A total of 280,000 residential communities have been renovated in China since 2019, Ni Hong, minister of housing and urban-rural development, said at a press conference on Sunday.

The goal of urban renewal projects is to make cities more livable, smarter, and more resilient, Ni told the press conference.

Ni said work must be done to identify people's urgent needs in residential compounds and communities, as well as spot the weakness in sustainable urban development.

More elevators, parking spaces, and elderly and childcare facilities will be added, Ni said, adding that 50,000 old residential compounds will be renovated this year.

In 2023, the renovation of 53,000 old residential compounds in urban areas kicked off, according to the minister.

Ni said efforts will also be made to further improve urban underground pipeline networks, with over 100,000 kilometers of gas, water, sewage, and heating pipelines to be renovated this year.

Meanwhile, real-time monitoring of such infrastructure facilities will be advanced to better guarantee the security of cities, Ni said, adding that flood drainage capacity will be enhanced by addressing potential risks in 100 more cities across the country.

(With input from Xinhua)