From the public transformation of the waterfront spaces of the Huangpu River to the renovation and renewal of old alleys and neighborhoods, east China's Shanghai has built an urban renewal paradigm that is people-centered, systematic and sustainable.

"The cities are built by the people and are for the people," Chinese President Xi Jinping said during an inspection tour of the economic hub in 2019, adding that the concept of people-centered development must be carried out in urban construction.

Guided by the concept, the megacity, through livelihood projects such as the renovation of old residential buildings and urban villages and the building of a "15-minute community life circle," has improved the living conditions for about 40,000 households in recent years.

With the aim to coordinate its economic, living, ecological and security needs, Shanghai has accelerated its urban renewal, improved the housing and security system, promoted more inclusive and convenient urban services, and speeding up green and low-carbon transformation, taking the lead in creating a livable, resilient and smart city across the country and building a beautiful home for the people.

High-quality cities for the people

As a megacity, Shanghai is continuously navigating the complex and multifaceted challenges of urban governance – a task that is always in progress. By leveraging technology to empower digital governance, the city is actively advancing forward to implement the concept of people-centered development in urban construction.

The city has built two networks – one that integrates all administrative services and one that runs the entire city. Built from scratch, the one-stop administrative service platform has been in use for years and has become a token of administrative services in Shanghai, connecting 45 municipal departments with an average daily call volume of 1.1 million times.

Over the years, Shanghai has vigorously advanced online medical consultations, appointment scheduling, billing, and mutual recognition of medical records. Meanwhile, it has promoted "digital accessibility" in all types of public services, advancing adaptive modifications for the elderly and people with disabilities.

Take for example Shanghai's key initiative this year to tackle electric bicycle safety risks. The city's various communities have established elevator access control systems and smart bike sheds, while also linking elevators and sheds in residential areas to an online platform, realizing the detection of potential risks that could harm the city's safety in early stages.

Today, the city has taken the lead in pioneering a sustainable approach to urban renewal. "The ultimate goal of urban renewal is to ensure that every resident can benefit from the development," said an official of the city's municipal commission of housing and urban rural development.

Beyond Shanghai, various Chinese cities have integrated the people-centered approach throughout the entire process of urban planning, construction and governance – enhancing urban quality with meticulous craftsmanship and empowering city governance with digital technologies.

Following the Central Urban Work Conference in 2015, China has unveiled a series of policies in areas such as strengthening urban planning and construction management, and advancing urban renewal campaign, to chart the course for urban development.

Since 2019, nearly 280,000 old residential communities have been renovated across the country, benefiting 120 million people. More than 130,000 elevators have been installed, 3.8 million parking spaces have been added, and 31 million square meters of new cultural, leisure, sports and fitness venues have been added, enhancing people's sense of gain, happiness and security.

In terms of urban infrastructure construction, the country has established 127,800 kilometers of urban greenways and 48,000 pocket parks, which refer to small outdoor public spaces. A number of cities have achieved intelligent perception, dynamic monitoring and early warning of the operating conditions of infrastructure such as gas and water supply.

World's largest and fastest urbanization process

Over the past few decades, China has experienced the world's largest and fastest urbanization process, with its urbanization rate rising from 11 percent in 1949 to 67 percent in 2024. This rapid transformation underscores the importance of effective urban planning and management.

Significant achievements in people-centered new urbanization have been made, with the average per capita living space for urban residents exceeding 40 square meters, the average per capita park green space approaching 16 square meters, and the total operational length of urban rail transit surpassing 10,000 kilometers.

According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, there were just 129 cities in China at the end of 1949, with a combined population of 39.49 million. The number of cities reached 694 at the end of 2023, while prefecture-level and larger cities were home to 673.13 million people. Among them, there were 29 cities each with a population exceeding 5 million and 11 cities each with a population of over 10 million.

Remarkably, China's less-developed western region is rising, representing a more balanced urbanization process. Among the 11 prefecture-level cities that have been added since 2011, nine of them are located in the western region.

As urbanization advances, China has lifted almost all limits on household registration in cities each with less than 3 million permanent residents, making it more convenient for those from rural areas to permanently settle down in cities.

Building toward livable, resilient, and smart cities, China introduced the city "health check" system as a pilot program in 2018. This initiative began full implementation in all prefecture-level and higher-tier cities in 2024, focusing on addressing both immediate public concerns and long-term urban development needs.

More than 290 prefecture-level cities nationwide have fully launched city physical examinations. The country has a total of about 400 such cities.

In its latest push, China on May 15 unveiled a set of guidelines, pledging increased policy and financial support for urban renewal projects, which can range from gas pipe updates and lift installations to the renovation of old factories into commercial zones.

The guidelines are designed to achieve key progress in the country's urban renewal campaign by 2030. They also aim to improve safety conditions, enhance service efficiency, elevate living environments, develop business models, and preserve cultural heritage.