Recently, the Information Office of the People's Government of Dongguan Municipality and the People's Government of Dongguan Municipality hosted a press conference to officially release the No.1 document of the People's Government of Dongguan Municipality in 2019, which is “Several Opinions on the People’s Government of Dongguan Municipality to Expand and Optimize Urban Development Space and Accelerate High-Quality Development” (hereinafter referred to as the “Opinions”). The “Opinions” center around the expansion and optimization of space for production, living and ecology and the “40 measures for space expansion” as well as a series supporting policies were also launched.
There are many innovative measures under the “40 measures for space expansion”. For instance, Dongguan encourages different towns and streets to adopt unified renting and acquisition pattern and transform contiguous rented rooms into projects such as customized talent apartments and long-term apartments for rent that can be incorporated into local housing support system. The overall plan for urban renewal will also be facilitated with less red tape and the time required for examination and approval will be reduced to less than six months.
Expansion and optimization of space for three different purposes
Starting from this year, Dongguan will include its move of expansion and optimization of urban development space (short for “space expansion”) as a strategic support for the city to participate in the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and as a prominent task for the city to realize high-quality development. “Space expansion” mainly focuses on space for production, living and ecology.
It is pointed out in the “Opinions” that efforts should be made to enhance capacity and improve efficiency so as to optimize and expand space for industrial development. From now to 2021, the municipal level of Dongguan should strive to expropriate and reserve over 1,000 mu of land every year and the town and street levels should endeavor to expropriate and reserve one plot of land with an area of 500 mu each year. The southeastern area adjacent to Shenzhen should strive to readjust one to two plots of land with an area of 1,000 mu. Efforts should also be made to coordinate and utilize an area of no less than 24,000 mu of existing land. Over 20 projects of existing industrial areas transformation for new industrial land or new types of industrial land will be launched and more than 30 projects for transformation and improvement of industrial parks above town and village levels and transformation of contiguous rented rooms will be basically completed.
The optimization and expansion of living space will focus on quality of living. By the end of 2021, a batch of high-quality urban living rooms, urban balconies, public corridors and urban reflecting projects will be completed first in the downtown and Binhaiwan New District. Efforts will also be made to implement 30 key renovation units, expedite the building of more than ten complexes above rail facilities and build 100 high-quality living areas in communities.
In terms of space for ecology, priority will be given to balance and quality to optimize and expand ecological space such as mountains and waters. By the end of 2021, effective ecological environment evaluation mechanisms for unified management and control of natural resources space and regional space should be built. The green coverage rate and forest coverage rate should reach no less than 45% and 37.5% respectively. A batch of premium urban open space, waterfront space, urban agricultural space as well as culture and creativity space will be developed.
“Space expansion” demonstrates Dongguan’s determination to improve city quality
At the beginning of this year, it is explicitly pointed out in the work report of the People’s Government of Dongguan Municipality that “the commitment to expanding space and improving intensive development should be firm”. A closer look of the key words of the “No.1 document” of the People’s Government of Dongguan Municipality, such as “Made in Dongguan 2025”, robotic intelligent equipment industry, “multiplication program”, “Beautiful Dongguan” to now “space expansion”, fully demonstrate that the priority of Dongguan CPC Committee and the People’s Government has been shifted from industrial development to gradual improvement of city quality.
The No.1 document of the People’s Government of Dongguan Municipality in 2019 is half a year in the making and it covers broad reform tasks and concerns a variety of parties. The “40 measures for space expansion” marks the implementation of the “critical task of space expansion” among the “nine critical tasks” in the government work report and the concrete action of implementing the “Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area”. This also showcases the strong determination of Dongguan CPC Committee and the People’s Government to optimize and expand urban space quality, seize strategic opportunities and accelerate high-quality development.
