Chengdu kicks off 6th Park City Forum

The 6th Park City Forum opened on Thursday in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, drawing urban planners, international officials, global mayors, and business leaders to share insights on park city development for a better life and a sustainable future.

Chengdu is the birthplace of China's "park city" concept. Official data from the forum shows that the city has developed a greenway system totaling more than 10,000 kilometers and increased its parks to over 1,500. Air quality has also improved significantly. Last year, people in the downtown area were able to see snow-capped mountains for 81 days, the best record in recent years.

Yu Jing, deputy chief of the multi-country office of the UN-Habitat Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, said that about 58 percent of the global population lives in urban areas, and the core mission of urban construction has expanded from infrastructure development to enhancing residents' sense of belonging, happiness, and security.

"Chengdu's park city exploration responds directly to the real demands of today's urban transformation, and its practices and experience offer valuable lessons for cities across Asia-Pacific and beyond," she said.

Walter Doring, executive chairman of the European Senate of Economy, said Chengdu's practices demonstrate that high-density urban living, thriving industry, and a healthy environment are not mutually exclusive; they can empower one another and bring shared benefits to all residents.

"My field visit left a deep impression on me," he said. "The park city vision has been woven into residents' daily lives."

Doring proposed three areas for cooperation: green technology matchmaking between park city development and Europe's green industry, a joint Europe-China sustainable innovation platform, and a two-way investment channel for small and medium-sized enterprises.

To implement the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the New Urban Agenda, Chengdu and international cities jointly launched the Chengdu Initiative on Park City Development at the forum. The initiative calls for prioritizing ecological conservation and green development, people-centered well-being, inclusive and sustainable growth, and open global cooperation among cities.

In addition, representatives from industry, academia, and research institutions at home and abroad reached the Chengdu Consensus on the Integrated Development of Green and Low-Carbon Science, Technology and Industry.