1954-1957
Chapter 1: Creation and Growth
In the period of economic recovery soon after the founding of PRC, according to the instructions of the central government, some Chinese cities were already developing master plans for urban development. A planning workforce was set up under the Infrastructure Division of the Planning Bureau of the Financial and Economic Commission of the State Council, which was in charge of the national financial and economic work at that time. It became China’s first national-level authority in charge of urban planning and urban development.
In August 1952, the Ministry of Construction and Engineering was established, and the Urban Development Division was set up under it to supervise urban planning and urban development on the national level. In September of the same year, the Financial and Economic Commission of the State Council held a symposium on urban development, categorized cities, put forward the principle of developing cities in order of priority, and asked that urban development committees should be set up in 39 cities.
In March 1953, the Urban Development Bureau of the Ministry of Construction and Engineering was established and had under its framework the Planning Division, the Information Division and the Utilities Division. Its major task back then was to prepare for the first national conference on urban development. Approved by the CPC Central Committee, the conference was held in June 1954 and it raised the awareness of building socialist cities, developed guidelines and policies for urban development, identified competent authorities and clarified administrative procedures. It was against this background that the Academy of Urban Design of the Ministry of Construction and Engineering (AUD) was established on October 18, 1954.
Urban planning was off to a good start as sites of all the 156 key construction projects were confirmed, showing the priority given to urban planning. In late 1954, urban planning and design for the first batch of key cities was completed, and the preliminary design plans of Luoyang Jianxi Industrial Zone and cities including Lanzhou, Taiyuan, Xi’an, Datong, Zhuzhou, Zhanjiang and Shijiazhuang undertaken by the AUD were approved. So were the pipeline designs for key industrial zones in Lanzhou and Baotou. At the same time, the AUD was also involved in developing preliminary urban development plans for many other cities, choosing the best locations for industrial zones, drafting and revising Interim Measures for Urban Planning, China’s first urban planning regulation, and formulating the methods and index for selection norms for urban planning. Given the special historical background, the AUD decided to use preliminary planning as an alternative to master planning and carried out regional planning based on joint location selection. It was through extensive research that rich technical experience was accumulated.
The achievements of urban planning in the wake of the founding of PRC were outstanding. Following the central government’s directions on urban development, the AUD undertook the country’s key urban planning and development tasks, and trained a large number of professionals to meet the needs of the country.
1954
1958-1964
Chapter 2: Challenges and Frustrations
After the targets set for China’s First Five-Year Plan were over-fulfilled, the social and economic development of China took a major turn. In 1958, the Great Leap Forward and the People’s Commune Movement were launched, followed by the Three Years’ Natural Disasters and the deterioration of Sino-Soviet relations, which disrupted the country’s economic development and put China in a difficult situation.
The Great Leap Forward proposed to pursue a great leap forward in urban development to keep up with the great leap forward in industrial development, which led to an enormous wave of urban planning across China. The AUD took the lead in launching a book series on urban planning, aiming at popularizing urban planning knowledge throughout the country. All at once, provinces and cities were requesting the AUD to send a team there and help them make urban development plans. Under these circumstances, the conventional approach to urban planning could no longer sustain, so the AUD drafted and revised the Control Indexes of Urban Planning issued by the State Construction Commission and the Ministry of Urban Development, and created a fast planning approach featuring “sketchy planning first and fine-tuning later” and “a combination of sketchy and refined planning”. Within just one year, hundreds of areas and towns underwent urban planning with the help of that new approach. In retrospect, while not entirely science-based, this approach was successful in managing the irrational expansion of industrial projects and played a significant role in transforming the field of urban planning. Although many issues remained outstanding, that year marked a time of great transformation in the realm of urban planning.
In 1959, the AUD developed master plans and detailed plans for more than forty cities, with the majority of projects being plans for cities as tourist destinations and health resorts, cities known for revolutionary memorial sites, renovation of old downtown areas, development of new downtown areas and commercial streets. It edited and issued the Annual Report on Urban Planning as a tribute to the 10th anniversary of the founding of PRC.
However, the country’s urban planning efforts were soon to suffer from a major blow. In November 1960, the State Planning Commission decided at the Ninth National Planning Conference that urban planning would be suspended for three years, as a result of which the AUD turned to focus on research and reviewed its work and lessons learned. It also participated in the compilation of Urban and Rural Planning, China’s first textbook on urban planning. Its study of urban planning index for selection norm was released in 1964 in the form of “draft for comments” and became an important basis for urban planning and design in the following decade. It was also involved in developing such influential technical publications as Guidelines on the Construction of Residential Areas, Urban Road Planning, Urban Water Supply and Drainage Planning and Urban Garden Planning.
In January 1963, after rounds of reshuffling, the AUD was renamed the Academy of Urban Planning of the State Planning Commission and gradually downsized. It went through its most difficult years as the country’s urban planning endeavor hit rock bottom.
In April 1964, the State Economic Commission set up the Infrastructure Office to centrally manage the country’s infrastructure projects, and the Urban Design and Planning Bureau of the State Planning Commission was transferred to the State Economic Commission. At the same time, the Academy of Urban Planning was officially closed, and its staff were transferred to the Urban Planning Bureau of the State Economic Commission. In May and June that year, the CPC put forward the “Third-Front” strategy, with the main tasks being factory relocation and construction of the Third-Front Base. The Urban Planning Bureau undertook the task of planning Panzhihua Iron and Steel Base. Some staff participated in the relocation of factories to the heartland of China and the survey on the construction of Daqing Oil Field Base, while others participated in the Four Clean-ups Movement.
In March 1965, the State Infrastructure Commission was established. The Urban Planning Bureau of the State Economic Commission was transferred to the leadership of the State Construction Commission, and the number of staff was reduced to 30. During the cultural revolution, the work of national urban planning and construction authorities was suspended. In 1969, the Urban Planning Bureau was abolished and its staff was sent to the May 7 Cadre School in Qingjiang, Jiangxi.
1958
1973-1982
Chapter 3: Re-establishment
In 1971, the central government gave instructions on enhancing urban development administration and implementing rectifications, which revived China’s urban planning efforts after a long stagnation. In 1972, the Urban Development Bureau of the State Construction Commission was established, and in June 1973, the Institute of Urban Development was set up under the Academy of Building Research of the State Construction Commission. On March 27, 1979, the Research Institute of Urban Planning and Design was set up under the State Administration of Urban Development, comprised of 8 offices: General Office, General Planning Office, Detailed Planning Office, Urban Planning and Economy Office, Urban Road Traffic Planning Office, Urban Landscape Planning Office, Urban Engineering Planning Office and Intelligence Research Office. Its tasks included: 1) planning for cities opened to the outside world and key new industrial cities; 2) research on various sub-fields of urban planning and coordination of major research projects; 3) technical reviews of urban planning designs; 4) developing technical documents on various sub-fields of urban planning to serve the needs of urban planning management, design, research and academic institutions; 5) introducing into China foreign experience on urban planning and explaining the status quo of domestic urban planning; 6) other tasks as assigned by the State Administration of Urban Development.
In May 1982, the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development and Environmental Protection was established. On July 5 of the same year, in order to step up scientific research, the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development and Environmental Protection set up the China Academy of Urban Planning and Design (CAUPD) on the basis of the Research Institute of Urban Planning and Design.
From 1973 to 1982, the urban planning functions of the Research Institute of Urban Planning and Design were gradually restored, and a technical committee was created soon after the establishment of CAUPD, in order to step up technical management. The technical committee organized and participated in the master planning and related planning studies of cities including Jingmen, Xianning, Changsha, Shenyang, Nanning, Hefei, Wuhan, Kunming, Nanchang, Guilin, Taiyuan, Zhengzhou, Xi’an and Tianjin. It carried out research on the nature, function, development direction and interrelationship of cities in the Beijing-Tianjin-Tangshan region and undertook ministerial-level scientific research projects such as research on detailed planning of residential areas, research on the planning of cities as tourist destinations and research on the planning of modern seaport cities and reasonable layout of port areas. Studies on urban water purification technologies and on technological innovation achievements in urban sewage treatment were conducted. It compiled important publications such as New Gardens in China, A Case Study on Urban Residential Area Planning, some entries in the urban planning section of the Encyclopedia of China, and Principles of Urban Planning. It also undertook the planning of post-earthquake reconstruction for Tangshan and Tianjin.
During this phase, it was a daunting task to transform the Research Institute into the Academy. The staff members were selected from the former Academy of Urban Design and the Urban and Rural Planning Office of the Academy of Building Research, and it was also challenging to source office supplies in an age of scarcity. In addition, the recovery of urban planning across the country was faced with tremendous difficulties. Despite such severe challenges, the staff of CAUPD, under the stewardship of CAUPD leaders, worked together towards a shared goal, overcame obstacles, addressed bottlenecks and pressed ahead with CAUPD’s mission, laying a solid foundation for its long-term development.
1973
1983-1986
Chapter 4: A Talent Magnet
In May 1983, the State Science and Technology Commission confirmed that the China Academy of Urban Planning and Design was positioned as an academy-level research institution, with its full name being the China Academy of Urban Planning and Design of the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development and Environmental Protection. Its main task was to study China’s urban development strategies, objectives, standards, layouts, approaches, procedures, theories, policies and implementation matters. More specifically, it would be committed to research on China’s urbanization pathways, development forecasting, comprehensive urban land use, well-structured layout, transformation of old towns, urban transportation, housing, public facilities, landscaping and municipal utilities. CAUPD was planned to become a national center for urban planning research, design and information. Under the umbrella of CAUPD, there were the Institute of Urban History and Theory, the Institute of Urban Master Planning, the Institute of Urban Planning and Economics, the Institute of Detailed Urban Planning, the Institute of Urban Transportation, the Institute of Scenic and Historic City Planning, the Editorial Office of the Journal of Urban Planning, the Business Office, the Administrative Office, the Office of the Party Committee, and the Human Resources Office. Later, the Architectural Design Office was set up.
It was a time when a pool of talented individuals gathered in CAUPD. The primary task at that time was to bring together professionals and experts to build a robust technical team. The strategy of pursuing talent-driven development was already in the genes of CAUPD and has remained so throughout the years. By seizing the opportunities generated by China’s reform and opening up, CAUPD achieved unprecedented progress on research, design and academic fronts.
The technical committee set up in 1982 by the Research Institute of Urban Planning and Design was turned into CAUPD’s Science and Technology Committee, with Chen Zhanxiang as the director. Since 1984, CAUPD has had experts with significant academic influence as its senior advisors, including Wu Liangyong, Ren Zhenying, Zheng Xiaoxie, Hou Renzhi, Qi Kang, Lin Zhiqun, Zhou Ganzhi, Xu Xunchu, Zhao Shixiu (hired in 1994), Peter-Hall (hired in 2004), Joh·Lang, and John·Fridemann. In 1985, CAUPD appointed for the first time one deputy chief planner, one deputy chief engineer, one deputy chief economist and one deputy chief architect, and established the Chief Engineer’s Office in 1986. At the same time, with the approval of the State Council, a number of outstanding technical staff were selected nationwide to join CAUPD and a large number of college graduates majoring in urban planning, architecture, economic geography, gardening and engineering were recruited, which reinforced the technical strengths of each institute and paved the way for the rapid development of scientific and technological research.
To better fulfill its mission and align with the country’s reform and opening up efforts, as well as the priority given to coastal area development, CAUPD expanded in size and strength over time. In 1984, it set up its first branch, the CAUPD Shenzhen Consulting Center (renamed “China Academy of Urban Planning and Design Shenzhen Branch” in 1992). This branch was instrumental in performing planning tasks in coastal special economic zones and open cities, playing a significant role in promoting urban development in coastal regions.
The main tasks of CAUPD comprised developing master plans for each city, devising research plans for urban planning, and conducting research on urban development strategies and policy issues. In addition, CAUPD expanded its research efforts to cover topics such as urbanization, urban infrastructure, and special planning programs, with the aim of supporting economic growth through scientific research. To enhance international exchanges, CAUPD actively participated in international academic conferences while also facilitating personnel exchange and technical cooperation between nations. Efforts were made to improve publicity by issuing publications in foreign languages such as the English edition of Urban Planning and China City Planning Review, and inviting foreign experts to China for academic exchanges.
During this phase, the development of CAUPD resulted in significant social benefits. The scope of urban planning research was expanded, and notable breakthroughs were made in theory and methodology, allowing CAUPD to accumulate substantial practical and theoretical experience for comprehensive scientific research, planning, and design. Its organizational structure was adjusted as needed by national development, management strategy changes, and the expansion of tasks, positioning CAUPD well for the country’s reform of the urban economic system in 1986 and laying a solid foundation for its own reform and development in the following years.
1983
1987-1996
Chapter 5: Reform Headway
On May 21, 1987, the State Council Circular on Strengthening Urban Development in China stipulated a clear guiding principle for urban planning efforts: “controlled development of large cities, reasonable development of medium-sized cities, and active development of small cities.” This directive set the course for further efforts to strengthen urban planning endeavour in China. Within the same year, the state initiated institutional reforms in science and technology, urging research institutions to move towards market-based operations with direct contributions to economic development. New institutional settings were created to align with the development patterns of science and technology and adapt to economic development. Building on that surging momentum of reforms, CAUPD was identified as a scientific research institution for social good through ministerial-level commitment. With its technical expertise, CAUPD piloted the system of economic responsibility, which made it more self-reliant on its budget and transformed it into a public institution with independent accounting and self-financing capacity. To accommodate these transformations, the management functions and various systems of CAUPD have been gradually improved. The president leads the institution with overall responsibility, supported by an institutional arrangement of meetings for CAUPD affairs. The leadership team consists of the president, vice president, secretary and deputy secretary of the Party Committee, and the chief planner.
For its technical management, CAUPD has implemented the chief planner responsibility system, with a chief planner and deputy chief planner in place. (It has later evolved into a two-level management structure at the academy level and institute level, with a chief engineer appointed for each institute.) In 1991, CAUPD started to roll out its total quality management by putting in place target management and quality certification systems. The existing “three-stage” management system for planning and design and research management practices have been improved, alongside ten newly formulated academy-wide technical measures. The Academy has thus entered the stage of quality-centered management.
The comprehensive reform undertaken by CAUPD was all-encompassing, extending to talent training, technical progress, and promotion of industry development. Following the release of Deng Xiaoping’s remarks during his Southern Tour and the promulgation and implementation of China’s first ever urban planning law (the Law of the People’s Republic of China on Urban Planning), the national urban planning efforts have embarked on a law-based path of development. This has led to the emergence of diversified planning on a massive scale and unprecedented prosperity in the urban planning sector. Building upon these reforms, CAUPD has re-established itself with a new image and strong momentum for law-based and market-oriented development.
The primary principle of this stage was to accomplish more planning and design tasks under the guidance of reform and opening-up policy. To stay abreast of national development, CAUPD has been expanding its operations along the costal regions and cities. Following the establishment of Shenzhen Consulting Center, a variety of branches and local offices have been put in place to undertake numerous planning projects for cities and development zones across the Pearl River Delta and Hainan Province, including the Hainan Branch, Shantou Planning and Design Department, Xiamen Planning and Design Department, Beihai Branch, Qinzhou Office and Huizhou Branch.
Given its distinctive role as a service provider for the Ministry and an industry pace-setter, CAUPD has carried out a considerable amount of pioneering efforts for the industry with its affiliated institutes, specifically established by the Ministry to fully leverage the strengths of CAUPD in talents, science and technology expertise, and promotion capacity. In 1988, the nation-wide technical institutions of standards and codes for urban planning became affiliated with CAUPD, which assumed the responsibility for managing technical standards related to urban planning, as well as organizing and preparing planning-related technical codes. The Research on Standards and Codes System for Urban Planning was drafted by CAUPD, among which 15 of the first batch of prepared standards and codes were either edited or co-edited by the organization. In 1991, the Code for Classification of Urban Land Use and Planning Standards of Development Land prepared by CAUPD came into effect, putting an end to the history of urban planning without national standards and codes in China. In 1992, the National Engineering Center of Urban Geographic Information System (UGIS) was established to take on research projects for urban GIS classification, coding and standards. It aspired to initiate urban planning software development and relevant computer-based supporting technology.
One of the key functions of CAUPD was to serve as a national academic information center in urban planning. Its mission was focused on academic information research and exchanges. To achieve this, several affiliated organizations such as the Urban Planning Society of China, the Academic Committee on Urban Transportation Planning, and the National Information Network for Science and Technology in Urban Planning have established offices within the CAUPD Academic Information Center. These organizations collaborated with the Academy to organize various academic activities that centered around the latest trends of urban planning disciplines in the new context. This collaboration provided a powerful drive for progress in the sector.
To meet the requirements for greater openness, CAUPD started to strengthen international academic interactions. It became a member of the International Federation for Housing and Planning (IFHP) in 1989. An international cooperation and training center was put in place in May 1995, making CAUPD the only organization under the direct ministerial leadership to be grated the qualification certificate for public institutions and social organizations by the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs to organize and send delegations and personnel abroad for training.
During this period, CAUPD has been carrying out activities that live up to the evaluation given by industry representatives at the first academic symposium organized by CAUPD in 1989: “the Academy will continue to play its leading role as part of the national team to explore newer, broader and higher grounds.” It will usher in a new century of leapfrog development.
1987
1997-2003
Chapter 6: Leapfrog Development
Prior to the National Conference on Development Work in January 1997, the central government issued an important instruction to prioritize planning as the lever for urban development and management and to properly prepare the cross-century urban planning with greater attention to the planning process. During this period, “active and steady promotion of urbanization” was identified as one of the major strategies for national development. Consequently, urban and rural planning received unprecedented attention as they increasingly became essential regulatory measures for socioeconomic development in both urban and rural areas. To keep up with the changing national development context, the Academy hosted the International Conference on Cities towards the 21st Century in November. The conference resulted in a consensus on the sustainability of cities in the 21st century. Discussions were held around the sustainable development of cities, which pointed to a clear direction for cross-century urban planning. During this period, CAUPD deepened its reform efforts, focusing on institutional and system development. The leadership was held accountable for meeting the targets set during their tenure. At the end of 2001, the Academy drafted the 2002-2005 Development Plan for China Academy of Urban Planning and Design, which outlined its development goals, strategies, and safeguards. The plan proposed a series of strategies to achieve integrated extension, brand guidance, continuous innovation, quality workforce, flexible expansion, and quality-driven efficiency. With deepened reforms and practical innovation, CAUPD aspires to build itself into an internationally competitive institution
In January 1998, the Transportation Engineering Technology Center of the former Ministry of Construction was officially listed under CAUPD for operations. The Institute of Engineering Planning and Design was also established in the same month. In 1999, the Institute of Urban Planning Theory was renamed as the Institute of Urban Planning and Historical and Cultural Cities, in an effort to strengthen the research on protection and utilization of historical cities and cultural heritage. The Research Center for Tourism Planning was put in place in the same year. In response to the national requirements for stronger regional coordination, the Institute of Urban Planning and Economics was renamed as the Institute of Urban and Regional Planning and Design in 2000. In October 2000, the Research Center of Subway and Light Rail, which had been affiliated with the former Ministry of Construction, was transferred to CAUPD. In 2001, the Research and Consulting Center of Residential Planning and Design was established. In the same year, the Urban Water Resources Center and Urban Water Quality Monitoring Center which were previously affiliated with the former Ministry of Construction, were entirely transferred to CAUPD. In 2002, the Department of International Cooperation and Development was instituted. In 2003, the Postdoctoral Research Station for Urban Planning and Design was officially established.
In 2000, comprehensive nationwide reforms of scientific research institutions were launched. Out of the 134 approved reform plans for scientific research institutions, the State Council made it clear that CAUPD would retain its status as a public institution for scientific research, temporarily managed by the Ministry of Construction. This decision was based on the unique characteristics of CAUPD, which has since become the largest scientific research institution affiliated with the Ministry of Construction. In 1999, CAUPD obtained the Class A design qualification for smart building system integration. In 2002, it expanded its capabilities by obtaining the Class A design qualification for municipal public utilities, which includes road, water supply, drainage, and landscape architecture. Additionally, that same year, it acquired a qualification certificate for foreign economic cooperation, as well as a certificate for export and import. By joining the China Association of International Engineering Consultants and China International Contractors Association, CAUPD laid the groundwork for its international market development. In 2003, the Academy further enhanced its capabilities by obtaining Class A qualifications for tourism planning and design, engineering consulting, as well as qualifications for water resources assessment and environmental impact assessment. The water quality laboratory of the Urban Water Quality Monitoring Center also attained metrological certification and accreditation for national laboratory from the former General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection, and Quarantine. CAUPD has thus become a comprehensive planning and consulting institution with diversified disciplinary expertise and an extensive scope of operations, integrating planning, design, training and consulting functions.
The expanded scope of operations and technical outcomes of CAUPD during this period fully demonstrated the grandeur landscape of China’s socioeconomic development and modernization. It strengthened its research for regional-level planning and made significant progress in urban design through active explorations of new grounds and methods. It also delivered remarkable outcomes in its service to the western region. Various specialized planning areas have witnessed further extension and development.
Guided by national policies and principles, CAUPD has conscientiously fulfilled its tasks to provide technical support and consultation for policy and decision-making in the field of urban and rural planning by the state and the industry, with a strong sense of mission and responsibility. At the core of its mission is urban planning, which serves as the foundation for its four major tasks: service to the Ministry and the industry, planning design and consultation, scientific research and standardization, as well as information technology and international cooperation and exchange. By continuously expanding its scope of operations and coordinating the development of its various areas of expertise, CAUPD has enhanced its overall technical strengths and brand. This approach has enabled the Academy to achieve leapfrog development in the 21st century.
1997
2004-2016
Chapter 7: Navigating Ahead
In 2007, the 17th CPC National Congress clearly identified the objective of urbanization in China, aimed at promoting urbanization with Chinese characteristics and healthy urban development. The guiding principle of urban-rural integration was incorporated into the Law on Urban and Rural Planning that came into effect in 2008, emphasizing the crucial role of comprehensive urban planning as a public policy tool. This law played a significant role in safeguarding the authority of urban and rural planning and marked a milestone in the history of urban planning in China. In 2012, the 18th CPC National Congress set a new goal for China’s development with its own characteristics, focusing on promoting industrialization, IT application, urbanization, and agricultural modernization in a harmonized way. Finally, in December 2015, the Central Urban Work Conference was convened in Beijing, which analyzed the current state of China’s urban development and established guiding principles, general ideas, and key tasks to promote proper urban-related efforts.
During this period, urbanization was incorporated into national strategy. With strong efforts to promote regional coordinated development and new countryside development, the urban and rural development of China has reached new heights. In the meantime, there has been increasingly strong demands for low-carbon ecological urban planning, urban-rural integrated planning, and community-based planning, leading to an ever stronger call for planning reform. In response to natural disasters in areas such as Wenchuan (Sichuan), Yushu (Qinghai), and Zhouqu (Gansu), and poverty-stricken regions and border areas such as Xinjiang and Tibet, large-scale aid projects have been deployed to support planning for disaster-stricken and impoverished regions. This has brought a new wave of opportunities and challenges for CAUPD in its urban planning efforts.
Confronted by the challenges posed by the social and economic environment, external pressures for institutional reform, and internal impetus for self-improvement, CAUPD has remained steadfast in its mission to fulfill its core tasks for the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development (MOHURD) while simultaneously developing its functions to provide high-quality services. Driven by its commitment to scientific research, CAUPD seeks to broaden its urban planning and design capabilities to achieve all-rounded and integrated development through efficient coordination of its four major functions: providing services to MOHURD, developing standards via scientific research, executing planning and design projects, and offering public services for the greater good of society.
To better respond to the function adjustment of MOHURD and meet national requirements for urbanization and urban development and its own need for operation expansion, CAUPD has established a range of institutes focused on various aspects of urban planning. These include research offices for urban and rural planning, urban design, international urban planning, housing, urban and rural development, water planning, culture, tourism, as well as urban safety center and energy center. This period was marked by strengthened new institutional development to support emerging operations, allowing for a clearer and more compatible match between CAUPD and various MOHURD departments. It has generated a fairly complete system of institutions and functions to provide services for the Ministry. CAUPD has also expanded its research and technical capabilities through the establishment of specialized institutes such as the Research Institute of Urban Water and Engineering (on top of the Institute of Engineering and the Institute of Water Planning) and the Research Institute of Urban Transportation(on the basis of the Institute of Transportation). Furthermore, CAUPD has taken the initiative to restructure its institutional layout for operations and expand its capabilities, with the addition of new branches in Shanghai and Western China. Along with its support for the rapid development of Shenzhen Branch, this geographical formation of a diamond structure between Beijing headquarters and three local branches is better aligned with the national trends for regional development and strategic layout. To enhance its scientific research management in leaps and bounds, CAUPD has established the Department of Science and Technology Promotion. It has clearly stated its near-term development goal: the core task of CAUPD will shift from a planning and design-led model to the one that equally emphasizes research-based consultancy and planning and design to facilitate research-guided development transformation.
Thanks to its strategic direction tailored to its unique characteristics and development requirements, CAUPD has become an increasingly prominent technical supporter and service provider for national public policy on housing and urban-rural development. The organization has achieved significant progress in providing technical services for urban and rural development at the local level. Furthermore, CAUPD has attained a higher status in the urban and rural planning sector as an essential decision-making advisory and technical support institution for MOHURD. It also stands out as the most influential and representative consultancy, design, and research institution in rural and urban planning in China, earning recognition and commendation from national leaders as the “top planning and design institution in the country.”
2004
2017-present
To implement the reform plans of national administrative institutions, steadily deepen the reform of public institutions, and enhance innovative development of the industry with continuous momentum since the 19th CPC National Congress, CAUPD has enriched its structure and institutional settings for specialized areas. It has taken the initiative to establish connections with domestic and foreign teams that possess superior technical expertise. Additionally, CAUPD has continuously strengthened its research and practical applications in the fields of resource and environmental carrying capacity and territorial spatial development suitability. It has developed and expanded the CAUPD Beijing Planning and Design Consultants Company to optimize the quality of services provided locally. Anchored in the four major urban clusters of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta and Chengdu-Chongqing, the organization has extended its scope of operations to the entire country and beyond, covering many countries in Asia and Africa.
Guided by the new principles, ideas, and strategies in the new era, CAUPD remains steadfast in its commitment to becoming an internationally influential institution for urban and rural planning and design as well as a national specialized think tank. With development as its top priority, CAUPD upholds its political attribute of following CPC leadership in its urban and rural planning activities while staying true to its original aspiration of putting people at the center of planning. Firmly rooted in the correct political direction, the Academy will integrate its planning activities into the broader efforts to build China into a modern socialist country with Chinese characteristics in the new era. It will also work towards advancing the Two Centenary Goals and realizing the Chinese Dream of great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
Powered by the deepening of reforms, various efforts have been put towards further development, resulting in CAUPD’s successful declaration and approval as a pilot organization by seven ministries, including the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Education. This pilot program aimed to expand the autonomy of universities and research institutions, empowering leading innovators with greater decision-making authority to mobilize resources and explore technical routes. As a result, new breakthroughs and significant progress have been consistently achieved in various areas such as Party building, operational expansion, scientific and technological development, talent cultivation, as well as cultural and ethical advancement.
As an organization fully connected with MOHURD and other ministries and national agencies, CAUPD is well-equipped to uphold the spirit of the 19th CPC National Congress, as well as the Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth Plenary Sessions of the 19th CPC Central Committee. In addition, it has been instrumental in implementing the important instructions given by General Secretary Xi Jinping on housing and urban-rural development. Through its technical support, CAUPD has contributed to national strategies and major projects including Xiong’an New Area Planning, Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Integrated Development, Yangtze River Delta Integration, Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Planning, Yangtze River Economic Belt Territorial Spatial Planning, and National Territorial Spatial Planning.
CAUPD has been actively involved in poverty alleviation and relief efforts through planning, funding, secondment, and co-creation with poverty-stricken areas. Undertaking planning and design projects, it has provided poverty alleviation and support for bordering areas such as Xinjiang, Tibet, and Qinghai, contributing significantly to the fight against poverty in the new era.
With diligence and dedication, CAUPD has carried out diverse activities in the field of urban development, including ecological restoration and city betterment, urban design, historical and cultural preservation, cultural inheritance, village and township development, sponge city pilot and planning, black and odorous water remediation. Through these efforts, it has been working tirelessly towards its goal to build itself into a new type of think tank.
2017
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