On May 11, the premier of the State Council, Li Keqiang, hosted the Executive Meeting of the State Council for reviewing and approving the “The Development Plan of Urban Group in Yangtze River Delta”. Researcher Chen Wen and her team of our institute participated in the preliminary research and text preparation of the plan. In December 2014, entrusted by the National Reform and Development Commission, and China Development Bank, our institute, as the responsible organization for the preliminary project of the plan, “Overall Positioning of the Urban Group in Yangtze River Delta”, studied and put forward suggestions such as the spatial range, development trend, overall positioning, goals, development and protection structure of the space, urban positioning and function divisions. In June 2015, our institute started the cooperation with organizations including the Academy of Macroeconomic Research of the National Reform and Development Commission, Academy of Environment Planning of the Environmental Protection Department, and China Academy of Urban Planning and Designing and made the first draft of the text. The major members of the research group also participated in the amending work of the planning text under the organization of the National Reform and Development Commission. The researching results and relevant suggestions put forward by the specialists of our institute were accepted by the plan, which provided significant scientific basis and reference for the preparation of the plan.    

The Executive Meeting of the State Council pointed out that the coordinating development of the urban group in Yangtze delta based on reforms and innovations will promote industry upgrading, promote the new human-oriented urbanization, accelerate the modernization of the agriculture, inspire the development of surrounding areas and middle and west areas, strengthen the national competitiveness. Therefore, the first thing is to build a new horizon of reform. Duplicate and promote mature reform experience such as trial free trade areas and innovation demonstration zones; firstly carry out and try the transformation of government functions and innovation of systems and mechanism; promote the integrated construction of factors including the finance, land, and property transaction; carry out the cooperation between public services such as education, health care, social insurance and social careers. Secondly, act as the new warrior of opening-up. Make efforts to attract foreign investment; gather internationalized talents; expand the opening-up of service industry; explore and create free trade harbor area; promote the trade facilitation and promote the foreign trade to develop steadily and upgrade. Thirdly, develop new economies. Carry out the strategy of innovation-driving development; create a good ecology where millions of people start their businesses and blaze new trails; improve and coordinate innovation mechanism; strengthen the innovation in key fields of high-end manufacturing industry such as equipment manufacture, information and technology, biological manufacture, automobile and new materials; develop modern service industry such as finance, researching and logistics; cultivate and strengthen new motivatives; reform and improve traditional industries. Fourthly, provide new supports for developments on the basis of ecological protection. Construct and restore the ecology; deepen the joint cross regional prevention and treatment of the air, soil and water pollution; establish the inter-regional ecological protection and compensation mechanism. Fifthly, create a new joint development mode. Give paly to Shanghai as the center city and promote co-urbanization of the megalopolis including Nanjing, Hangzhou, Hefei, Suzhou, Wuxi, Changzhou, and Ningbo. Construct a comprehensive transport system with major channels of railway, highway, and Yangtze River and promote the mutual connections of infrastructures such as information, energy and water conservancy. Comprehensively finish the construction of globally renown urban groups till 2030.  

(Information source:Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, CAS)