Outline reveals vision for Beijing subcenter

A development outline was issued on Tuesday for the integrated development of Beijing's subcenter, Tongzhou district, and three neighboring counties in Hebei province.

The plan, released by the National Development and Reform Commission on Tuesday, aims at building a livable and harmonious region around the capital's subcenter using innovative urban and rural planning and setting limits on land that can be developed.

As part of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei coordinated development plan, the recent outline presents a vision for the development of 2,164 square kilometers, including short-term and long-term targets, in 2025 and 2035.

Beijing's subcenter, the eastern Tongzhou district, is home to the capital's key municipal organs. It is envisioned as an ecologically friendly area.

Tongzhou district in Beijing and its neighboring Sanhe, Dachang and Xianghe counties in Langfang, Hebei province, will absorb some non-capital functions, as factories are relocated to the area.

Under the plan, land used for construction in the region will be carefully controlled, and land under ecological protection — including rivers, lakes, forests and nature reserves — will be expanded to create more pleasant spaces. The plan lays out strict instructions aimed at the region's real estate industry to strictly control disorderly housing developments and total housing units.

The gap between the capital's downtown and its subcenter in education and healthcare services will be gradually filled as resources are allocated more evenly between the two places and more talented people are attracted to the subcenter, the plan says.