At the "forum on developmental strategies for China's urbanization in the 21st century" held in Beijing Diaoyutai State Guesthouse yesterday, Shu Kexin, Director of the Department of Land Use Management under the Ministry of Land and Resources, pointed out that there exist four deficiencies in China's current land use and stressed that the "Garden City" concept does not accord with the proportion of population to land in China. He suggested that all local governments adjust their plans and guidelines and encourage urban construction to extend towards the sky.
Shu indicated in his speech that there were four shortages in China's land management, which are reflected by extensive land use in planning index and design standards. China generally follows planning theories, urban planning theory in particular, used in western countries. As a result, offices, residential areas and factories should all be built in spacious and bright places with agreeable environment.
"The Garden City concept is proper itself, but it becomes a problem when combined with China's national situation. We do not have enough lands, and should China have the same population-to-land ratio as Canada, Australia and Russia, such a concept will be practicable. However, China's population-to-land ratio is far unfavorable than that of other nations. Therefore, China should adjust its plan and guideline and encourage urban construction to extend to the air."
Shu added that the most critical problem of current land management lies in lack of coordinated and concerted planning of land use. Various industries have their own development plans and only mind their own business without matching, coordination or complementation with others, which ends in blind expansion of cities, the race for approval of construction projects of highways, railroads, airports, ports, water conservancy and power plants, as well as fights for forests and grasslands. Such common problems have led to serious waste of lands and resources.
(Chinanews.cn February 21, 2006)
