Upgrading commercial formats in old neighborhoods makes the city renewal look richer and warmer in tone.

The Urban Renewal “Fifteenth Five-Year Plan” proposes that by 2030, major progress will be achieved through urban renewal initiatives, the shift in urban development and construction approaches will begin to show results, the foundation for safe development will be further strengthened, service effectiveness will be continuously improved, the living environment will be noticeably enhanced, the acceleration in the conversion of new and old growth drivers will gather pace, cultural heritage will be effectively protected, distinctive townscape features will be more clearly highlighted, governance levels will rise significantly, and cities will become spaces for people to enjoy a high-quality life.

In recent years, various localities have accumulated many experiences in advancing urban renewal that are worth learning from and drawing on. Industry experts say that advancing urban renewal is beneficial for meeting the needs arising from changes in population structure and residents’ consumption upgrades. It helps optimize the allocation of facilities and the supply of services, more precisely and efficiently meet residents’ diverse and differentiated needs, and continuously enhance people’s sense of gain, happiness, and security.

Upgrading business formats in old areas

The Urban Renewal “Fifteenth Five-Year Plan” clearly states that efforts will be made to renovate and upgrade old commercial streets and residential living streets, improve functional layouts, address shortcomings in basic infrastructure and public services, optimize traffic arrangements, enhance the quality of public spaces, enrich integrated business formats such as cultural and tourism, commerce, sports, and exhibitions, and innovate diverse consumption scenarios such as immersive experiences.

In recent years, many localities have actively renovated and upgraded commercial pedestrian streets and old commercial areas, improved supporting facilities, optimized traffic arrangements, enhanced the quality of public spaces, enriched commercial business formats, innovated consumption scenarios, and promoted cultural and tourism industries to empower urban renewal. Today, many old areas are achieving functional transformation, business format upgrades, and increased vitality.

A popular song, “Apple Fragrance,” has made famous a street known as Liuxing Street in Yining City, Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

It was already close to 11 p.m., and only then did the sky just begin to darken—Liuxing Street was packed with crowds. This is an old street with nearly a hundred years of history. After renovation, shops line the street—restaurants, specialty stores, ice-cream shops, and photo studios. Along the street, you can also find freshly baked bread and grilled nang. People from all directions come here to taste Xinjiang cuisine and appreciate Xinjiang’s charm.

Su Jun, chief engineer of the Yining Municipal Bureau of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, introduced that the buildings on Liuxing Street preserve the distinct streetscape features of more than a dozen ethnic groups, and some historical sites are still retained. In the early stages of renovation, Yining City repaired dilapidated and unsafe housing and relocated residents from dwellings scheduled for clearance, improved the street’s basic infrastructure, and worked hard to create historical and cultural features. The handicraft industry, the catering industry, and the cultural industry have all developed. From an unknown, dirty, and disorderly small street, Liuxing Street has become a popular “internet celebrity” street. Using Liuxing Street as a model, Yining City has carried out ongoing renovation of Yili’s old city. The renovation and upgrade of historic and cultural blocks has become an engine driving Yining City’s economic development.

Zhang Hanyu, deputy director of the Second Institute of the China Academy of Urban Planning and Design’s Research on the Protection and Development of Historic and Cultural Famous Cities, said that historic and cultural blocks are important objects of protection. They not only bring together a large number of historic and cultural buildings, but are also important areas where a city’s everyday liveliness can continue. During the renovation and improvement of historic and cultural blocks, localities enhance basic infrastructure, restore traditional streetscapes, conduct operational planning, and introduce courtyard-economy initiatives, which have stimulated many new consumption scenarios. Our takeaway is that the inheritance of historic and cultural heritage can play a role in guiding urban renewal. We should actively learn from the experience of renovating and upgrading historic and cultural blocks such as Liuxing Street, and expand approaches that use historic and cultural heritage to create new consumption scenarios guided by culture.

Upgrading and rejuvenating old residential compounds

Renovating old residential compounds is an important aspect of urban renewal. The Urban Renewal “Fifteenth Five-Year Plan” clearly states that China will renovate 115,000 newly started old urban residential compounds.

Renovating old residential compounds makes the environment cleaner, and community services make life more comfortable, safer, and more secure.

After the Guanghua Residential Compound on Guanghua Road in the Guanghua Road Community of the Tianshan District of Ürümqi was renovated, residents gave positive feedback. Residents told reporters that the environment is cleaner and living there feels very comfortable. Jia Houwen, secretary of the Party Committee of Guanghua Road Community, introduced that Guanghua Residential Compound was originally built in the early 1990s. It had 7 courtyards belonging to different work units. In the past, the water supply and drainage and heating pipeline networks were old, electrical wires were disorderly, the greening rate was low, and the sanitation environment was poor. They carried out full-scale renovations covering things such as exterior wall insulation, roof waterproofing, and underground infrastructure.

After the renovation, they also upgraded the compound’s “software” by introducing a property services company. At first, residents did not recognize paying property fees as an increased expense they were willing to accept. For the first 3 months after the property company moved in, it provided services free of charge so residents could experience them; after 3 months, residents gave recognition. Today, the compound’s greening and alley sanitation have improved significantly. Residents’ approval of property services is very high.

The issue of installing elevators in old residential compounds has long attracted attention. During the renovation, Guanghua Residential Compound also added elevators to buildings with conditions for installation. Mrs. Xu, 86 years old, lives on the 5th floor. She said that installing elevators is especially welcomed by elderly residents. She goes downstairs more often than before; with better weather, she goes out for a walk, and her mood is much more comfortable.

Liu Weixing, from the Residential Services Department of Xinjiang Shagen Property Services Co., Ltd., introduced that given the relatively large number of elderly people in old residential compounds, the property company is exploring a “property + elderly care” model. It is planning to open an elderly care service institution in the compound. After it is built, it will provide 40 beds, mainly to serve elderly residents who are unable to care for themselves fully or who have dementia-related needs. The institution will also set up an activity room for elderly residents to carry out cultural and recreational activities. It will further provide services such as meal assistance, help with cleaning, home aging-friendly renovations, and other on-site services for residents receiving home-based elderly care. The services are not only for residents of this compound; they can also extend to nearby compounds, and even to the entire street.

Urban ecology gradually restored

The Urban Renewal “Fifteenth Five-Year Plan” clearly states that China will repair urban ecological systems, renovate and upgrade urban park green spaces totaling 20,000 hectares, and improve supporting service facilities of all types. By making full use of idle and inefficient urban land, leftover spaces by the roadside and at corners, and subsidiary green spaces, 15,000 new pocket parks will be added.

Restoring urban ecological systems makes the water clearer and the city greener.

Houtan Wetland in Yining City used to be the largest water source area in the Yining urban area. As the city expanded, the areas around Houtan Wetland gradually turned into shantytowns; wetland pollution was severe, and the ecological environment deteriorated. After several years of renovation, Houtan Wetland Park now has dense greenery and clear river water, and you can also see small animals such as ducks and egrets. This year, 75-year-old resident Saibulamu·Nasiliding told reporters that he walks in the park every day, and nearby residents are happy to have such a good environment.

Houtan Wetland has been transformed from its old look into a new one. Song Xiaoxiao, a member of the Party group of the Yining Municipal Bureau of Housing and Urban-Rural Development and director of the Urban Landscaping and Garden Service Center, introduced that during the renovation of Houtan Wetland, 1,213 households were relocated and resettled. For the wetland area, construction projects were implemented, including restoration of water systems and construction of projects such as boardwalks, landscape pavilions, park roads, night lighting, parking lots, and public restrooms. Today, Houtan Wetland Park covers an area of more than 800 mu, including more than 500 mu of water area.

Song Xiaoxiao also introduced that in recent years, Yining City has sorted through city corner spaces and developed a number of pocket parks. In the past 3 years alone, 54 pocket parks have been put into use. As of now, a total of 87 pocket parks have been built. By the end of 2026, Yining City’s pocket parks will exceed 100. The plants in pocket parks are both ornamental and functional; people can enjoy shade and rest under trees, increasing the city’s greenery area.

Yining City’s pocket park construction also integrates with the city’s water systems. Song Xiaoxiao said that in the past, Yining City’s water systems were naturally formed small drainage channels, and each household had its own small channels in front of and behind their houses. As the city expanded, these small channels decreased and even disappeared, and the city’s water systems’ “capillary blood vessels” could no longer carry flow. When building pocket parks, localities try to add water elements as much as possible, integrating them into the city’s overall water systems so that water can flow through the city.

In addition, pocket parks are also developed with the principle of “one park, one theme.” Some parks are safety-themed; others are children-themed. Some pocket parks use climbing plants. While introducing, cultivating, and nurturing these plants, they build and develop the pocket parks, enhancing the diversity of urban plant species. Song Xiaoxiao said that when building pocket parks, they practice the people-centered garden concept and work to turn Yining City into a “park city” that residents love.

China will continue to advance urban renewal. Ni Hong, Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, said that efforts should align with new developments in urban work, new requirements for reform and development, and new expectations from the people. High-quality urban renewal should be advanced—by strongly promoting optimization of urban structure, conversion of drivers, enhancement of quality, green transformation, continuity of cultural context, and improved governance effectiveness—while firmly safeguarding the bottom line of urban safety, and striving to chart a new path to Chinese-style modernization of cities.