New urbanization makes people’s lives better
Say goodbye to “a long corridor with huts and coal stoves for heating and cooking” and moving from “good living” to “good living”. The per capita housing area of urban residents in my country has increased from 5.7 square meters in 1956 to that in 2019. 39.8 square meters.
Say goodbye to “garbage blows by wind and sewage relies on evaporation”. Today, China has a more beautiful living environment. In 2019, the harmless treatment rate of urban domestic garbage and the treatment rate of urban sewage reached 99.2% and 96.8% respectively.
Under the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China, my country has experienced the largest and fastest urbanization process in the history of the world-the urbanization rate of the permanent population in my country has increased from 10.64% at the end of 1949 to 63.89% in 2020; cities and institutions nationwide The number of towns has increased from 132 at the end of 1949, or about 2,000, to 684, or more than 21,000, in 2019.
General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that we must adhere to the development concept of innovation, coordination, greenness, openness, and sharing as the guide, with the urbanization of people as the core, pay more attention to increasing the urbanization rate of the registered population, and pay more attention to the equalization of basic public services in urban and rural areas. Pay attention to the livable environment and the inheritance of historical context, and pay more attention to enhancing the sense of gain and happiness of the people.
my country adheres to the path of a new type of urbanization with Chinese characteristics and promotes a new type of urbanization centered on people. The level and quality of urbanization have steadily improved, bringing a sense of gain to the people.
The reform of the household registration system has been fully implemented, and the effect of urbanization of the agricultural transfer population has been remarkable
“At that time I rented a cabin with my wife, and I always felt wandering.” Thinking back to the days when he moved from rural Gansu to Yinchuan, Ningxia more than 10 years ago, Wang Yanju was full of emotion. In 2014, Ningxia proposed that all farmers and migrant workers who settle in cities and towns will enjoy the same housing security policies as urban households. Subsequently, it also introduced policies for children of agricultural migrants to study in accordance with the principle of nearby school.
The supporting measures introduced one after another made Wang Yanju decisively choose to buy a house in Yinchuan: “Now that our children go to school at the door of the house, our couple still has medical and pension insurance, so there is nothing to worry about.”
Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, more and more cities have opened up and relaxed restrictions on settlement, strengthened the guarantee of basic public services, and hundreds of millions of farmers have entered cities to find satisfactory jobs, enjoy convenient services, and create a better life.
With fewer restrictions and lower thresholds, the household registration reform has made entering the city more worry-free. In recent years, the reform of the household registration system has continued to deepen: in Guangxi, hukou is not restricted by employment years, residence, insurance and other conditions; in Hainan, you can choose to set up a collective hukou without buying a house… More and more places have broken the system barriers, and the flow of personnel has increased. It is more convenient to be free and settle down. During the “13th Five-Year Plan” period, 31 provinces (autonomous regions, municipalities) and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps issued opinions on the implementation of the household registration system reform, and more willing, capable, and qualified agricultural migrants settled in cities.
With complete supporting facilities and more guarantees, the equalization of basic public services makes entering the city more heart-warming. “You are the people of Shunde!” In April this year, the Shunde District of Foshan City, Guangdong Province held a publicity campaign for new citizens, where 16 functional departments explained various public service policies in detail. “I didn’t know that there were housing rental subsidies before, but I asked it clearly today, so I will prepare the materials!” The new citizen Mr. Chen was overjoyed.
Looking at the whole country, the top-level design closely follows people’s livelihood expectations, and the supply of basic public services is more equal and high-quality: After long-term efforts, most areas in my country have achieved a basic balanced development of compulsory education in counties; public employment services have generally been established at the district (county) level and above. Institutions; the world’s largest social security system has been built… supporting reforms in the fields of household registration, land, finance, education, employment, medical insurance, and housing have been introduced, allowing more and more people to “set their hearts and roots” in cities and towns.
Infrastructure is improving day by day, and the face of the town has been renewed
“After the opening of the interchange in front of the Fuyin Expressway Tower this year, the driving time from the town to Yanping District has been shortened by nearly half an hour, and it has been shortened by nearly an hour to Fuzhou, and agricultural products can be delivered fresher!” Taqian Town, Yanping District, Nanping City, Fujian Zhang Fengkang, the person in charge of a vegetable base, said excitedly.
At the end of 1949, there were only 27 cities in the country with public transportation facilities, and there were only 2,299 public buses (trolleys). From winding mud roads and broken roads to extensive highways and high-speed railways, from human rickshaws and bicycles to subways, buses, and online car-hailing, the traffic in towns is smoother, the travel radius of the people continues to expand, and the city The exchanges and ties are getting closer.
Take the high-speed rail as an example. At present, the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Yangtze River Delta and other urban agglomerations can travel within 2 hours, and between Beijing and Shanghai and other large cities, it can reach 1000 kilometers in 4 hours and 2000 kilometers in 8 hours. Yu Youping, a white-collar worker who “goes to work in Chengdu and lives in Meishan”, is the beneficiary: “It is very convenient to transfer to the subway directly after arriving in Chengdu by train for more than 20 minutes!”
At the same time, municipal facilities in cities and towns are gradually being completed. At the end of 1949, only 72 cities and towns across the country had water plants, and only 9 cities had gas supply facilities. In 2019, the national urban water supply penetration rate, gas penetration rate, sewage treatment rate, and the harmless treatment rate of domestic garbage have reached 98.8%, 97.3%, 96.8%, and 99.2% respectively.
The information network is developing rapidly. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the continuous development of mobile Internet technology and the rapid popularization of smart phones have significantly changed the economic development model and working life style of cities and towns. As of December 2020, the Internet penetration rate in my country’s urban areas has reached 79.8%, and 5G base stations have initially covered cities above the prefecture level.
“The price of vegetables can be found at one point on the display. Scan the QR code on the receipt, and you can also know the source of the vegetables, so you can eat more assured!” At the end of last year, the Chengbei Smart Farmer’s Market in Gaoan City, Jiangxi Province opened. Resident He Yuxiu Enjoy a new shopping experience. Compared with the traditional farmer’s market, this smart farmer’s market incorporates “smart” elements such as the agricultural and sideline product traceability system and the merchant sales big data analysis system, which provides convenience for the people to buy assured vegetables.
Cities have grown in size and number, and urban agglomerations have continued to grow and develop. During the “Thirteenth Five-Year Plan” period, urban agglomerations and economic effects continued to appear. 19 urban agglomerations carried more than 75% of my country’s urban population and contributed more than 80% of GDP.
The human settlement environment has been significantly improved, and the city’s sustainable development capabilities have been continuously enhanced
Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, my country has deeply promoted a new type of urbanization centered on people, and residents’ needs for a beautiful environment, healthy life, cultural and sports leisure, etc. have been continuously met.
This is more livable urbanization. “After the renovation of the community, there is an elevator when entering the house, so you no longer have to climb up and down with your grandson’s stroller.” Uncle Luo, who lives in Guigang City, Guangxi, said frankly that the renovation of the old community has made life more convenient. In 2020, 40,300 old and urban communities will be renovated nationwide, benefiting about 7.36 million households.
This is greener urbanization. “The black and smelly water body is gone, the clear stream is winding, the green space is a piece of green, walking around the city, I feel comfortable.” He Bin, a resident of Yijiang District, Wuhu City, Anhui Province, smiled. As of the end of 2020, the elimination of black and odorous water bodies in cities at prefecture level and above has reached 98.2%; more than 40,000 projects have been built to implement the concept of sponge city construction, and the annual utilization of rainwater resources has reached 350 million tons.
This is a more humanistic urbanization. As of the end of 2020, the country has announced 135 national historical and cultural cities, delineated 912 historical and cultural blocks, identified 38,500 historical buildings, protected a large number of urban historical and cultural heritage, and continued the historical context of the city.
As a key link for the development of urban-rural integration, county towns also have great potential to meet the needs of the people for employment and settlement. In recent years, the work of making up shortcomings in counties has been accelerated, public services, environmental sanitation, municipal utilities, and industrial supporting facilities have been upgraded and expanded, and the spatial pattern of urbanization has become more scientific and coordinated.
The relevant person in charge of the National Development and Reform Commission stated that in the “14th Five-Year Plan” period and in the future, it is necessary to improve the new urbanization strategy, significantly improve the quality of urbanization development, and enable more people to enjoy safe, healthy, and high-quality urban life.
Coordinator for this issue: Lu Yanan and Liu Zhiqiang
Layout design: Zhang Fangman
Data source: Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, National Bureau of Statistics
Our reporter Ding Yiting and Qiu Chaoyi