Planning draft published for Yangtze River Delta demonstration zone

A draft of the spatial planning for the Yangtze River Delta integration demonstration zone, an area of 2,400 square kilometers at the border of Shanghai municipality and Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, was published on Thursday to solicit public opinion.

It laid out the blueprint of the construction of infrastructure, natural and cultural heritage conservation and transportation lines, as well as industrial parks in the area by 2035.

According to the plan, the area will have a population of 3.8 million and generate 1.5 billion yuan in GDP per square kilometer per year.

Located in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River Delta, the area is surrounded by swathes of lakes and rivers.

"The plan will further protect natural resources," said Zhang Zhongwei, deputy director of the executive committee of the demo zone. "The areas of water, forest and grassland will reach 68 percent in the zone."

"Its development will not follow the real estate-driven model, but promote the flow of economic elements and increase resource allocation efficiency by breaking administrative borders," Zhang added.

Economic growth in the zone will be driven by research and innovation, Zhang said.

R&D investment will occupy 3.5 percent of the area's GDP in 2025, and 5 percent in 2035, the plan stated.

Currently, a R&D center of Huawei Technologies is under construction in the zone.

The plan was a joint project of five urban planning institutes, including the China Academy of Urban Planning and Design, and related departments in local governments of Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang.

The public can check the full plan at ghzyj.sh.gov.cn. After the 30-day period of soliciting public opinion, the plan will be submitted to the State Council for further approval.