Changsha included in first group of national pilot cities for urban renewal

The first group of 21 Chinese cities or districts including Changsha will pilot urban renewal work, according to a notice issued by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development (MOHURD) recently. Changsha is Hunan’s only city that has been included in the pilot cities.

According to the notice, the pilot work will start in November 2021, and last for two years. The Changsha government took the lead in the country in establishing the urban human settlements bureau, and has persisted in treating cities as “organic organisms”. Taking the opportunity of urban physical examination and the national pilot program for the renovation of old residential areas, the government has renovated 29 villages in cities, and provided new housing for nearly 400,000 people living in shantytowns. It has also upgraded 14 historical blocks, and built 69.5 kilometers of historical and cultural footpaths. The “Changsha Model” of improving living environment has won many praises. The city’s six-step method for urban renewal, which comprises a thorough urban physical examination, improving the organizational mechanisms, preparing the renewal plans, implementing the renewal in groups, carrying out dynamic monitoring and publicizing the livable index, has been specially recommended by MOHURD.

“Changsha will carry out urban renewal based on local conditions and by combining building quality, style and renewal needs and following the four modes of ‘historical and cultural protection, comprehensive renovation, functional improvement, and comprehensive transformation’”, said a person in charge of the Changsha Urban Human Settlements Bureau.

During the 14th Five-year (2021-2015) Plan period, the Changsha government will vigorously implement urban renewal actions, study urban renewal in key areas, adhere to the bottom line of “avoiding demolition and construction on a large scale”, focus on people's livelihood, adapt measures to local conditions, make elaborate efforts to optimize urban space, improve functional weak links, and explore a sustainable renewal model.

Since 2021, the Changsha government has vigorously advanced urban renewal. It has carried out urban renewal on 8 key areas such as Xiangya Hospital and Changsha Railway Station areas, and completed the renovation of more than 5 million square meters of building area.

Translator: Kuang Zhenzhen