China’s Pioneering Approach to Modern Urban Governance for a Better Future

A press conference was held on Tuesday to brief preparations for the upcoming Beijing Forum on Swift Response to Public Complaints, scheduled for December 18 to 19. With the permanent theme “People’s City, Better Future,” this year’s forum focuses on “Modernizing for People-Centered Urban Governance.”

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, President Xi Jinping has introduced new strategies to promote the modernization of urban governance, particularly in large cities. Emphasizing a “new type of urbanization that puts people at the core” and recognizing “urban governance as an important part of accelerating the modernization of China’s system and capacity for governance,” these strategies form a comprehensive theoretical framework guiding urban development. Under this guidance, Beijing has transformed its urban governance concepts to meet the public’s aspirations for a better life.

In 2019, Beijing upgraded its 12345 hotline, a government service platform connecting individuals and businesses to various services, and launched a rapid-response mechanism for public appeals. This initiative effectively bridges the personalized needs of citizens with precise services from urban governance institutions.

By swiftly addressing public demands and supporting the individualized development of residents, Beijing has transitioned its governance approach toward a more service-oriented and collaborative model. This transformation is evident in several key aspects:

Integrating Urban Planning, Construction, and Management: Promoting full-cycle management awareness, Beijing has piloted “health check-ups” in urban governance, ensuring that issues identified during management are promptly fed back into planning and construction stages. This creates a systematic, closed-loop management model that enhances coordination across all aspects of urban governance.

The city has improved its spatial planning system, ensuring seamless integration of key functional area planning, specialized planning, and street-level regulatory plans. This enhances the scientific and practical aspects of urban and rural planning.

Furthermore, Beijing has advanced digital urban governance by increasing operational efficiency, strengthening risk prevention and control capabilities, and improving scientific, precise, and intelligent city management.