Intensive face-lift for Chongwen
As an old district of Beijing, Chongwen had a large number of buildings that had become unsafe over the years, so its task of restructuring these buildings was more challenging than that of any other urban district.
Thanks to the great efforts by the local government, the task has been largely completed, with the living conditions of local residents markedly improved.
The Front Gate area renovation project, for example, costs nearly 8 billion yuan, almost eight times the annual fiscal revenue of the district. And the government has devoted painstaking efforts to it, contributing considerably to the protection of the historical appearance of Beijing as an ancient capital city.
The per capita urban residential area in Chongwen rose from 12.86 square meters in 2000 to 22.5 square meters in 2005, exceeding the municipal standard of 20 square meters for a well-off society. In the next few years, the district will complete the project of restructuring the rest of the unsafe and old buildings, with a total construction area of 25,000 square meters.
The district government's 2007 work report states that a modernized traffic system will be established with five trunk lines from the south to the north and five from the east to the west. The urban road network will be strengthened to greatly improve the traffic capacity.
In keeping with the standard for a core functional district of Beijing, the Chongwen government is trying to increase its operational efficiency and service level. Priority will be given to creating a first-class city image, while improving urban ecology and environmental quality.
A city image layout will be mapped out for the main streets and established residencies in the district. Outdoor advertisements will be regulated according to a universal standard. Major avenues and streets will be built into a landscape of the district and a batch of health residencies will also take shape.
In addition, the government will accelerate efforts to carry out the 11th Five-Year (2006-10) Green Land System Plan, emphasizing the construction of large public green areas and parks, as well as high-class green belts in residencies, as well as along the city moat, railways, Second Ring Road and the South-Central Axes Road.
The supervision and management of the clouds of dust at construction sites and the emission of auto tail gas will also be intensified. Meanwhile, a digital dynamic monitoring system of major pollution sources in the district will ensure that local noise levels and air quality are above the average indices in Beijing.
(China Daily 03/09/2007 page19)
