At the press briefing on the territorial spatial master plan of the Yangtze River Delta Integrated Development Demonstration Zone held today (February 21), Zhang Bing, Director of the Territorial Spatial Planning Bureau of the Ministry of Natural Resources, and Zhang Zhongwei, Deputy Director of the Executive Committee of the Yangtze River Delta Integrated Development Demonstration Zone, introduced the relevant situations about the Territorial Spatial Master Plan of the Yangtze River Delta Ecological and Green Integrated Development Demonstration Zone (2021-2035) (hereinafter referred to as the Plan). Zhang Yuxin, Deputy Director of Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Planning and Natural Resources, Li Ruhai, Deputy Director of Jiangsu Provincial Department of Natural Resources, and Gu Hao, Deputy Director of Zhejiang Provincial Department of Natural Resources, attended the press conference and jointly answered reporters’ questions.(I)Promoting the regional integration and development of the Yangtze River Delta is a major strategy personally planned, deployed and promoted by General Secretary Xi Jinping. The construction of the Yangtze River Delta Ecological and Green Integrated Development Demonstration Zone (hereinafter referred to as the Demonstration Zone), which consists of Qingpu District of Shanghai, Wujiang District of Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province and Jiashan County of Jiaxing City, Zhejiang Province, is a pioneering and breakthrough move for the implementation of the integrated development strategy for the Yangtze River Delta.Recently, the State Council approved the Territorial Spatial Master Plan of the Yangtze River Delta Ecological and Green Integrated Development Demonstration Zone (2021-2035) (hereinafter referred to as the Plan), laying the foundation for the planning, construction and spatial governance of the Demonstration Zone. The promulgation of the Plan is of great practical significance to promoting the implementation of the integrated development strategy for the Yangtze River Delta, and advancing coordinated regional development and integrated urban-rural development. At the same time, the Plan is the first cross-administrative region territorial spatial plan approved by the State Council following the Outline of National Territorial Spatial Planning (2021-2035) issued by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, accumulating experience, and providing reference for the preparation and implementation of regional territorial spatial plans in other regions. It has important exemplary significance for deepening the reform on integration of multiple plans and improvement of the territorial spatial planning systems.Guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, the Plan fully implements the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, solidly promotes Chinese-style modernization, and completely, accurately and comprehensively implement the new development philosophy, closely follows the two key themes of integration and high quality, clarifies the targets, positioning, spatial strategy and basic requirements for the Demonstration Zone. The Plan depicts a promising blueprint for the development and protection landscape of territorial space in the Demonstration Zone by 2035, and puts forward regionally integrated spatial measures across the three areas on the ecology and environment, infrastructure, public services, and urban and rural landscape, in a bid to drive the improvement of the spatial governance in the Demonstration Zone.The Plan proposes that the Demonstration Zone will focus on integration and high quality. It will prioritize ecological elements, advance green and low-carbon development and foster innovation-driven, high-quality development. It will pursue multi-centered, connected and integrated spatial development, and cross-provincial integrated spatial strategy, in a bid to build a Chinese-style modernized demonstration zone where man and nature live in harmony.The Plan emphasizes that the Demonstration Zone will strictly abide by the requirements on resource security. It will not engage in concentrated, large-scale, highly-intensive development and construction, or follow the old path of expanding construction land at scale. On the basis of adhering to safety management and control including cultivated land protection, ecological protection, and natural and cultural heritage protection, the Demonstration Zone will limit the total scale of planned construction land to up to 803.6 square kilometers by 2035, 15.7 square kilometers less than the current status. The Plan specifies that the Demonstration Zone shall optimize the national territorial spatial landscape. Based on the regional resource endowment and the characteristics of Jiangnan water town, it will develop a multi-centered, connected, intensive, open, and green regional integrated spatial layout, expand ecological space, guarantee agricultural space, and optimize urban space. It will strive to build an ecological pattern of “one center, two corridors, three chains, and four areas”, an agricultural development pattern of “four belts and multiple areas” and an urban and rural spatial layout of “two cores, four belts and five areas.”The Plan proposes that the Demonstration Zone shall promote green and low-carbon development. By 2035, the water area (of rivers and lakes) will not be less than 20.6% of the total area, and the forest coverage will exceed 12%. It will accelerate the formation of spatial patterns and green production methods and lifestyles that help conserve resources and protect the environment. The proportion of green mobility shall rise to 80%. With the water town unit from the integration of the lake, river, farmland, town and village as the spatial carrier, the zone will promote the optimization of the layout of existing land, foster structural adjustment and connotation improvement, advance the integration of innovation space and ecological space, and enhance the role of “beautiful scenery” and “new ecology” in promoting the “new economy.” The Plan emphasizes that the Demonstration Zone shall rely on “One Map” of the national territorial spatial planning to promote cross-regional, integrated and collaborative spatial governance. It will focus on the co-protection and co-governance of the ecological environment, build the Taipu River and Beijing-Hangzhou Canal clean water corridors, and unify the environmental protection discharge standards for the Demonstration Zone. The urban sewage collection and treatment rate will reach 100%, the water quality compliance rate of the water functional area will reach 100%, and the proportion of state-controlled surface water that meet national Class III standards will reach 100%. The zone will jointly build three historical and cultural belts, namely Jiangnan Canal, Taihu Lake-Huangpu River, and Jiaxing-Wusong River. It will coordinate the rail transit network of the Demonstration Zone and connect the previous cross-provincial dead-end roads. It will promote the overall layout, joint construction and sharing of high-level public service facilities.According to the requirements by the State Council, the people’s governments of Shanghai, Jiangsu Province and Zhejiang Province shall enhance organizational leadership, identify the division of responsibilities, improve working mechanisms, optimize policies and measures, and promote the construction of the Demonstration Zones at a high level under the guidance of the Plan. It will strictly abide by the basic requirements on territorial space management and control like Three Areas and Three Lines stipulated in the Plan, and focus on the integration of ecological and environmental protection, so as to protect the environment well, refrain from large-scale development, and effectively improve land conservation and intensive utilization. The Ministry of Natural Resources shall, in accordance with the division of responsibilities and work, foster close coordination and cooperation, strengthen guidance, supervision and evaluation, accelerate the establishment of a life-cycle management system for the implementation of the Plan, ensure that the objectives of the Plan are upheld, and resolutely safeguard the seriousness and authority of the Plan.(II) Guided by the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Plan was jointly compiled by Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang. The project started in July 2019, and it took more than three years to obtain the approval from the State Council in February 2023. The Plan consists of 8 chapters and 65 articles, and contains 23 atlases and 58 recent key projects. The Plan identifies the development strategies, management and control requirements, and regional coordination matters in terms of cultivated land protection, ecological environment, urban and rural layout, history, humanities and characteristics, public services and infrastructure. It mainly includes three aspects.1. Goals and strategiesFirst, in terms of guiding ideology, guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and facing the new journey of promoting Chinese-style modernization and the second centennial goal, we will fully implement the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, thoroughly deliver the new development philosophy and the national strategy for the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta, adhere to prioritizing ecological and green development, and strive to put in place and integrate major reform measures. We will further improve services and core competitiveness, and take the lead in exploring the path of high-quality integrated development across administrative regions. The Demonstration Zone will be built into an experimental field for integrated system innovations, a new benchmark for the transformation of ecological advantages, a new highland for green innovation and development, and a new model of harmony and livability between man and nature.Second, in terms of targets and positioning, the Plan integrates global visions, international standards, and Chinese characteristics, while identifying five development goals. The Demonstration Zone should be built into an area where human beings and nature live in harmony, where functions and scenery are integrated, where the innovation chain and the industrial chain progress together, where the Jiangnan charm and small town flavor converge, and where public services and infrastructure are shared. At the same time, based on the overall vision of building “a world-class model of water town with human settlement and civilization” and five sub-target dimensions, the Plan clarifies the index system composed of 25 core indicators to ensure the realization of the strategic goals. These include 8 binding indicators and 17 anticipated indicators.Third, in terms of spatial strategies, in accordance with the requirements of territorial spatial planning reform, we will highlight the “Four Adherences.” We will adhere to ecological priority and green and low-carbon development. We will implement stringent ecological requirements in a bid to protect the natural and ecological environment just like protecting our eyes. We will put in place the strictest arable land protection system to ensure that long-term and stable use of cultivated land will be not reduced. We will transform the traditional development model dominated by investment, factor input and incremental land, implement the “negative growth” of construction land, and leverage the transformation of the resource utilization mode to drive the transformation of the development mode. We will adhere to innovation-driven and high-quality development. We will promote the new economy with beautiful sceneries, transform ecological advantages into development advantages, promote the deep integration of innovation chain, industrial chain, capital chain and talent chain, and promote the development of strategic emerging industrial clusters. We will strengthen the protection and activation of historical and cultural heritage, shape the cultural brand of Jiangnan, and accelerate the implementation of major cultural and creative industry projects. We will benchmark against the highest standards and the best levels, promote the centralized implementation and integration of comprehensive deepening reform measures, and take the lead in pioneering leading examples that can be replicated and promoted. We will adhere to the development of multi-centered, connected, and integrated space. We will optimize development landscape of the territorial space, refrain from carrying out centralized, large-scale, and highly intensive development and construction, and promote the coordinated development of large, medium, and small towns and villages in a cluster-based way. We will bolster three-dimensional transportation network and composite hubs, and improve the link efficiency of the transportation network. We will maintain the spatial textures of the Jiangnan water town, and integrate them with modern elements to form a water town unit from the integration of the lake, river, farmland, town, and village. We will adhere to cross-provincial coordination and integrated development. We will eliminate administrative and institutional barriers, clarify the common requirements and standards for planning and control, strengthen regional environmental co-protection and co-governance, and promote infrastructure interconnection. We will foster resource sharing of public service facilities in adjacent areas, and establish a new regional integration development mechanism with unified standards and concepts, resource and information sharing, integrated management and law enforcement, and effective consultation and support. 2. Spatial layout, planning and strategiesFirst, we will enhance the delivery of basic requirements and consolidate the foundation of Three Areas and Three Lines for territorial space. The Plan stipulates Three Areas and Three Lines, which serve as insurmountable “red lines” for adjusting the economic structure, planning industries, and promoting urban and rural construction. The Plan clearly states that by 2035, the target of cultivated land protection in the Demonstration Zone is 766,000 mu, including 665,400 mu of permanent basic farmland. The “red line” for ecological area protection is 143.32 square kilometers. The urban development boundary area is 647.6 square kilometers. To implement the overall requirement of “negative growth” for construction land, by 2035, the total scale of planned construction land in the Demonstration Zone will be controlled within 803.6 square kilometers, the intensity of land space development will be 33.3%, and the planned construction land will be reduced by 15.7 square kilometers. For the pilot start-up area in the Demonstration Zone, we will strictly follow the principle that the proportion of Blue and Green space is no less than 75%, and, by 2035, the total area of planned construction land will not exceed 164.7 square kilometers. The pilot start-up area will be built into a practice land for ecological, green and high-quality development, a core area led by cross-provincial integration and innovation, and an integrated leading area of a world-class model of water town with human settlement and civilization. At the same time, the Plan states that we must put in place strict control measures to ensure ecological protection and cultural protection, guarantee safety and security, and strengthen the spatial response to various risks.Second, we will move beyond administrative boundaries and optimize the spatial layout of national territorial space. We will continue to tap the leading roles of core areas. We will take the Hongqiao Business District as the core to power development. We will take the Dianshan Lake area as the innovative green core to build a world-class lake area, and form an urban and rural spatial layout of “two cores, four belts and five areas.” We will build a solid ecological foundation, and create an ecological green center, a green water corridor and a blue lake/river chain. We will build an ecological pattern of “one center, two corridors, three chains, and four areas” in the Demonstration Zone (e.g. build an ecological green center of Dianshan Lake and Yuandang Lake, build two clear water corridors of Taipu River and Beijing-Hangzhou Canal, and build three blue chains connecting the main lakes in the Demonstration Zone). We will focus on the pilot start-up area, strengthen the effective delivery of the Plan, identify the water town unit, and refine the functional and spatial layout.Third, we will highlight ecological and green elements and fully implement the “Dual Carbon” strategic requirements. We will strive to optimize blue space and expand green space. By 2035, the proportion of blue-green space in the Demonstration Zone will not be less than 66%, and the water surface rate of rivers and lakes will increase from 20.3% to 20.61%. The water quality compliance rate of the water functional area will reach 100%, the proportion of state-controlled surface water that meet national Class III standards will reach 100%, and the water quality of the Taipu River will reach Class II-III. We will implement the “Dual Carbon” strategy, and, by 2035, the energy consumption per 10,000 yuan of regional GDP will be controlled below 0.22 tons of standard coal. At the same time, we will expand the space and improve the capacity of carbon sinks.Fourth, we will strengthen the innovation functions and build a spatial carrier for research-academia-industry collaboration. We will promote the landing of international, open research institutions, and accelerate the construction of the Demonstration Zone into an important talent center and innovation highland in the Yangtze River Delta. We will build a high-level modern service industry agglomeration area, and form a modern service industry agglomeration area layout featuring “one core to lead, three cities to support, and multiple sites with characteristics.” We will build a high-level industrial base to attract industrial layouts including life sciences and health, digital economy, and ecological and environmental protection.Fifth, we will deepen interconnection and create an efficient and fast transportation network. We will build a multi-level rail transit system composed of trunk railways, intercity railways, urban railways, and urban rail transits. We will strengthen the rail link between the Demonstration Zone and Hongqiao Hub, and build a “demonstration area on the rail track”, with an aim to enable a 30-minute travel from the water town living room to Hongqiao Hub and 90 minutes to Pudong Airport. We will build scenic roads, blue roads, green roads, and other characteristic transportation systems. By 2035, the length of scenic roads will not be less than 300 kilometers, the length of backbone green roads will not be less than 700 kilometers, the length of blue roads will not be less than 200 kilometers, and the proportion of green mobility will increase to 80%.Sixth, we will strengthen sharing of high-quality resources and make overall plans to promote the high-quality development of public services. We will promote the overall layout, joint construction and sharing of high-level public service facilities. By 2035, we will strive to deploy six museums above national Level III in the Demonstration Zone, and three universities (campuses) included in the “double world-class project.” At the same time, we actively introduce high-quality medical resources and build an international sports platform at a high level.3. Supporting measures for Plan implementationFirst, we will implement “One Map” whole-process management. In the Demonstration Zone, a three-level territorial spatial planning system of “"overall planning-unit planning-detailed planning” will be established, unifying the planning foundation and land classification, the planning base period and actual periods, as well as planning objectives and core indicators. We will develop and draft “One Map” to implement the supervision information system, and realize the integration of data baseplates, warehousing standards, interactive applications, and management mechanisms. We will establish a system for dynamic monitoring, regular assessment, and timely maintenance for the planning. We will implement a monitoring and evaluation mechanism where we conduct inspection once a year, assessment every five years, and special assessments in key areas.Second, we will realize the integrated management of the planned land. We will establish “one indicator library” for construction land flow plans and flexible quotas. We will set the overall flexible quotas for reserved construction land. Two square kilometers (about 6 square kilometers in total) in the existing quotas for planned construction land in each of the two districts and one county shall be reserved for the use by the executive committee in an overall manner and implemented according to procedures. For the land for interconnection infrastructure projects such as railways, rail transits, and roads at or above the provincial level in the pilot start-up area, overall support will be provided in the Demonstration Zone. We will improve the mechanism for linking the plan for new construction land with the task of revitalizing existing construction land and the task of reducing inefficient construction land. The Executive Committee shall work together with the governments of two districts and one county to formulate a work plan for the revitalization of stock land, coordinate the annual land inventory revitalization tasks, land reserve plans, and transfer plans, and promote their implementation. Third, we will promote the construction of demonstration projects. We will plan near-term demonstration projects based on two categories, namely centralized demonstration and classified demonstration. We will prioritize the “1+3” centralized demonstration. The two provinces and one municipality will jointly build a water town living room. We will jointly develop a “Jiangnan courtyard, water town living room,” and focus on practicing and demonstrating the development philosophy of urban-water symbiosis, common vitality, and regional sharing. We will give full play to the advantages of the three places in the pilot start-up area, and accelerate the construction of three demonstration areas, including Qingpu Xicen Science and Technology Innovation Center, Wujiang High-speed Railway Science and Technology Innovation City, and Jiashan Xiangfudang Innovation Center. At the same time, we will set up four types of “project libraries” on ecological and environmental protection, interconnection, industrial innovation and human settlement quality in a bid to form classification demonstration. The approval and implementation of the Plan has opened up new space and injected new impetus into the integrated and high-quality development of the Yangtze River Delta. Under the guidance of the Ministry of Natural Resources, the two provinces and one municipality will transform the development blueprint of the Demonstration Zone into high-quality tangible results with practical actions, and strive to implement the beautiful vision of Chinese-style modernization into vivid practices in the integrated demonstration zone.