The Hunan Provincial People’s Government recently issued a Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan (CZT) Metropolitan Area Development Plan. The plan is a guideline for recent and future high-quality development in terms of urban integration of Changsha, Zhuzhou, and Xiangtan cities. In addition, it lays a foundation for the formulation of related plans and policies. The plan covers the period from now to 2025 and extends to 2035 from a long-term perspective.

The plan clarifies that the CZT Metropolitan Area includes Changsha City; Zhuzhou’s central urban area and Liling county-level city; and, Xiangtan’s central urban area, Shaoshan county-level cities, and Xiangtan County. The total area is 18,900 square kilometers, and the last recorded data of the population was 14.84 million in 2021. The total economic volume reached 1.79 trillion yuan. In 2007, the CZT City Cluster was approved as a National Comprehensive Supporting Reform Trial Area to build a “Two-oriented” Society, i.e., resource-saving and environment-friendly society. Since then, the progress of urban integration of the CZT Metropolitan Area has greatly accelerated, and the competitiveness and economic strength has enhanced. The area is ready to promote high-quality urban integration and foster a modern metropolitan area with a high starting point.

The plan lists six significant tasks, including integrating and optimizing the layout of the metropolitan area; boosting interconnectivity of infrastructure; establishing a sci-tech innovation industrial system; facilitating joint protection and treatment of ecological environment; propelling joint construction and sharing of public services; and, constructing a high-standard market system. In 2025, the CZT Metropolitan Area will see significant improvement in urban integration in competitiveness, capacity for driving development in surrounding areas, high-standard infrastructure, modern public services, and social security. An urban integrated development pattern will begin to take shape and become a benchmark of high-quality provincial development, high-level administration, and high-quality life. In 2035, the urban integrated development pattern will be fully formed. The urban-rural gap of regional development and people’s living standards will shrink. With these changes, people will get equal access to public services; the infrastructure will be interconnected; people’s livelihood will be better; and, a modern social governance model will be formed. The capacity to drive the development of surrounding areas will be significantly elevated. A modern metropolitan area with distinctive characteristics and charms will take shape.

The plan underlines reinforcing the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in CZT Metropolitan Area development. By constructing and completing the plan implementation and guarantee mechanisms it will help ensure fulfillment of significant targets and tasks in the plan. Changsha, Zhuzhou, and Xiangtan cities, as the undertakers of the CZT Metropolitan Area development, should make concerted efforts, clarify responsibilities, and roll out detailed action plans and special schemes, to ensure the implementation of all tasks and objectives. All related departments around the province should shoulder their respective responsibility; formulate unique plans in infrastructure, industrial development, territorial space, eco-environment, public service, and opening up; and study and roll out supporting policies and comprehensive reform measures. To provide long-term and strong momentum for collaboration and synergy, a working system regarding planning and coordination, policy support, project support, and institutional innovation shall be formed.

This article is from the Hunan Provincial Government www.enghunan.gov.cn.
 
Translator: Pang Yuehui
 
Chinese source: hunan.gov.cn