Minister of Housing and Urban Rural Development Ni Hong: The Mission and Responsibility of Urban Workers in the New Era
On September 23, 2022/2023, the China Urban Planning Annual Conference was grandly opened in Wuhan. Ni Hong, Secretary of the Party Group and Minister of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Rural Development, attended the meeting and delivered an important speech.
I am delighted to attend the China Urban Planning Annual Conference. On behalf of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Rural Development, I warmly congratulate the convening of this academic event! Sincere congratulations to the award-winning groups and individuals! Sincere greetings to all experts, scholars, and urban planners! At the same time, taking this opportunity, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the China Association for Science and Technology, the Hubei Provincial Party Committee and Government, as well as the Wuhan Municipal Party Committee and Government, for their long-term care and support in the field of housing and urban-rural development!
The development of a great country requires planning to be prioritized. Has made positive contributions to promoting the modernization of urban construction in China.
In the new era and new journey, the strategic position and role of cities have been further highlighted, and urban work has ushered in new major opportunities. The 20th CPC National Congress has drawn a grand blueprint for building a socialist modern country in an all-round way and comprehensively promoting the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation with Chinese path to modernization, put forward new requirements for improving the level of urban planning, construction and governance, and defined the new goal of building a livable, resilient and smart city.
In the new era, there must be a new atmosphere, and even more so, there must be new achievements.
Below, I will share four opinions with everyone.
Always adhere to our original aspiration and serve the needs of national development and people's livelihoods
"Urban work is of great importance in the overall work of the Party and the state." "The core of a city is people, and the key is twelve words: clothing, food, housing, transportation, life, aging, illness, and death, and living and working in peace and contentment." "To do urban work well, we must comply with the new situation of urban work, the new requirements of reform and development, and the new expectations of the people, adhere to the development concept of putting the people at the center, and adhere to the principle of putting the people's city as the people. This is the starting point and foothold for us to do urban work well.".
Looking back at history, China's urban work has always kept up with the pace of the times, resonated with the development of the country, and resonated with the needs of the people. Generation after generation of urban workers have remained steadfast in their original aspirations, dedicating themselves wholeheartedly to the prosperity of the country and the happiness of the people. At the beginning of the founding of the People's Republic of China, planning and construction of eight key cities including Xi'an, Lanzhou, and Luoyang were launched to construct 156 key projects, providing important guarantees for the large-scale development of China's industry. After the reform and opening up, adapting to the thriving economic development situation, urban planning concepts have been constantly updated, types have been continuously expanded, and technology has been continuously advanced, effectively leading the world's largest and fastest urbanization process.
This provides us with fundamental guidelines for doing a good job in urban work. The basic idea of "one respect and five overall planning" for urban work has been clarified Respect the laws of urban development; coordinate the three major structures of space, scale, and industry to improve the overall planning of urban work; coordinate the three major links of planning, construction, and management to improve the systematicity of urban work; coordinate the three major driving forces of reform, culture, and technology to improve the sustainability of urban development; coordinate the three major layouts of production, life, and ecology to improve the livability of urban development; coordinate the three main bodies of government, society, and citizens to improve the livability of all parties involved The enthusiasm for promoting urban development. Urban construction must prioritize making people livable and secure, leaving the best resources for the people; "Whether it is urban planning or construction, whether it is the construction of new urban areas or the renovation of old urban areas, we must adhere to the principle of putting the people at the center, focusing on the needs of the people, reasonably arranging production, living, and ecological spaces, and taking a high-quality development path that is connotation oriented, intensive, and green. We must strive to create a good environment that is suitable for business, living, entertainment, and tourism, so that the people can have more sense of gain and create a happier and better life for them." . In 2021, at the important moment of the centennial founding of the CPC, the Party Central Committee made the third historical resolution - the Resolution on the Significant Achievements and Historical Experience of the Party's Centennial Struggle. In the important chapter of "Creating a New Era of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics", "Strengthening urban planning, construction and management" was written as one of the major measures and important experiences of our Party to strengthen strategic planning and unified leadership of economic work. This reflects the high importance that the Party Central Committee attaches to urban work, and is a full affirmation of generations of urban workers who have adhered to their original aspirations and worked hard. It is also a great honor, encouragement, and motivation!
Never forget your original intention, only then can you continue. Currently, China has entered a new journey of comprehensively building a socialist modernized country and advancing towards the second centenary goal. Cities are an important carrier for promoting high-quality development, creating high-quality living, and building a socialist modernized country. We are closer than ever before to achieving the grand goal of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and we also need to strengthen urban work and play a strategic role in promoting the construction of a socialist modernized country. Standing in a new historical position, it is necessary to fully, accurately, and comprehensively implement the new development concept, closely focus on the primary task of promoting high-quality development and the strategic task of building a new development pattern, and closely plan and promote urban work around the people's aspirations for a better life. Urban workers should keep in mind their original aspirations, unite and strive to improve the level of urban planning, construction, and governance in China, and contribute wisdom and strength to enhance the happiness, sense of gain, and sense of security of the people.
Always shoulder the mission and build livable, resilient, and smart cities
The Central Urban Work Conference pointed out that "cities are the center of China's economic, political, cultural, social and other activities, and play a crucial role in the overall work of the Party and the state.". The report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China proposes to adhere to the principle of building people's cities for the people, improving the level of urban planning, construction, and governance, accelerating the transformation of the development mode of mega cities, implementing urban renewal actions, strengthening urban infrastructure construction, and creating livable, resilient, and smart cities. The content is very rich and the requirements are very clear. This is the mobilization order issued by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China to do a good job in urban work in a new era and a new journey, and it is the signal to build a modern city carrier of Chinese path to modernization. We must bear heavy burdens and courageously shoulder our missions, and effectively implement the decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee.
Firstly, solidify the foundation of people's housing. The original aspiration and mission of our party is to seek happiness for the people, and living in peace is the cornerstone of their happiness. We must strive to provide better housing for the people, from good houses to good communities, from good communities to good communities, from good communities to good urban areas, and create high-quality living spaces. We need to deepen the structural reform of the housing supply side, build good houses, improve housing functions, and enhance the quality of living. We need to study and establish a system for physical examination, elderly care, and insurance of houses, and improve a long-term mechanism for safety management throughout the entire life cycle of houses. We must focus on the "corridor revolution", "environmental revolution", and "management revolution", and solidly promote the renovation of old residential areas. We should focus on the construction of "one elderly and one small" facilities that are of concern to the public, promote the construction of complete communities, and make them the most reassuring and reassuring happy homes for residents.
Secondly, strengthen the guidance of urban design. Urban design is an effective means to implement the requirements of urban development strategy, guide architectural design, and shape the unique urban style. I have visited Academician Zhang Jinqiu and asked for advice on urban design issues. She said that a good planner must have in mind the appearance of each individual unit that implements the plan, so that the plan can truly be implemented; A good architect must have a place for the individual in the group in their heart, so that the building can be harmonious with the group. I have come to realize that when these two are combined, it is urban design. Entering the era of urban renewal and promoting high-quality urban development, it is necessary to put real effort into urban and architectural design. We need to improve the urban design management system, clarify the design requirements for buildings, communities, blocks, and cities at different scales, and standardize and guide the implementation of urban renewal projects. We need to explore and optimize the construction project permit system and technical measures applicable to stock renewal and renovation, and establish a full lifecycle management system for construction project design, construction, acceptance, and operation and maintenance.
Thirdly, steadily advancing urban renewal. Urban renewal is an inevitable stage of urbanization development. The key to promoting urban renewal is to identify and effectively solve problems. We must adhere to the principle of prioritizing urban physical examinations, starting from a problem oriented approach, delineating urban physical examination units, and identifying urgent and difficult issues around the public; Starting from a goal oriented approach, identify the weaknesses and shortcomings that affect urban competitiveness, carrying capacity, and sustainable development. We should focus on the problems identified in urban health examinations, formulate special plans and annual implementation plans for urban renewal, improve financial, fiscal, and land support policies and institutional mechanisms, adhere to government guidance, market operation, and public participation, steadily implement urban renewal actions, and systematically promote the governance of urban diseases.
Fourthly, promote green and low-carbon construction. Cities are an important battlefield for building a beautiful China, and the concept of green and low-carbon should run through the entire process of urban construction. We must continue to promote the security of urban water supply, the construction of sponge cities, and the management of urban waterlogging, promote the opening and sharing of parks and green spaces, and better meet the needs of citizens for leisure, recreation, and closeness to nature. We need to promote green building materials, green construction, and green buildings in an integrated manner, and comprehensively promote energy conservation and carbon reduction in the construction field. We need to accelerate the improvement of sewage collection and treatment facilities, enhance urban drainage and flood prevention capabilities, vigorously rectify black and odorous water bodies in county-level cities, and provide people with clean water, green shores, and shallow bottoms for fish to swim. We must persistently focus on garbage classification and promote it as a new trend in low-carbon living.
Fifth, adhere to cultural and technological empowerment. Culture and technology are inexhaustible driving forces for urban development. We must continue to do a good job in the protection and revitalization of historical blocks and buildings, transform "demolition and renovation" into "renovation and demolition", and not destroy the traditional pattern and texture of streets and alleys in the old urban area. Let people remember history and nostalgia, and integrate historical culture with modern life, complementing each other. We should place technological innovation in a more prominent position in urban work, continuously consolidate and improve world leading technologies, concentrate on tackling and breaking through bottleneck technologies, and vigorously promote the application of practical technologies that benefit the people. We need to accelerate the construction of new urban infrastructure based on digitization, networking, and intelligence, allowing modern information technologies such as 5G and the Internet of Things to enter households, buildings, and communities, making cities smarter and smarter.
Sixth, establish a solid bottom line for quality and safety. Quality and safety are related to the safety of people's lives and property, and to the future development of cities. We need to comprehensively implement policies from various aspects such as implementing responsibilities, promoting technological progress, cultivating industrial workers, utilizing market mechanisms, and strengthening regulatory forces, and make great efforts to improve the engineering quality assurance system. We need to accelerate the construction of urban lifeline safety engineering, conduct real-time monitoring of urban lifelines such as water supply, drainage, gas, heat, bridges, and pipe galleries, detect and deal with risks and hidden dangers early, improve urban safety guarantee capabilities, and support high-quality development with high-level safety.
Always attach importance to practice and study the major problems faced by urban modernization construction
Cities are complex giant systems, with various contradictions and problems intertwined and influencing each other. Urban work is a highly practical task. In the past, we faced one problem after another, solved one problem after another, and achieved great success in promoting urban development. Today, in the face of new goals and requirements for the development of the Party and the state, we must adhere to the principle of putting practice first, adhering to problem orientation, standing at the height of the times and the overall situation, and making efforts to study the major problems faced by urban modernization construction. I would like to raise three questions here, hoping that everyone can discuss them together.
Firstly, focus on researching major issues related to high-quality development. In terms of cities, over the past forty years of reform and opening up, the successful path of urban development in China lies in the dual drive of industrialization and urbanization, in handling the relationship between the government and the market well, and achieving a positive interaction between an effective market and a promising government. To continue on this path of success, there are two major issues that urgently need to be studied: first, how cities can build new productive forces and production relations that adapt to high-quality development; The second is how to cultivate new drivers of urban economic growth in the context of reduced population dividends and unsustainable land finance.
Secondly, focus on researching major issues related to high-quality living. One is how to provide good houses, communities, and urban areas for the people, and achieve the construction of "four good"; Secondly, many cities are still plagued by urban diseases. How to effectively undergo physical examinations and treatments, and what are the effective prescriptions for effective medicine.
Thirdly, focus on researching major issues related to high-level security. Firstly, after decades of rapid development, the safety risks brought about by aging houses and outdated pipe networks have gradually emerged. How to effectively prevent and resolve these risks, and establish a safety guarantee system for the entire life cycle; The second is how to effectively respond to the increasing global climate change and extreme weather events, and how to promote green and low-carbon development under these challenges.
The problem is the voice of the times. Half or ninety of us travel a hundred miles. In addition to the three aspects and six problems mentioned above, China's urban modernization construction also faces many other contradictions and problems, which are major issues entrusted to us by the times. Planning is not only an arrangement for future development, but also the key to solving practical problems. To answer these contemporary issues well, the first step is to start with planning, and planners must first shoulder the responsibility. I hope everyone can delve into the vivid and vivid practice of urban construction and development, carefully understand the situation, devote themselves to researching problems, and carefully propose countermeasures.
Always follow the rules, plan, build, and manage the city well
We must recognize, respect, and comply with the laws of urban development, and correct the guiding ideology of urban development; The problems that arise in urban work ultimately stem from a lack of sufficient understanding and conscious compliance with the laws of urban development. From the practice of urban development both domestically and internationally, anything that conforms to the law can achieve good results; Anything that goes against the rules can easily backfire. Affected by climate change and extreme weather, rainstorm disasters have increased in recent years, which tells us that water is incompressible. If you don't give water, you can't leave a way. If you don't find the source of water, water will leave you nowhere to go. What should we do? There is an old saying among farmers, "four acres of land and one acre of pond", which emphasizes the importance of respecting laws. One acre of pond is used for storing water in the rainy season and watering in the dry season. This is a natural principle in the hearts of the people. In fact, it is the concept and practice of the people's understanding of laws and following them under historical conditions at that time. To do a good job in urban work in the new era, we must also always adhere to respecting and following the rules. Urban planning plays an important leading role in urban development. Here, I would like to share three insights on urban planning work with everyone.
Firstly, at what scale should planning talk about a lot of big things. We all look at maps, including world maps, China maps, and city maps. On the world map, national borders can be seen, but provincial borders cannot be seen; On a map of China, you can see the boundaries of each province, but you cannot see the boundaries of cities; On a city map, you can see the city boundaries, but you cannot see the location of the city in the country or in the world. Similarly, different levels of planning have different scales and undertake different functions and missions, which is what matters at what scale. Just like concrete, cement, sand, and stones need to be scientifically graded in order to create pillars and buildings that meet the standards. Urban planning, construction, and management can only complement each other and achieve great results. We should deeply understand, accurately grasp, and thoroughly implement the major decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee. From the perspective of ensuring national food security, ecological security, and promoting high-quality urban development, we should implement the outline of land and space planning. At the same time, we should focus on Chinese path to modernization construction, and use wisdom to do a good job in urban planning, construction, and management, so that people can live more conveniently, more comfortably, and better in cities.
Secondly, planning must be effective and effective. How we view planning and how to formulate and implement it, fundamentally, is to be effective and effective, able to solve practical problems, and promote the scientific development of cities. The requirements for planning vary depending on the stage of urban development. At present, urban development has shifted from external expansion to internal enhancement, and the main contradiction has shifted from solving the "existence" to "good or bad". In the era of urban renewal, planners and planning institutes also need to adapt to new stages, changes, and requirements. We need to find the direction and focus of our efforts in serving the major strategic deployment of the country. This year, the central government has made major decisions and deployments to plan and construct affordable housing, renovate "urban villages", and build public infrastructure for both basic and urgent needs. These are the "three major projects" in the field of construction in the new era, which are major measures to improve people's livelihoods, expand domestic demand, and promote high-quality development. They also provide a broad space for planning institutes and planners to showcase their talents. Everyone should actively participate, Promote the implementation and effectiveness of the "Three Major Projects" through effective planning and design. We should start by improving the living conditions and environment of the people, starting from solving their urgent needs, vigorously carrying out urban design, preparing and implementing special plans, promoting planners and designers to enter communities, and orderly implementing urban renewal actions.
Here, I would like to raise two more hopes: the China Urban Planning Society should further strengthen its own construction, enhance organizational cohesion, academic leadership, social credibility, and international influence, further play its functional role, and promote the innovative development of China's urban planning industry. Urban workers, including urban planners, should have a broad mind and vision, wisdom and responsibility, responsibility and pursuit, actively engage in the high-quality development of cities, and courageously achieve outstanding results worthy of the times.
Comrades! In the new era and new journey, urban work has a great responsibility and a glorious mission.
Finally, I wish the conference a complete success!