BEIJING TAKES ROAD TO FUTURE
◆ Core area plan stresses green living, cultural preservation
Beijing office worker Cui Yuedong, 24, who came to the city for a job after graduation, has high hopes after reading the detailed plan for the core area of the capital.
The plan, for 2018-35, aims to provide the area with sufficient working space to support central government activities, along with first-class living conditions for residents. The capital’s rich cultural heritage will also be showcased.
“Beijing will become an ‘easy’ city in 2035 — that’s what I can see from the plan. Easy, but not simple,” said Cui, who graduated from Yichun University in Jiangxi province last year and handles paperwork for a local community in Beijing.
“I have always found Beijing attractive because of its deep-rooted culture, inclusiveness and numerous opportunities, which have given me hope for the future,” he said.
“The plan sets a clear path for the city and outlines ways to achieve targets. I believe it will become a great capital city, as envisaged.”
Last year, the population of Beijing stood at more than 20 million and the city’s annual GDP was more than 3.5 trillion yuan ($512.4 billion).
Li Wenzhao, deputy head of the Beijing Academy of Development and Strategy affiliated with Renmin University of China, said the city’s development has always hinged on balancing the relationship between its twin roles of being a city and a capital.
The plan, published on the Beijing Municipal Government website on Aug 30 after being approved by the central government, highlights the capital’s role as the nation’s political center.
The State Council said the core area is home to most of the nation’s political, cultural and international exchange centers, and is also a key zone for the preservation of historical sites.
This 92.5-square-kilometer area, which includes Dongcheng and Xicheng districts, houses the central government headquarters.
To enhance the capital’s political role in the core area, the Beijing authorities established a sub-city center in Tongzhou district. Municipal government bodies have relocated to this zone, releasing more space for the central government in the core area.
Yang Baojun, chief economist at the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, said the sub-city center will take on more economic activity to ensure the core area plays a full political role.
Zhao Yan, 37, a social worker in Tongzhou, said, “It’s a win-win solution, as residents in Tongzhou have seen more job opportunities, a greener environment and a growing economy.
“Tongzhou has changed a lot in recent years. I frequently take my 9-year-old child to the newly-built park because it’s only a 10-minute walk away. Admission is free and the park is huge. The area was noisy in the past, but now it’s green and quiet.”
The only thing Zhao is worried about is education.
According to the plan, more high-quality resources for education, nursing homes and health services will be deployed outside the core area to provide better-balanced services for residents.
Several reputable schools in the core area are building branch campuses in Tongzhou, which will ease Zhao’s fears and bring talented teachers to the district.
However, people living in the core area are asking whether it will become a “big, serious place” like the United States capital, Washington DC.
Meanwhile, Tongzhou residents are hoping the district will become an economic growth driver, like New York City.
Li, from the Beijing Academy of Development and Strategy, said: “It’s hard to distinguish which part of Beijing is Washington or New York City. The core area will play the role of the country’s political center.
“It’s also a cultural hub, including both Chinese and local Beijing culture. The area will provide cultural services to the city, the country and t he whole world. We simply cannot say it will become an area like Washington. ”
Every capital has its own features, combining a host of factors, including politics, history and culture, Li said.
“However, Beijing can learn from other capitals such as Tokyo, London and Paris how to resolve the relationship between ‘city’ and ‘capital’, as well as big-city problems,” Li added.
Cultural protection
Demolition of buildings will be prohibited in the core area, and the authorities will work to protect the city’s cultural heritage, including ancient archaeological and revolutionary sites, streets, parks, alleyways and waterways.
Mao Dachuan, a Xicheng resident, said, “People pass a historic building everyday en route to school or work without knowing what it commemorates.”
Some residents have even rented homes in the same courtyard for years without knowing that an ancient mansion owned by a minister used to stand on the site, he added.
This proves two things, Mao concluded. First, that the buildings are not adequately protected, and second, that they have not been put to the best use to educate or serve the public.
As part of the plan, the central authorities have strengthened protection of the city’s cultural and historical heritage in the core area.
The plan stresses the need to maintain the overall structure of the old city area and encourage the opening and use of historic buildings. Major cultural areas near Beijing’s ring roads should also be connected to better highlight them.
Li, the expert, said: “Protection and development should be sustainable. The key is to open more ancient sites and buildings to the public and involve more local residents in protection work.”
In Dongcheng, the local government used to organize residents to clean up old courtyards as a form of community activity. During this work, cultural relics covered in dust were discovered in the corner of one yard.
“Including the public in protection activities and also improving their living conditions will bring new vitality to old areas of the city,” Li said. “Creating memories for generation after generation who live in the area is best way to meet their expectations.”
Zhang Jie, a professor at the School of Architecture at Tsinghua University, said the plan for the core area includes advanced, scientific and innovative concepts to protect old parts of the city.
Community improvement
The plan places considerable emphasis on the construction and management of housing blocks and communities, with the aim of creating better public space and living conditions.
Guan Chenghua, head of the Capital Institute of Science and Technology Development Strategy, said people’s happiness is the ultimate goal of a country’s social and economic development.
“The plan mentions communities many times. All its concepts, policies and regulations will eventually be realized in communities,” he said.
Hong Xing, who lives in Xicheng, said it was once difficult for residents to buy vegetables at a time when the authorities were clearing vendors’ stands from the streets and demolishing illegal constructions.
However, the problem was solved by the arrival in the area of convenience stores selling low-priced fresh vegetables and other daily necessities.
“Life is now convenient and easy. After seeing the plan for the core area, I have great confidence that it will become even better in the coming years,” he said.
According to the plan, the proportion of public space in the core area will rise from the current 34.3 percent to 38.4 percent by 2035. Public green areas will rise by more than 25 percent.
Residents will have access to medical services and sports facilities within a 15-minute walk of their homes, while care for the elderly will be available within a 10-minute walk from residences.
Guan said: “There are many large parks in the capital, but people can only enjoy them during weekends. The new plan makes clear that the city will make full use of small areas in crowded streets and at housing blocks by creating ‘pocket-size parks’.”
The aim is to create an environment in which residents can enjoy nearby green areas every day.
In addition, Beijing will become “smarter”, Guan said.
“The concept of the smart city has been espoused in many places, but just on a very general level. However, Beijing is different. For example, detailed plans have been drawn up for smart parking and smart water meters.”
Such detailed management and the use of technologies will contribute greatly to the mega-city, he said.
Shi Xiaodong, head of the Beijing Municipal Institute of City Planning and Design, said the plan also includes further developing the city’s public health system, whose importance has been shown during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We realize there are many ways to improve the city’s management of its public health system. The sector will ensure people’s health and safety, which will also make the city stronger,” Shi added.