by Xinhua writer Wang Hongjiang

BEIJING, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- China has persistently advanced high-quality urban renewal to improve residents' sense of happiness, consciously practicing the people-centered development philosophy, and the efforts have paid off.

Officials and experts discussed in the latest episode of China Economic Roundtable, an all-media talk show hosted by Xinhua News Agency, how China has continuously improved living conditions and the residential environment for its people through the construction of affordable housing, as well as the renovation of shantytowns, old residential communities, urban villages, and dilapidated houses.

Taking Shanghai as an example. A large number of historic "shikumen" and "lilong" alley buildings, mostly constructed before the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949, lack sanitary facilities, with often only one public toilet available for an entire alley, according to Wang Congchun, vice president of Shanghai University.

Some houses accommodated populations far exceeding their designed capacity during specific historical periods, with multiple generations living under the same roof, said Wang, also head of the Shanghai Institute of Urban Regeneration and Sustainability of Shanghai University. He noted that in the early 1990s, the per capita living space in Shanghai was only about 6.6 square meters. By the end of 2024, the per capita residential floor area of urban residents in Shanghai had increased to 37.57 square meters.

Shanghai managed to overcome challenges and gained rich experiences that are replicable for other cities in future urban renewal.

Conducting household surveys before renewal, Shanghai tailored plans for each family while fully respected residents' wishes. Meanwhile, financial support has also been increased from the central and local governments. After renewal, regular follow-up inspections are conducted to ensure residents have no worries, Pan Wei, an official with the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, told the roundtable.

Shanghai is only an epitome of China's urban renewal.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in 2012, the country has built more than 68 million units of various types of affordable and resettlement housing, enabling over 170 million residents with housing difficulties to realize their dream of stable housing, said Pan, adding that more than 300,000 old residential communities have also been renovated, benefiting over 130 million urban residents.

China has established a multi-tiered housing security system, including public rental housing, affordable rental housing, and allocation-based affordable housing, according to Pan. These arrangements correspond to different groups such as low-income households, new city residents, and young people, with tailored arrangements under the system.

On one hand, China is accelerating the construction of affordable housing, focusing on meeting the basic housing needs of vulnerable groups. On the other hand, China is expediting the implementation of a series of renovation projects, particularly targeting shantytowns, old residential communities, urban villages, and dilapidated buildings, to improve residents' living conditions, Pan noted.

Echoing Pan's words, Gao Shiyun, an official with the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, said that following the completion of renovation of vast stretches of old houses in central urban areas of Shanghai in 2022, the city did not stop its efforts.

Since 2023, a total of 380,000 square meters of scattered old houses have been comprehensively renovated, benefiting 13,000 households. Moreover, Shanghai has installed 9,176 elevators in existing multi-story residential buildings and carried out renovation projects of more than 40 million square meters of old residential communities, significantly enhancing residents' sense of gain, happiness, and security in housing, according to Gao.

As a beneficiary, Gu Jiayi, a resident from the post-1985 generation who once lived in an old "shikumen" house, recalled that when she was a child, her family of four squeezed into a small 12 square-meter house without an independent sanitary facility.

"Before dawn, the adults from each household in the alley would carry heavy toilet bowls to the cesspool at the alley entrance, and after emptying them, they would wash them by the side," Gu said at the roundtable.

The renewal project began before she entered university. "Many neighbors moved into new homes with independent kitchens and bathrooms after the renewal, saying that their lives have finally improved," said Gu.

In July, the Central Urban Work Conference stated that urban renewal should be an important lever for optimizing urban structures, transforming growth drivers, improving quality, advancing green development, preserving cultural heritage, and enhancing governance efficiency.

The conference highlighted the aim of building modern, people-centered cities that are innovative, livable, beautiful, resilient, culturally vibrant and smart, stressing that efforts should focus on promoting high-quality urban development. Enditem