Small Town Initiatives Popular

01/08/2017

Zhaizhuang Village in Guantao county, Hebei province is a characteristic town producing cucumber. (image: Xinhua)

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China's recently implemented Characteristic Small Town Initiative has resulted in enhanced employment rates, improved infrastructure and public services, better-preserved local culture, as well as more innovative regulations 

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Sheyang Lake Town in Jiangsu province features lotus scenery and lotus roots production. (image: Sohu)

Back in October last year, the Chinese government released its first wave of 127 characteristic small towns as a way to promote urban-rural coordinated development featuring sustainability and healthy urbanisation process.

​To be included in this list, candidate towns needed to apply based on the following 6 critiaes assessed to the Ministry of Housing and Urban-rural Dvelopment of PRC, which then assessed them on the following 6 indicators:

• Development potential,
• Existing high-qualities industries, Rational urban planning,
• Existing supportive policies and measures,
• Renovation programs,
• Infrastructure and localized tourism/culture projects.

Characteristic Miao minority town in Guiyang, Guizhou province. (image: BWPI)

​The Ministry also set the preservation of local features as an important assessment index. It suggested that cities and towns should respect their original layout, ecological environment, and illuminate their unique culture.

Characteristic Miao minority town in Guiyang, Guizhou province. (image: BWPI)

Since inception of this initiative, an additional 100,000 jobs have been created, representing an average increase of 800 per town.

​More than 90% of daily waste has been properly disposed of in 80% of them. And more than 90% of residents have enjoyed access to tap water in more than 90% of such towns. These places now enjoy an average of 7 banks, 5 business centers and 9 delivery outlets, and 15 cultural centres.

​Furthermore, endowed with intangible cultural heritage above the provincial level, over 80% hold locally traditional activities regularly. And 70% have maintained their local folk arts. 

​Over 80% of such towns have established comprehensive law enforcement institutions.

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Tangyu Town in Shanxi Province features hot spring. (Image: Shanxi.news.com)

Other cities in China have started to compete to seize this initiative.

Nanjing has announced its first 25 unique towns this May while planning
to build 100 unique towns within 4-5 years, as suggested by Ren Tangming, deputy director of Jiangsu Development and Reform Comittee this March.

Chongqing has recently announced the development of 35 unique small towns with an average population of 50,000. Chongqing government will subsidize 350million RMB to each characteristic small town for 5 years starting from 2017

Chengdu has launched an online opinion poll for Sichuan province's characteristic small towns.

Zhouwo Music Town in Hebei province features music-themed experience center and water park with music instruments industry as its foundation. (image:travel.hebei.com.cn)

This July, ​the Ministry released the second list of characteristic towns including 276 small towns across all areas of China, aimed to further China's sustainable urbanisation process.

Read the original article at Ministry of Housing and Urban-rural Development of PRC

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