Capital’s subsidiary center plans for quality of life

The new subsidiary administrative center of Beijing, in Tongzhou district, will have no more than 1.3 million residents by 2035, part of the measures to build a small but good place for work and life, said a new plan disclosed on Thursday.

The detailed plan, which outlines streets and communities in the new center from 2016 to 2035, was released by the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council.

By 2035, population density should be limited to no more than 9,000 people per square kilometer, and construction land to 100 sq km, on the planned 155 sq km.

The new center will take over noncapital functions of Beijing, focusing on governmental administration, business services and cultural tourism. All Beijing’s Party and govern- ment organs should be moved to Tongzhou, a 40-minute drive from downtown Beijing. The public institutions of municipal departments will also move there along with some schools and hospitals.

The concept of the subsidiary administrative center was raised in 2012. After six years of planning, design and construction, some city agencies, including the Beijing Office for Poverty Alleviation and Development, moved their offices to the eastern suburban Tongzhou in November last year.

The new plan said qualified corporate headquarters should move to the center to build an internationalized business district. Institutes that promote innovation should be introduced from downtown Beijing to the center, which should strengthen cooperation with the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area in the southwest.

The new center aims to build a world-leading zone for pleasant living, a demonstration of coordinated development of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei province, and a new landmark for the capital. However, it should have a differentiated role from Xiongan New Area in Hebei and promote coordinated development for Beijing.

Green space and waters will be substantially increased to achieve harmonic co-existance of water and urban areas, while a system should be built to control water pollution and ensure the safety through flood control facilities.

Public transportation should take priority as the center addresses “urban diseases”, a term to describe congestion and other problems for megacities. A public transit system will be built to connect the administrative center with the downtown area.

Public services, such as education, sports and healthcare, should be advanced to improve the residents’ quality of life. The ratio of people being employed near their homes should be raised and housing should be available via diverse channels, such as rentals and new supplies of apartments for purchase.

The new plan should be in line with the overall plan for Beijing from 2016 to 2035, the document added.