Ministry of housing and urban-rural development to launch renovation of 115,000 old urban residential communities during the 15th five-year plan period

On June 8, the State Council Information Office held a regular policy briefing of the State Council. Qin Haixiang, Vice Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, along with officials from the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Natural Resources, introduced the relevant information on the Urban Renewal “15th Five-Year Plan” and answered questions from reporters.

At the press conference, Qin Haixiang introduced that the "14th Five-Year Plan" for urban renewal has made plans to improve the living and quality of life for residents from four aspects: building good houses, good neighborhoods, good communities, and good urban areas.

In terms of good house construction, the focus is on implementing housing quality improvement projects to build and renovate safe, comfortable, green, and smart houses. On one hand, we aim to enhance the quality of newly built houses by improving the entire chain of housing standards, design, materials, construction, and operation levels, implementing the "Residential Project Norms," optimizing housing design, and improving the functionality of housing types. On the other hand, we will pay attention to the updating and renovation of old houses, encouraging residents to renovate and modify their homes, promoting prefabricated renovations, as well as age-friendly and barrier-free modifications, and supporting the autonomous upgrading of old housing. At the same time, we will deploy a batch of technology projects to enhance housing quality, break through key technologies, and empower good house construction with technology.

In terms of building better residential communities, the urban old residential community renovation project will be implemented, with renovations of 115,000 old urban residential communities to be newly launched during the 15th Five-Year Plan period. Regarding community facilities, supporting infrastructure such as gas, water supply, heating, and roads will be renovated and upgraded, and the installation of elevators in eligible residential buildings will be supported. In terms of the environment, renovations of public spaces and supporting facilities will be advanced to improve residents’ living conditions. In terms of community management, long-term management mechanisms will be improved in tandem with renovations, the introduction of property management services will be encouraged, and residents will be mobilized to participate in community management, so as to jointly maintain the achievements of old residential community renovation.

In terms of building better communities, the focus is on implementing a comprehensive community construction project to expand coverage and improve quality and efficiency. This involves the construction and renovation of 5,000 communities, enhancing public service facilities such as elderly care and childcare, adding public activity spaces and green areas tailored to local needs, and promoting the intelligentization of community services to continuously meet the people's aspirations for a better life. Additionally, the renovation and upgrading of 1,500 old neighborhoods and factory areas will be carried out to promote functional transformation, business upgrading, and vitality enhancement, addressing shortcomings in infrastructure and public services, and improving the quality of public spaces to create a better living environment for the citizens.

In terms of improving urban areas, the focus is on enhancing the quality of public services and accelerating the improvement of the urban comprehensive transportation system. On one hand, we will make full use of existing resources to address the shortcomings in public service facilities, and increase the construction and renovation of facilities such as elderly care, childcare, culture, and sports, in response to changes in population structure and social needs. On the other hand, we will optimize the road network structure, improve traffic efficiency, and address the shortcomings in parking facilities, making travel more convenient and life more comfortable for everyone.

Qin Haixiang stated that over the next five years, all localities will systematically advance the “Four Goods” initiative in accordance with the requirements and arrangements of the Plan, resolve one key issue after another that matters to people in their daily lives, accomplish practical tasks that benefit people’s well-being, ensure that the outcomes of urban renewal benefit the people more broadly and more effectively, and continuously enhance the people’s sense of gain, happiness, and security.