China Released the Shenzhen Territorial Comprehensive Planning (2021-2035) （Part 1）

▲ Skyscrapers border a lush green landscape in Shenzhen's central business district. [China Daily]

1. Background of the Plan.

In May 2019, the State Council issued the "Opinions on Establishing a Territorial Planning System and Supervising its Implementation." This document clearly outlines the integration of various territorial plans such as functional zone planning, land use planning, and urban-rural planning into a unified territorial planning, realizing the "integration of multiple plannings."

Following the decisions of the State Council, the Shenzhen Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government, with careful guidance from the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Guangdong Provincial Department of Natural Resources, as well as strong support from relevant national ministries, have organized the formulation of the "Shenzhen Territorial Comprehensive Planning (2021-2035)." This plan establishes a new framework for developing and protecting Shenzhen's territorial space in the mid-term to long-term for the period up to 2035 as a whole.

2. Planning Targets.

2.1 Define the nature of the city and its core functional positioning.

The approval of the State Council clearly defines Shenzhen as a special economic zone, a national innovative city, a modern marine city, and an international comprehensive transportation hub.

The implementation of the Planning should adhere to the people-centered approach, balance development and security, and promote harmony between humans and nature. Shenzhen is to play a pivotal role as a national economic center, an advanced manufacturing base, a gateway for opening up, and an international science and technology innovation hub, all while developing into a pilot demonstration area for socialism with Chinese characteristics and becoming a model city for China's efforts to build a modern socialist country.

2.2 Define the target and vision of urban development.

The Planning outlines the goals and visions of Shenzhen in various phases: By 2025, Shenzhen aims to become a globally influential economic center and a modern international metropolis. By 2035, Shenzhen will become a globally influential hub for innovation, entrepreneurship, and creativity, as well as a harmonious, livable, and happy home for all, setting an example of a modern socialist city. Shenzhen will take the lead in achieving socialist modernization. By 2050, Shenzhen aims to stand proudly among the world's advanced cities, becoming a global benchmark city with outstanding competitiveness, innovation, and influence.

2.3 Define the planning scope.

The scope of this comprehensive planning covers the land and marine space within Shenzhen's administrative area and also provides guidelines for the protection and utilization of territorial space in the Shenzhen-Shantou Special Cooperation Zone.

3. Main Contents.

3.1 Strengthen regional collaboration and enhance the core engine function of the Greater Bay Area.

Firstly, jointly build a world-class Greater Bay Area with Hong Kong and Macau, to support their integration into the national development framework, strengthen in-depth collaboration and coordinated development between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, optimize the spatial pattern of Shenzhen-Hong Kong dual cities, and reinforce the"twin-city synergy" between Shenzhen and Guangzhou to foster east-west integration and interaction across the Pearl River Estuary.

Secondly, accelerate the construction of the Shenzhen Metropolitan Area, enhance Shenzhen’s core competitiveness and its ability to drive regional growth, and promote deeper integration and coordinated development with Dongguan and Huizhou.

Thirdly, set high standards for the development of the Shenzhen-Shantou Special Cooperation Zone to create an important growth pole for the metropolitan area, advance infrastructure integration, and explore replicable and scalable new models of regional cooperation. The goal is to transform the cooperation zone into a modern coastal new city, an industrial new city, and an idyllic city.

3.2 Adhere to the bottom line thinking, and optimize the urban spatial pattern.

Firstly, coordinate the delineation of arable land and permanent farmland, ecological protection red line, and urban development boundary as non-negotiable limits for adjusting economic structure, planning industrial development, and promoting urbanization. By 2035, Shenzhen’s retained arable land will not be less than 32,400 mu (about 21.6 square kilometers), with protected permanent farmland covering no less than 34,000 mu (including 4,000 mu of compensated farmland). The area under the ecological protection red line will not be less than 872.02 square kilometers, including at least 394.28 square kilometers of marine ecological protection. The urban development boundary will be restricted to 1,130.74 square kilometers.

Secondly, continue optimizing the urban spatial structure of "multi-center, cluster-based, and eco-friendly", expanding and improving the urban core circle, establishing 12 differentiated city functional centers and 12 functional nodes, to form a balanced and distinctive " one core, multi-center networked " urban spatial pattern.

Source:

<https://www.sz.gov.cn/cn/xxgk/xwfyr/wqhg/20241010/>

Editor & Translator: GUO Xinxin