese modernization; people-centered city; urban science; Urban Studies in the new era; Urban Sociology

♦ GROUNDING IN PRACTICE: PIONEERING A RENEWED PATHWAY FOR URBAN AND URUAL PLANNING EDUCATION TRANSFORMATION

Author：WANG Kai

ABSTRACT: From a historical perspective, China’s urban and rural planning practices reveal that the core value of planning lies in addressing critical national and epochal challenges. During the planned economy period, planning laid the foundation for national industrialization; since the reform and opening-up, it has comprehensively supported economic development; and in the new era, it has driven ecological civilization construction and high-quality development. Spatially, urban and rural planning practices demonstrate how societal demands have propelled innovations in disciplinary technologies and methodologies. It includes analyzing the ecological baselines and resource constraints of spaces, investigating complex spatial risks and security challenges, addressing the socio-economic characteristics, and exploring cultural attributes to achieve spatial empowerment. Throughout this process, the urban and rural planning discipline has continuously optimized its disciplinary frameworks and educational priorities, thereby sustaining its intellectual vitality. As China advances toward becoming a modern socialist society, the transformation of urban and rural planning discipline must be rooted in social practice, with societal transformation as its ultimate goal; guided by values, cultivating multi-tiered skill systems; centered on urban-rural spaces, constructing multi-dimensional knowledge systems; and grounded in general education, while expanding specialized training pathways.

KEYWORDS: urban and rural planning education; urban and rural planning practice; emerging trends in urban and rural planning; general education; specialized expertise cultivation

♦ EXPLORING A FULL-SPECTRUM MODEL FOR THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE URBAN-RURAL PLANNING DISCIPLINE IN THE CONTEXT OF NEW QUALITY PRODUCTIVE FORCES

Author：WU Wenjie

ABSTRACT: New quality productive forces are driving the transformation and upgrading of the urban-rural planning discipline, primarily reflected in innovations across four dimensions: spatial computation, spatial evaluation, spatial scenarios, and spatial governance. Its empowerment pathway revolves around data, models, algorithms, and scenarios: data enables the discipline’s refinement and intelligent development; models and algorithms improve the precision of spatial computation and evaluation; and scenarios expand the practical scope of spatial governance. From the ontological perspective of disciplinary development, this paper addresses the transformation needs of the urban-rural planning discipline under the impetus of new quality productive forces and proposes a full-spectrum development model. Guided by “fundamentality and intelligence”, this model forms a new quality teaching system and operational mechanism driven by four core elements: spatiotemporal computation data (data), spatiotemporal algorithms (models), spatiotemporal computing power (processing), and spatiotemporal computational problem (scenarios). It offers both theoretical support and practical guidance for reforming training programs, curriculum content, and teaching approaches in the urban-rural planning discipline.

KEYWORDS: new quality productive forces; urban-rural planning; planning discipline

♦ THREE SPATIAL DIMENSIONS OF INNOVATION: THEORETICAL ANALYSIS AND EMPIRICAL TESTING

Author：LI Gang; WANG Shifu; YUAN Qifeng

ABSTRACT: This paper begins by exploring why innovation has become a subject of urban planning research, with a focus on analyzing its spatial dimensions. Firstly, through a review on the progress of innovation research, the paper clarifies three spatial factions since the 1970s: innovation economic geography, innovation urban geography, and innovation space construction. Secondly, the paper identifies three spatial dimensions inherent to innovation activities: (1) the spatial agglomeration dimension, which is attributed to the geographical proximity effect; (2) the spatial network dimension, which is attributed to the open nature of innovation; (3) the spatial cultivation dimension, which is attributed to the government leveraging space to cultivate innovation. Thirdly, these three spatial dimensions are validated by the empirical test of Guangzhou. As a high-level city and a network hub in the innovation system of the Pearl River Delta, Guangzhou exhibits 53 “innovation spatial units” based on agglomeration of its innovation activities. On this basis, a three-level and nine-category innovation spatial system is formed, and a core-edge innovation network structure featuring three-core synergization is established. Among them, Guangzhou Science City is a successful case of government-led cultivation of innovation, demonstrating that intervention of spatial planning is feasible in the cultivation of innovation.

KEYWORDS: innovation space; innovation geography; innovat ion network; planning intervention; Guangzhou

♦ TEMPORAL VARIATION PATTERNS OF CONSUMER ACTIVITIES IN URBAN COMMERCIAL CENTERS AND THEIR INFLUENCING FACTORS: TAKING WUHAN CITY AS AN EXAMPLE

Author：SHAN Zhuoran; CHEN Yuedi; YUAN Man; ZHANG Xinyue; ZHU Mingzhou

ABSTRACT: Using 66 commercial centers within the urban development area of Wuhan as case studies, this research analyzes the temporal variation patterns of consumer activity based on LBS (Location-Based Services) mobile signaling data collected over two consecutive weeks in 2019. A combination of time-segmented statistical analysis and clustering methods is employed to identify distinct temporal consumption patterns, and multiple logistic regression models are constructed to explore their influencing factors. The findings reveal that: (1) consumer activity in Wuhan’s commercial centers can be categorized into four typical temporal variation patterns: steady-decline, fluctuating-decline, bimodal with peaks at midday and early evening, and bimodal with peaks at noon and late afternoon. These four types of commercial centers and their customer origins exhibit distinct spatial distribution patterns; (2) the built environment characteristics of commercial centers and the socio-demographic attributes of their customer communities vary significantly across different temporal patterns; (3) the formation of temporal patterns is primarily influenced by the density of service industries within the commercial center, the accessibility and quality of transportation infrastructure, and the level of commercial development maturity. In addition, factors such as residents’ preferences for online shopping and the locational attributes of origin communities also play a role. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the spatiotemporal rhythms of consumer activities in commercial centers. It confirms that different types of service industries - such as retail, daily life services, sports and leisure, and healthcare -exert varying degrees of influence on consumer patterns. Based on these insights, targeted recommendations are proposed for commercial centers in each of the four temporal categories, with the aim of informing the planning of urban commercial spaces and the formulation of consumption-related policies in Chinese cities.

KEYWORDS: commercial center; temporal variation pattern of consumer activities; multinomial logistic model; influencing factor; Wuhan

♦ ANALYSIS ON SPATIAL STRUCTURE OF SHANGHAI CONSTRUCTING AN INTERNATIONAL CONSUMPTION CENTER CITY

Author：ZHEN Jie

ABSTRACT：In the construction of an international consumption center city, Shanghai has played a leading role in boosting domestic demand and promoting consumption. Nonetheless, its construction work is hampered by spatial imbalance and inadequate coordination. Accordingly, this paper develops an urban spatial structure framework encompassing geographical, economic, social, and institutional spaces based on the meaning of urban spatial structure, spatial theory, and related evaluation system, and thoroughly illuminates the process and spatial logic of Shanghai building an international consumption center city. Taking urban space development as the main line, the paper analyzes the main issues of Shanghai building an international consumption center city, further explores the key development directions of urban space optimization, and finally puts forward clear and operable countermeasures and suggestions.

KEYWORDS: international consumption center city; spatial structure; industrial park; Shanghai

♦ A STUDY ON THE SITE SELECTION PLANNING OF CHINA’S OVERSEAS COOPERATIVE INDUSTRIAL PARKS ALONG THE BELT AND ROAD

Author：WANG Xingping; ZHAO Shengbo; ZHANG Fan

ABSTRACT: The analysis of site selection of China’s overseas cooperative industrial parks is a crucial decision-making process addressing the questions of “where to build” and “when to build” to ensure high-quality development. Reviewing the relevant research, this paper believes that the core of overseas cooperative industrial parks’ site selection lies in the comparative evaluation and optimization of various development location schemes. Essentially, it involves analyzing and assessing the investment risks, construction costs, and potential returns associated with each location. Based on the basic objectives of sustainable development and principles such as securing investment, facilitating early-stage construction, enabling production organization, supporting product sales, and promoting coordinated development, this study identifies key factors influencing site selection at various development stages. It then establishes an evaluation framework, prioritizing investment risks, potential benefits, and potential costs from macro to micro level. The empirical section takes existing overseas cooperative industrial parks along the Belt and Road as samples, analyzing and evaluating them from macro, meso, and micro levels across multiple dimensions. It highlights the specific manifestations and impacts of poor location conditions in these parks, and proposes strategies for location optimization and site selection planning in response to the issues faced by existing parks and the planning needs of new ones.

KEYWORDS: Belt and Road; overseas cooperative industrial park; planning; site selection; evaluation

DELIMITATION OF URBAN REGENERATION UNITS FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF RESOURCE POTENTIAL: A CASE STUDY OF YUZHONG DISTRICT, CHONGQING

Author：LI Heping; ZHANG Rongming

ABSTRACT: Urban regeneration has gradually shifted from “separated, scattered regeneration” to “coordinated, area-wide regeneration”. In this context, urban regeneration units have played an important role as they embody the basic boundary of coordinated regeneration and serve as the carrier of regeneration transmission and the tool facilitating regeneration implementation. However, the current method for regeneration unit delimitation faces issues such as weakening of regeneration potential by “problem-oriented” thinking and disconnection between spatial evaluation and boundary delimitation logic. From a resource potential perspective, this paper analyzes the characteristics of regeneration resource potential, including its opportunity value, spatial measurement, and threshold determination. Based on this, an exploratory framework is proposed for delimiting urban regeneration units, consisting of: assessment of regeneration potential based on resource survey, delineation of unit boundaries based on non-supervised clustering, and delimitation of regeneration units based on a coordinated consideration of resource potential. Furthermore, this framework is empirically validated through regeneration unit delimitation and planning strategies in Yuzhong District, Chongqing.

KEYWORDS: urban regeneration; regeneration unit; resource potential; Yuzhong District in Chongqing; non-supervised spatial clustering

♦ HOW DOES SELF-ORGANIZING COMMUNITY CAPACITY IMPACT THE BOTTOM-UP REGENERATION IN OLD NEIGHBORHOODS: A CASE STUDY OF LIFT RETROFITTING

Author：ZHOU Yi; LI Zhigang

ABSTRACT: Promoting the regeneration of old neighborhoods - key stock spaces in cities - represents a crucial component in building modern cities of the people. In the new era, bottom-up regeneration in old neighborhoods has emerged as a key arena for exploring collaborative governance. A pressing challenge that requires further exploration is how to effectively activate residents’ roles as principal actors in this process. This paper draws on community capacity theory, redefines community capacity within the context of China’s practices, and identifies three distinct types: self-organizing, collaborative governance, and administrative monopolization. The paper explores how self-organizing community capacity impacts the bottom-up regeneration of old neighborhoods. Based on an empirical case study of lift retrofitting in Guangzhou, it finds that building community capacity during bottom-up regeneration facilitates the positive efficacy transformation of self-organizing community capacity. Through mechanisms of vertical collaboration and horizontal coordination, the four sub-capabilities of community resident capacity propel the orderly advancement of regeneration. Concurrently, the government guiding capacity provides support and guarantee for regeneration through institutional environment optimization. Based on these findings, it proposes a capacity-building pathway characterized by: prioritizing the co-development of resident participatory and autonomous leadership capacities; cultivating collaborative action and resource integration capacities in a demand-driven manner; building government guiding capacity through two-way interaction. This pathway aims to provide a reference for advancing bottom-up regeneration in old neighborhoods.

KEYWORDS: self-organizing community capacity; community capacity building; lift retrofitting; bottom-up regeneration; community governance

♦ EVALUATING THE PERFORMANCE OF NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS IN URBAN REGENERATION: A CASE STUDY OF THE SHIBALIDIAN AREA, CHAOYANG DISTRICT, BEIJING

Author：HU Haoyu; YANG Le; LI Jiaming; SU Lixin; FENG Changchun

ABSTRACT: The introduction of ecosystem-based evaluation approaches into urban regeneration helps better meet the growing demand for high-quality living environments. Based on the concept of nature-based solutions and adapted to China’s context, this study develops a performance evaluation framework for urban regeneration across five dimensions: ecological value, urban landscape, social inclusion, economic support, and planning and management. The current status and the projected performance of urban regeneration in Shibalidian, Beijing are evaluated separately using a multi-factor evaluation model. The main findings are as follows: (1) Nature-based solutions contribute significantly to green urban regeneration, but such efforts are often limited to specific greening measures such as park development, residential landscaping, and pedestrian pathway improvement. Therefore, districts or sub-city areas are more appropriate as evaluation units. (2) The current performance of nature-based urban regeneration in the study area is rated as Level II, indicating that the intended objectives of nature-based solutions have not yet been met. (3) If the current plan is effectively implemented, the projected performance of the study area could reach Level IV, aligning with the intended goals of nature-based solutions.

KEYWORDS: nature-based solutions (NbS); urban regeneration; performance evaluation; Beijing; Shibalidian Area

♦ A STUDY ON DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS AS A REGULATORY TOOL FOR LAND FINANCE IN URBAN RENEWAL

Author：ZHU He; CHEN Zhiduan; CHEN Yiyuan

ABSTRACT: With the continuous rise of China’s urbanization rate, market demand for incremental land development is gradually declining, and the marginal effect of land-based financing has become increasingly prominent. As a result, the traditional land finance model is facing obsolescence. Balancing short-term financing needs with long-term tax and fee revenues has become a key issue in the transformation of land finance in the new era, and reflects the fundamental economic distinction between incremental development and stock-oriented urban renewal operations. However, the current regulatory tools for land finance are still primarily limited to taxation and fees, and have failed to leverage the proactive and anticipatory role of spatial planning. This study aims to develop calculation methods for various sub-categories of fiscal revenues and expenditures across the entire life cycle of urban renewal. A mathematical programming model is constructed to optimize development rights allocation under different regulatory objectives-such as maximizing short-term capital surplus or long-term operational surplus from land finance. Through empirical case studies, the model solves for the optimal combination of development rights supply under multiple constraints, evaluates cross-cycle fiscal performance, and validates the effectiveness of the approach. Finally, targeted regulatory strategies are proposed in response to the differentiated demands of local fiscal systems.

KEYWORDS: land economy; land development right; financial balance; policy instrument

♦ INTELLIGENT DISASTER AWARENESS AND RESILIENT DISASTER BEARING: RECONSTRUCTION AND PLANNING METHODS FOR FLOOD SAFETY PATTERNS BASED ON ECO-HYDROLOGICAL REGULATION

Author：TIAN Jian; ZENG Suiping; ZENG Jian

ABSTRACT：Flood disasters in China are characterized by high frequency, widespread impact, and significant losses, making it imperative to enhance urban resilience to flooding. Addressing key challenges such as the significant scale disparities in flood regulation supply and demand calculations, the complexity of hydrological simulation and risk assessment, and the insufficient integration of assessment results with spatial planning, this study introduces the theories of social-ecological systems and “space of flows”, and proposes a systemic coordination paradigm supporting cross-scale analysis. Utilizing advanced technologies such as multi-hydrological and hydraulic models and neural networks, a reconstruction pathway for flood safety patterns is established, involving “intelligent calculation of supply and demand, cross-scale comparison, identification of key areas”, along with a planning translation method based on “unit identification, patch extraction, pattern optimization”. Taking Fujian Delta region as a case study, the research conducts an empirical study on reconstructing flood safety patterns based on eco-hydrological regulation. Through “intelligent disaster awareness” and “resilient disaster bearing”, the study provides theoretical support, methodological frameworks, and practical case references for advancing ecological civilization and the overarching concept of safety.

KEYWORDS: social-ecological systems; cross-scale; flood safety pattern; resilient cities; spatial planning