Development

Balancing urban and rural development written into Chengdu

(chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2011-06-30 17:09

Chengdu's successful balancing of urban and rural development provides a useful template for other Chinese cities, said planning experts at an international conference held in the city this week.

Shi Nan, secretary-general of the Urban Planning Society of China and a professor-level senior planner, attended the Fifth Annual Meeting of the International Association for China Planning (IACP), Chengdu Balancing Urban and Rural Development and Planning Seminar, and complimented the city on its development.

"After long and arduous exploration, Chengdu has formed useful experience in balancing urban and rural development," said Shi, a regular visitor to the city.

Chengdu Consensus provides Chengdu's experience

International experts joined local planners to review the concept of balancing urban and rural development and finally reached a consensus, referred to as the Chengdu Consensus.

"Through academic discussions and the research of experts, the Chengdu Consensus will provide a reference for various places in the country to study the balancing of urban and rural development. I hope that the Chengdu Consensus can become an important milestone for the balancing of urban and rural development," said Shi.

Proactive city planning to balance rural and urban needs has been a focus for Chengdu since 2003 and in 2007, the city became part of a pilot national scheme to address such issues.

Shi said the city has undergone much reform to reach its development goal, including introducing a rural land-use right transfer scheme and improving basic public service provision.

She added that the city has achieved "harmonious blending of urban and rural areas and the coordinated development of people, natural resources and environment, and is striding towards the ambitious goal of building a modern, global, pastoral city".

Balancing urban and rural development should combine local characteristics

Shi said the city's planning works well because it utilizes the area's own unique strengths.

"It combines with its local characteristics to solve problems. Chengdu's success lies in grasping both the policies of the central government and its own characteristics to develop a mode unique to Chengdu." Shi added that her foreign counterparts agreed the core of balancing urban and rural development is that it must be combined with local characteristics, as illustrated in Chengdu.

Shi said Chengdu's emphasis on planning played a significant role in economic development, environmental protection and the improvement of people's lives.

"The government of Chengdu city used planning to make up for the shortcomings of the market economy and guide its development, which is also a common approach globally."