XIAO Chaowei: Understanding and Reflections on the Guidelines on Advancing Urban Regeneration Campaign

Recently, the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council issued the guidelines designed to achieve key progress in the country's urban regeneration campaign by 2030. The newly proposed model of building "good houses, good neighborhoods, good communities, and good urban areas" centers around people's needs. "Good houses" serve as the foundation. These are not only required to meet basic safety standards such as earthquake and fire resistance, but also aim to enhance spatial comfort and smart features, enabling residents to live with peace of mind and satisfaction. "Good neighborhoods" are an extension of this idea. By optimizing public spaces and improving service facilities, residential units are transformed from mere "physical containers" into "living communities", thereby enhancing residents' sense of belonging. "Good communities" are the key link. By focusing on the "15-minute living circle", these communities coordinate the supply of public services such as education, healthcare, and elderly care, while also stimulating residents' intrinsic motivation to participate in governance. This achieves a fusion of spatial quality improvement and human-centered care. "Good urban areas" represent the overarching goal. At a broader scale, they require a coordinated optimization of spatial layouts, treating the city as an organic living organism. These four levels build upon one another, reshaping the logic of urban governance. Ultimately, they ensure that the benefits of urban development truly serve the people and contribute to sustainable development.

In addition, urban regeneration must also respond to the pressing needs of young people and new urban residents. Young people are the source of a city's vitality. Whether they can live and work with security directly impacts the city's future competitiveness. In the course of advancing urban regeneration, increasing the supply of affordable rental housing should be a key priority. Through renovating existing housing stock and revitalizing idle assets, more affordable and conveniently located housing options can be provided to young people. This helps young people and new residents to settle in cities and truly realize the goals of "being able to live, willing to stay, and living with dignity". Such alignment between urban regeneration and youth development will inject sustainable vitality and momentum into China's high-quality development.

(The above content is excerpted and translated from remarks by Associate Professor Xiao Chaowei, Deputy Director of the Urban Regeneration Research Center at the National Academy of Development and Strategy, Renmin University of China, in an interview with zhonghongwang.com)

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