Central government to maintain strong support for urban renewal.

On the 8th, the State Council Information Office held a regular State Council policy briefing. The Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development and three other departments provided explanations on China's first national-level special plan for urban renewal, the "15th Five-Year Plan for Urban Renewal," clarifying objectives and tasks, detailing policy measures, and responding to public concerns.

Urban physical examination is the foundation of urban renewal. "We must adhere to the principle of 'physical examination first, then renewal' and 'no physical examination, no renewal,' and carry out comprehensive urban physical examinations," said Qin Haixiang, Vice Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development. He pointed out that based on the physical examination results, special plans for urban renewal should be scientifically formulated, and a project database for urban renewal should be established. At the same time, a statistical survey system for urban renewal should be set up to track the progress and effectiveness of implementation across regions.

Coordinating urban renewal requires both "hard investment" and "soft construction." Guan Peng, an official from the Fixed Asset Investment Department of the National Development and Reform Commission, introduced that in terms of "hard investment," priority will be given to supporting projects related to public safety and people's livelihoods, such as the renovation of old residential communities and dilapidated urban housing, while also coordinating support for development-oriented projects like the upgrading of old streets (factory areas) to better serve people's livelihoods. "We will continue to allocate ultra-long-term special government bonds in the 'two major constructions' to provide additional support for urban underground pipeline network renovation and construction projects," Guan said.

In terms of "soft construction," efforts will be made to fully mobilize the enthusiasm of residents, enterprises, and other parties, improve the operation and maintenance system, place greater emphasis on governance investment, and promote the formation of a diversified and sustainable long-term mechanism for urban renewal. In terms of innovating investment and financing mechanisms, the National Development and Reform Commission will support local governments in adopting various methods tailored to local conditions to increase the utilization of existing assets, promote the enrichment of financial products and services, and encourage private enterprises to actively participate in the construction and operation of urban infrastructure.

Urban renewal requires substantial funding. In recent years, the Ministry of Finance has coordinated various funding channels, including subsidies for urban affordable housing projects, local government special bonds, central budget investment, and ultra-long-term special government bonds, to support key tasks of urban renewal.

"During the '15th Five-Year Plan' period, the central government will continue to maintain a relatively large support level and continuously optimize policy design to improve the efficiency of fund utilization. In addition, tax support policies will be implemented simultaneously, and eligible urban renewal entities can enjoy the current relevant tax preferential policies," said Guo Fangming, Director of the Economic Construction Department of the Ministry of Finance.

"Local governments should make good use of central fiscal funds, local government special bonds, and credit funds, fully leverage the market mechanism, actively attract social capital participation, encourage private enterprises to participate in the construction and operation of urban infrastructure, and build a sustainable urban construction and operation investment and financing system," Qin Haixiang stated.

Supporting urban renewal, territorial spatial planning, and land policies are also "key levers." Xie Haixia, Director of the Territorial Spatial Planning Bureau of the Ministry of Natural Resources, stated that in terms of optimizing planning and management methods, for micro-renewal livelihood projects such as adding elevators to old residential communities, pocket parks, and community childcare, some planning permits and approvals can be simplified or exempted. Temporary use of idle land is encouraged, and as long as it does not affect the implementation of long-term planning, there is no need to modify the plan. For old factories and streets, diversified formats such as scientific innovation and convenience commerce can be accommodated according to the positive list requirements, thereby breaking the limitations of single land use. In terms of innovating land support policies, the supply of land will prioritize existing land, with operational projects using existing land first, and new land focuses on ensuring municipal infrastructure and public welfare projects.

In terms of institutional guarantees, Qin Haixiang revealed that the national level is currently studying and formulating relevant laws and regulations for urban renewal, and supporting local governments to issue local regulations. Currently, four provinces and 20 cities have issued local regulations on urban renewal, providing legal guarantees for the smooth implementation of urban renewal.

[Author: He Jueyuan] (Editor: Wen Jing)

Keywords: Urban renewal