China’s Refined Urban Renewal Balances Ecological Livability, Cultural Heritage and Innovative Scenarios
Cities serve as core carriers of modernisation and vital spaces for residents’ high-quality lives. The State Council has issued the 15th Five-Year Plan for Urban Renewal, setting clear developmental targets for 2030. The national framework pledges notable progress in systematic urban renewal, with marked improvements in living environments, effective protection of cultural heritage and more distinctive urban features across the country.
China’s urban development has shifted from large-scale incremental expansion to stock quality enhancement. Cities nationwide are adopting refined, meticulous governance approaches to upgrade urban spaces. The multi-dimensional urban renewal model integrates ecological optimisation, cultural inheritance and scenario innovation, creating pleasant, culturally rich and visitor-friendly urban spaces that boost residents’ wellbeing and stimulate urban consumption vitality.
Ecological space optimisation stands as a core priority of current urban renewal practices. Cities are maximising fragmented urban spaces to build pocket parks, waterfront corridors and green pedestrian networks, turning previously underutilised corners into accessible ecological amenities. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, more than 18,000 pocket parks were completed nationwide, effectively expanding urban green coverage through refined spatial renovation.
A host of representative ecological upgrading projects have taken shape across the country. A small yet exquisitely designed pocket park in Shanghai’s Jing’an District features layered flower beds, landscape installations and diverse vegetation including magnolia, ginkgo and crape myrtle, delivering serene green scenery amid bustling urban roads. Abandoned wasteland in Guiyang’s Guanshanhu District has been transformed into functional community parks, while overpass spaces in Chengdu have been renovated into dynamic sports venues. Riverside waterfront zones in Wuhan integrate viewing platforms, leisure seats and open-air teahouses, forming popular public relaxation spaces.
Beijing has fostered integrated development of water landscapes and urban construction. The city has built more than 400 kilometres of riverside pedestrian corridors along key water systems including the Yongding River, with over 100 kilometres of waterways open for navigation. Riverside spaces along Liangma River, Ba River and Liangshui River have become iconic urban landmarks. Over 700 fishing platforms have been constructed under the premise of ensuring ecological safety and flood control, enabling closer public interaction with urban water landscapes.
Urban renewal initiatives across China fully balance modern renovation and cultural heritage preservation, adhering to restoration principles that retain original urban textures and historical charm. Xi’an Jianguomen Comprehensive Market, once a nearly 30-year-old traditional grocery market with outdated facilities and messy environments, has undergone targeted upgrading. The renovated market retains its original urban vitality while introducing cultural and creative stores, bookshops and boutique homestays. Adjacent to the Xi’an City Wall, the revitalised block achieves interactive passenger flow sharing, blending daily community life with cultural tourism development.
Historical venue activation and industrial heritage renovation continue to enrich urban cultural connotations. Historic theatres and cinemas in Shanghai have been upgraded via professional restoration and technological iteration, breathing new vitality into time-honoured cultural venues. An abandoned pump factory in Yangquan, Shanxi Province, has been rebuilt into a cultural and tourism landmark, preserving industrial facilities as exhibition exhibits to showcase local industrial memory. In Lhasa’s Barkor Ancient Town, digital technologies including 3D scanning and aerial survey support precise ancient building protection. Smart monitoring systems are embedded into the digital ancient town management platform, facilitating intelligent governance while reserving sufficient space for traditional cultural inheritance and characteristic tourism development.
Urban renewal is driving the continuous innovation of cultural and tourism consumption scenarios, creating diverse leisure and social spaces for the public. Yangzhou’s Guangling Road historic block has been upgraded into an elegant neo-Chinese style commercial district through systematic renovation of ancient architectural complexes, traditional gardens and cultural venues. Immersive interactive maps and VR technologies are adopted in local cultural spaces to recreate scenes depicted in classic poems, delivering immersive cultural experiences for visitors.
Traditional urban spaces are gaining trendy, diversified functions. Renovated old shopping malls host sub-cultural markets, abandoned factory venues are transformed into modern sports grounds, and characteristic urban blocks regularly stage open-air concerts. These emerging scenarios extend beyond physical space renovation, providing rich spiritual and emotional value for residents and tourists.
Future urban renewal practices across China will adhere to people-centred development concepts. More targeted and localised renovation strategies will be implemented to build organic connections between urban spaces, cultural inheritance and public demands. Continuous optimisation of ecological environments, cultural heritage protection and innovative scenario development will further unlock urban development potential and sustain high-quality urban progress.
