Scientific Guide for Urban Work in the New Era: Xi Jinping’s Book Entitled Urban Work

Scientific Guide for Urban Work in the New Era:

Xi Jinping’s Book Entitled Urban Work *

Wen Yan

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the Party Central Committee, with General Secretary Xi Jinping at its core, has continuously strengthened the Party’s leadership over urban work, upheld the principle that cities are for the people, promoted people-centered new urbanization, and forged a path for urban development with Chinese characteristics. The recently published book by Xi Jinping, entitled Urban Work, consists of seven topics, compiling his major statements on urban work. These statements form a crucial part of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. They clarify the values and methodologies of urban development, deeply reveal the laws of urban development under socialism with Chinese characteristics, and profoundly answer the fundamental questions of who urban development relies on, who it is for, what kind of cities to build, and how to go about it. This guidance is vital for advancing the modernization of the governance and capacity for urban governance, enhancing new urbanization levels, improving urban environmental quality, people’s living standards, and urban competitiveness, and creating new prospects for people-oriented urban development.

I. To Do Urban Work Well, We Must Strengthen and Improve Party Leadership

The CPC is the core leadership of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and its leadership must be comprehensive, systematic, and holistic. To do urban work well, it is essential to strengthen and improve the Party’s leadership, enhancing its ability and determination to set the direction, make overall plans, formulate policies, and promote reforms. The first topic in the book fully reflects Xi Jinping’s important statements on this matter.

Our Party has always placed great importance on urban work. As early as 1949, at the Second Plenary Session of the Seventh CPC Central Committee, the Party proposed shifting the focus of work from the countryside to the cities. Mao Zedong called on the entire Party to “make great efforts to learn how to manage and build cities.” In 1962, 1963, and 1978, the Central Committee held three urban work meetings to address major urban development issues. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the Party Central Committee, with General Secretary Xi Jinping at its core, has focused on significant, long-term matters, holding the Central Urbanization Work Conference and the Central Urban Work Conference, and implementing a series of major development strategies to address issues affecting the overall situation and long-term development. It proposed the people-centered new urbanization strategy, the strategy for coordinating development in Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei, with the focus on relieving Beijing of its non-capital functions, and the development strategy of the Yangtze River Economic Belt to strengthen environmental protection rather than seeking rapid growth at the cost of the environment. Other initiatives include advancing the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, planning and building the Xiongan New Area, and implementing development plans for urban clusters in the Yangtze River Delta and Chengdu-Chongqing areas. These significant strategic deployments have had and will continue to have a profound impact on the transformation of China’s economic development.

Establishing a sound unified leadership structure for urban work

Urban and rural work constitute two vital fronts for the endeavors of Party committees at all levels, mutually reinforcing each other and essential to overall success. Xi Jinping emphasized that the work related to agriculture, rural areas, and rural residents is a top priority for the entire Party, and urban work holds a significant place in the overall Party and state work. Party committees at all levels must fully recognize the importance and role of urban work, giving it the same level of attention as rural work and handling it with the same seriousness. It is essential to strengthen the leadership responsibilities of Party committees at all levels, with top leaders personally taking charge, and establish a structure where the Party provides unified leadership and both the Party and government take joint responsibility for urban work.

Provincial, autonomous regional, and municipal Party committees and governments should coordinate the modernization of cities within their jurisdictions, setting urban development goals and priorities in line with the national objectives. Urban Party committees and governments are the main bodies responsible for urban work and should formulate local modernization action plans based on the goals and requirements set by the state and provincial authorities. These plans should clarify the overall requirements, implementation steps, and guarantee measures. Subdistrict and community Party organizations are the foundation of the Party’s urban work. They should focus on building service-oriented Party organizations to promote the development of community self-governing organizations and social organizations, working effectively for the benefit of the people, and staying close to, uniting, and guiding them through service. It is vital to strengthen the Party in urban communities, improve grassroots governance led by efforts to strengthen the Party, and transforming grassroots Party organizations into strong fortresses for effectively realizing the Party’s leadership.

Enhancing urban leadership skills and cultivating a high-quality urban team of officials

Urban management is a complex science, much like the human body with its network of veins, pulses, and textures. If not approached scientifically, a city can suffer. With the rapid expansion of cities and growing populations, managing urban areas becomes increasingly challenging. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized the need to cultivate a group of officials who understand cities and can manage them effectively, employing a scientific attitude, advanced concepts, and professional knowledge in urban planning, development, and management. Leaders at all levels should enhance their knowledge related to urban work, quickly mastering the science of urban development and management, understanding the laws of urban development, and improving their ability to lead urban work. Training programs in academies of governance at all levels should include urban work content, and relevant departments should strengthen professional training and education in urban planning, development, and management. Leaders should be educated and guided to respect urban development laws, the natural environment, historical and cultural heritage, and public demands, striving for the healthy development of cities and the wellbeing of citizens.

II. The Crucial Role of Cities in the Overall Work of the Party and the Country

Cities have been a primary carrier of China’s longstanding civilization over the past 5,000 years. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, urban development in China has entered a new phase. In this context, doing urban work well is of great significance. The entire book reflects Xi Jinping’s profound thoughts on the major significance of urban work.

Cities as key carriers of modernization

From now on, the central task of the CPC is to unite and lead the Chinese people in building a great socialist modern country in all respects and to achieve the Second Centenary Goal, comprehensively advancing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese modernization. Xi Jinping pointed out that urban development has become a crucial engine of modernization. How well the relationships between agriculture and industry, and between urban and rural areas, are managed significantly impacts the success of modernization. Looking at the modernization history of various countries, some failed to balance these relationships, resulting in lagging agricultural and rural development, insufficient agricultural product supply, the inability to absorb rural labor effectively, and an influx of unemployed rural workers into urban slums. This led to rural economic decline, troubled industrialization and urbanization, social unrest, and even the fall into the “middle-income trap.” These issues fundamentally reflect problems in leadership and national governance systems.

General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that as the importance and role of cities increase, we must remain clear-headed. While we should fully recognize the achievements in urban development, we must also be acutely aware of the problems and shortcomings. China’s modernization is fundamentally different from that of Western developed countries. China’s development is a “parallel” process where industrialization, informatization, urbanization, and agricultural modernization progress concurrently. Managing the relationship between urban and rural areas is crucial to the overall socialist modernization. As a socialist country led by the CPC, we have the capability and conditions to manage the relationship between agriculture and industry, as well as between urban and rural areas, thus advancing the process of socialist modernization smoothly.

Cities are the centers of economic, political, cultural, and social activities in China. Xi Jinping pointed out that urban development drives overall economic and social progress. We must deeply understand the vital role of cities in economic and social development and in improving people’s livelihoods. Since the reform and opening up policy was implemented in the late 1970s, China has experienced the largest and fastest urbanization process in world history, achieving remarkable accomplishments. From 1978 to 2014, the urbanization rate increased by an average of one percentage point annually. The urban permanent population grew from 170 million to 750 million. The number of cities increased from 193 to 653, and the built-up area expanded from 7,000 square kilometers in 1981 to 49,000 square kilometers in 2014. Urban infrastructure significantly improved, public services continuously enhanced, and urban functions became increasingly sophisticated. Over 80% of the economic output is generated in cities, and more than 50% of the population lives in urban areas. China has gradually formed major urban agglomerations such as the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta, and the Pearl River Delta, which have become the primary drivers of national development. Regions like the Central Plains, the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, and the Chengdu-Chongqing area each have over 100 million people and are well-positioned to form relatively complete industrial systems and large markets, becoming new spaces for driving development. Xi Jinping emphasized that the spatial structure of China’s economic development is undergoing profound changes, with central cities and urban agglomerations becoming the main spaces for development. We should accelerate industrialization and urbanization in some central cities, enhance the functions of urban agglomerations, strengthen the driving force of central cities, and form a powerful system to drive high-quality development.

Urbanization is the inevitable path to modernization. Urbanization is a historical task for China’s modernization. Urbanization is a natural historical process. If we go with the flow and provide proper guidance, it will become a sustained driving force for economic and social development. If not done well, it will bring many conflicts and problems, causing “urban illness” and affecting the modernization process. Currently, China’s urbanization faces great opportunities but also many difficulties. These problems are both unique and universal, and are also related to China’s current stage of development. In particular, we must recognize that for a developing country like ours to achieve urbanization has no precedent in human history. The old path of expansive growth, imbalance between population and land, debt-ridden development, and environmental destruction cannot continue. General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out that promoting the integration of urban and rural development is an inevitable requirement as industrialization, urbanization, and agricultural modernization reach a certain stage, and an important sign of national modernization. Our urbanization drive included rural towns when it was first initiated. The purpose was to promote integrated urban-rural development. If the goals and direction of urbanization are correct, it will help unleash the huge potential of domestic demand, improve labor productivity, solve the urban-rural dual structure, and promote social equity and common prosperity. General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized that urbanization is a nationwide social process, and correct principles must be formulated and adhered to from the beginning. The basic principles are mainly four: people-centered, optimized layout, ecological advancement, and cultural inheritance. We must actively and steadily advance urbanization, promote the coordinated development of cities of different sizes and small towns, achieve a benign interaction between industrialization and urbanization as well as coordination between urbanization and agricultural modernization, and promote the sustained and healthy development of urbanization with Chinese characteristics.

III. Adhering to the Principle of People’s Cities for the People, and Following China’s Path to Urban Development

The core of a city is its people. Whether urban work is done well ultimately depends on the satisfaction of the people. We must adhere to the people-centered development philosophy and the principle of people’s cities for the people—this is the starting point and goal for doing a good job in urban work. In the second topic of the book, General Secretary Xi Jinping profoundly answered the fundamental question of who urban development relies on and for whom it is intended.

Recognizing, respecting, and follow the laws of urban development, and set straight the guiding thought for urban development

Urban development is a natural historical process with its own laws. Since the introduction of the reform and opening up policy, our understanding of economic laws has greatly improved, but our understanding of the laws of urban development is still not deep enough. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that the root cause of various problems in urban work is the failure to fully recognize and consciously follow the laws of urban development. For example, urban and economic development are mutually reinforcing and promoting; urban development is a process of rural population concentrating in cities and agricultural land being converted to urban development land on a corresponding scale; the size of a city must match the carrying capacity of its resources and environment. Starting from China’s natural endowments, historical and cultural traditions, and institutional systems, we must follow universal laws but not be constrained by conventions; we must learn from advanced international experiences but not copy them indiscriminately. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that the formation and development of urban agglomerations has inherent laws, and cannot be forced into being. Urban development cannot only consider economies of scale, but must place ecology and safety in a more prominent position, coordinating the economic, livelihood, ecological, and security needs of urban layouts. We must put into practice the vision of innovative, coordinated, green, open and shared development, adhere to a people-centered approach, sound development, reform and innovation, and law-based urban governance, transform urban development modes, improve urban governance systems, enhance governance capabilities, focus on addressing prominent “urban illnesses,” and continuously improve urban environmental quality, people’s living standards, and urban competitiveness, in order to forge a path of urbanization with Chinese characteristics.

Adhering to the principle of people’s cities being built by and for the people

Cities belong to the people and serve as hubs where people live and engage in community life. Urban development must follow a people-centered development philosophy to enable people to live happier lives. As General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, public opinion matters more than material wealth; only if the people say something is good can it be considered truly good. Whether urban work is done well is evaluated by important criteria like whether the people are satisfied and whether their lives are convenient. We must adhere to a people-centered approach, continuously improving urban functions and enhancing living quality. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that urban development must prioritize enabling people to live and settle comfortably, leaving the best resources for the people. Ensuring people’s lives and health must be the fundamental goal of urban development. We must have strategic vision, meet people’s expectations for high-quality living, adapt to the process of well-rounded human development and common prosperity for all, and continuously make progress in providing better access to childcare, education, employment, medical services, elderly care, housing, and social assistance. We must solve the practical problems of most concern to the people that affect their immediate interests, so that they can have a greater sense of fulfillment, happiness and security. The concept of full life-cycle management should be integrated into all stages of urban planning, development, and administration. Whether it involves urban planning, new district development, or old district renovation, we must adhere to a people-centered approach. This means focusing on people's needs, arranging spaces for production, living, and ecology in a balanced manner, and pursuing high-quality, efficient, and green development. Our goal is to create favorable environments for business, living, leisure, and tourism, enabling people to enjoy happier and more fulfilling lives.

Advancing a people-centered new urbanization

The essence of modernization is the modernization of people. Truly transforming farmers into urban residents and continuously improving their quality requires long-term effort and cannot be achieved overnight. It has taken countries around the world a long time to solve this problem. On the issue of population urbanization, we need sufficient historical patience. China’s urbanization is advancing, with rural-urban migration still a major trend. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that in advancing urbanization, the top priority should be facilitating the orderly conversion of permanent urban residents capable of stable employment and living in cities into urban citizens, with all urban work revolving around this priority. In advancing the urbanization of the migrant agricultural population, we must adhere to the principles of voluntarism, categorization and orderly progress. This task involves adjustments to many systems, policies and interests such as household registration, land, taxation, housing, education and social security, and must be carefully coordinated and advanced in an orderly manner to achieve practical results. General Secretary Xi Jinping stressed that in advancing urbanization, we must be people-centered, improve the quality of the urban population and residents’ living standards, make cities healthier, safer and more livable to become spaces for high-quality living. The pressing task is to enable eligible rural migrants to settle in cities, and accelerate full coverage of basic public services for permanent residents. Through institutional guarantees, we must enable rural-urban migrants to move to cities without worries, and those remaining in rural areas to stay with peace of mind, so that urban and rural areas can develop in a mutually reinforcing manner.

IV. Following the Basic Guidelines for Doing Urban Work Well, and Striving to Create a New Landscape for People’s Urban Development

Urban work is a systematic project. We must adapt to the in the new context in urban work, new demands of reform and development, and new expectations of the people. We need to make coordinated efforts and seek breakthroughs in key areas to improve urban planning, development and governance, and build livable, resilient and smart cities. Topics 3 to 7 of the book compile General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important statements on this subject.

Coordinating spatial, scale and industrial structures to enhance the overarching nature of urban work

In the process of rapid urban development, whether we can form spatial, scale and industrial structures that align with local realities and embody resource endowments and cultural characteristics directly relates to the overall urban development situation. General Secretary Xi pointed out that we must establish a rational urban pattern. Urban agglomerations are an important platform for coordinating the three structures of space, scale and industry. They are the main spatial carriers for urbanization in a populous country like ours, so we must unswervingly develop them. We should take urban agglomerations and metropolitan areas as the basis to shape a pattern of coordinated development for cities of all sizes. From a nationwide perspective, the distribution of cities of all sizes, small towns and urban agglomerations should be well planned to closely integrate with regional economic development, industrial layout and environmental carrying capacities. We need to establish coordination mechanisms for urban agglomeration development, use them as platforms to promote cross-regional coordination among cities on industrial division, infrastructure, ecological conservation, environmental governance, etc., remove administrative and market barriers, and enable free flow and optimal allocation of production factors. We must optimize and upgrade eastern urban agglomerations and reasonably control the scale of large cities. In capable regions of central, western and northeastern China, we will gradually develop several urban agglomerations, promote coordinated development of central border cities and port cities to form new growth areas driving regional economic development and opening up. General Secretary Xi stressed that in line with functional zoning, we must focus on establishing an urban spatial pattern suited to China’s national conditions. The strategic urbanization layout features two east-west and three north-south economic belts. This comprehensive plan must be implemented consistently and should not be frequently altered. All regions must unswervingly implement functional zoning and strictly promote development and urbanization based on it. Each city should cultivate distinctive industrial systems based on its resources, development positioning and direction and strengthen specialized division and collaboration with other cities. It is essential to gradually form a development pattern with horizontal differentiation and vertical division of labor through coordination among cities of all sizes and small towns. We must promote urbanization with county towns as important carriers, follow the trend of integrated urban-rural development, remove institutional barriers hindering equal exchange and two-way flow of urban-rural elements, facilitate more development factors and services flowing to rural areas, and take the lead in eliminating the urban-rural dual structure within counties.

Coordinating planning, development and management to enhance the systematic nature of urban work

Urban work requires systematic thinking, approaching it systematically from the various elements, structures and functions that constitute cities. General Secretary Xi pointed out that urban development is a profound undertaking that must be approached with a highly responsible attitude towards history and the people to truly improve development standards. We must objectively determine the positioning of cities—with an appropriate positioning, there will be scientific planning and pragmatic actions to avoid detours. Urban planning plays a pivotal guiding role in urban development, and must comprehensively consider a city’s functional positioning, cultural characteristics, development management and other factors in formulating plans. We must continually innovate planning concepts and methods to enhance scientific rigor and guidance. Sound planning ensures maximum benefit, while planning mistakes lead to maximum waste, and constant changes are taboo. Urban planning should gradually shift from expansionist plans to defining city boundaries and optimizing spatial structures. Urban plans must maintain continuity—they cannot change with each government transition, and must be underpinned by laws and regulations ensuring seriousness and bindingness. We must strengthen urban design and advocate urban repair, planning and controlling dimensions like spatial three-dimensionality, planar coordination, overall townscape and cultural continuity to preserve a city’s unique local environment, cultural characteristics, architectural styles and other “genes.” Whether planning, development or management, safety must be the top priority, and safety practices must be implemented across all aspects of urban work and development. Cities cannot be built on slogans alone. The level of urban development not only relates to residents’ living quality, but is the source of a city’s vitality. General Secretary Xi emphasizes that in urban work, we must focus on urban management and services—a city’s competitiveness, vitality and appeal hinge on high-caliber management. Urban management objectives, methods and models must all be modernized. We need to improve urban management systems, fully utilize modern information technology, strengthen municipal facility operations, traffic, environmental and emergency management, focus efforts on the community level, improve community governance models, give full play to enterprises and social organizations, and actively advance grid-based service management systems to provide meticulous urban management and quality public services, enabling people to live more conveniently, comfortably and better in cities.

Coordinating reform, technology and culture as three driving forces to enhance sustainable urban development

Urban development relies on the three wheels of reform, technology and culture to strengthen sustainability. Some urban management issues are mainly caused by unsound systems and mechanisms, so they must be resolved through deepening reform. General Secretary Xi pointed out that urban reform spans all aspects, with the current priorities being reforms in planning, development, management and household registration. We need to deepen reforms in the urban management system, clearly defining the central and provincial urban administration authorities, management scope, power lists and responsible entities. We must coordinate supporting reforms in areas like land, finance, education, employment, healthcare, elderly care and housing to break institutional and policy barriers hindering labor and talent flows. Urban reform also includes promoting reform in areas like urban technology and culture. We need to optimize the ecology for innovation and entrepreneurship, letting innovation become the driving force of urban development and promoting interconnected infrastructure to unleash new urban growth drivers. The progression from digitalization to intelligentization and ultimately to smartization is the inevitable path to modernizing urban governance systems and capabilities. We must apply frontier technologies like big data, cloud computing, blockchain and AI to enable the full lifecycle intelligentization of urban planning, development, management and operations, advance smart city development, and realize the goal of “technology making life better.” General Secretary Xi emphasizes that culture is the soul of a city. In urban development, we must ensure residents can enjoy the natural landscape and retain their love of nature. The love of nature means protecting and carrying forward the best elements of traditional Chinese culture, continuing a city’s historical context and preserving Chinese cultural genes. We must protect the cultural heritage left by our predecessors, including cultural relics and sites, historic cultural cities, towns and villages, historic streets and buildings, industrial heritage, as well as intangible cultural heritage—we cannot commit the folly of destroying real heritage to build fake antiques. We must protect not only ancient architecture, but also modern buildings; not just individual buildings, but entire streets and urban layouts; not only exquisite architecture, but also vernacular dwellings and local folk customs imbued with native cultural ambiance. A city’s historical sites, cultural relics and cultural foundations are part of its life. We must protect through development, and develop through protection, allowing ancient cities to regain new vitality, and enabling history and modernity to complement each other.

Coordinating the three layouts of production, living, and ecology to enhance the livability of urban development

“Cities are meant to accommodate the people.” Urban work should aim to create an excellent living environment as the central goal, striving to build cities into beautiful homes characterized by harmony between humans and between them and nature. General Secretary Xi pointed out that urban development must grasp the inherent connections between production, living, and ecological spaces, achieving intensive and efficient production spaces, livable and moderate living spaces, and picturesque ecological spaces. We must enhance the rationality of internal urban layouts and improve cities’ openness and micro-circulation capabilities. We should commit to intensive development, adopt the concepts of “smart growth” and “compact cities,” scientifically delineate urban development boundaries, and promote the transition of urban development from outward expansion to inward enhancement. We must muster greater resolve and effort to properly address various housing development issues, adhere to the positioning of housing for residence rather than speculation, and accelerate the establishment of a housing system with multiple suppliers, multi-channel guarantees, and an equal emphasis on renting and purchasing.

General Secretary Xi stressed that to build a modernization that features harmony between humans and nature, we must place greater prominence on protecting the urban environment, scientifically and rationally plan cities’ production, living and ecological spaces, and properly handle the relationship between urban production, living and ecological conservation—improving both economic development quality and people’s living standards. We must fully integrate the eco-civilization concept and principles into the entire urbanization process, pursuing a new urbanization path of intensiveness, intelligence, greenness and low-carbon. Urban development should not only pursue economic goals, but also ecological goals and human-nature harmony, establishing the awareness that “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets,” and making environmental capacity and cities’ comprehensive carrying capacity the basic basis for determining urban positioning and scale. Every detail of urban planning and development must consider its impact on nature, rather than disrupting natural systems. Urban development must adhere to principles of making plans for population distribution as well as urban and industrial development in accordance with the water resources available. We must control the intensity of urban development, establish protection lines for water bodies, green spaces, infrastructure, historical and cultural heritage, permanent basic farmland, and ecological redlines. This will prevent "flat pie" style expansion and promote green and low-carbon models of production, living, and urban development.

Coordinating the three main entities of government, society and citizens to enhance enthusiasm for all parties to drive urban development

A modern society should be both vibrant and well-ordered, organically uniting dynamism and order. Urban development must adeptly motivate the enthusiasm, proactiveness and creativity of all parties to congregate positive energy fostering development. General Secretary Xi pointed out that cities are living, organic bodies—we must respect and cherish them, establishing a “full-cycle management” mindset. We must pursue coordination and synergy, maximally enabling the government, society and citizens to act with one mind and heart, so that the tangible hand of government, the invisible hand of the market, and the diligent hands of citizens can synergize their strengths. The government must innovate urban governance approaches, accelerate modernization of metropolitan social governance, enhance metropolitan social governance capabilities and urban governance standards, drive innovations in governance means, models and concepts, and focus on efforts for scientific, meticulous and intelligent methods. Communities are the basic units of the urban governance system. We must strengthen the Party in communities, improve community management and service systems, integrate various resources to enhance community public service capabilities, allowing communities to become residents’ most reassuring havens. We must uphold the Party and government’s responsibilities, encourage and support active participation by enterprises, mass organizations and social organizations, establish open and transparent market orders to enable orderly and fair participation and competition by various market entities, while also strengthening oversight to ensure urban development philosophies and plans are realized. Aristotle once said: “Men come together in cities in order to live; they remain together in order to live the good life.”

General Secretary Xi emphasized that the concept of enabling people to live more comfortably must be infused into the lifeblood of urban planning and development, manifested in every detail. The fundamental purpose of advancing urban governance is to enhance people’s sense of gain, happiness and security. Citizens are the main bodies of urban development. We must uphold the principal status of the people in urban development and maintain and develop the Fengqiao Model in the New Era. We must synergize government efforts with public self-regulation and community-level self-governance, accelerate the formation of a modern new community-level social governance pattern based on collaboration, participation, and common interests, expedite modernization of metropolitan social governance, enhance capabilities, and build a community of social governance in which everyone fulfills their responsibilities and shares in the benefits.

* People's Daily, May 27, 2023, p. 6.