People-centered urbanization towards sustainable and inclusive future

Editor's note: Xu Ying, a special commentator on current affairs for CGTN, is a Beijing-based international affairs commentator. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

Chinese President Xi Jinping outlined priority tasks for urban work at the Central Urban Work Conference, held in Beijing from Monday to Tuesday. In the grand arc of human history, few transformations rival the speed, scale and social impact of China's urbanization. Between 1949 and 2024, China's urban population increased from fewer than 40 million to over 940 million, significantly elevating the country's urbanization rate from a modest 11 percent to an impressive 67 percent.

Behind this immense transformation is not just economic momentum but a deeply rooted governance philosophy: the idea of the people's city, guided by the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and personified in the principle that cities are built for the people and by the people.

Urbanization has been both a driver and a product of national development, contributing more than 60 percent of GDP through cities while lifting hundreds of millions out of poverty. From strategic city planning to grassroots renovation, China's urban development model is rooted not merely in constructing buildings and roads, but in fulfilling people's aspirations for a better life.

Such a transformation is all the more remarkable given its inclusiveness. In contrast to the often elite-driven urban expansion seen in some countries, China's urbanization has been explicitly aimed at social integration and equity. The nationwide push to transition over 150 million rural migrants into full urban citizenship, with access to education, healthcare, housing and jobs, reflects a vision where no one is left behind. It is urbanization not just as a spatial reorganization, but also as a matter of social justice.

Yet speed alone does not define success. The challenge of such rapid urbanization is ensuring that growth is not just wide, but also wise. China's approach, characterized by regionally differentiated strategies and strong top-down planning, aims to ensure that development is balanced across the east and west, cities and counties, as well as megacities and small towns.

In recent years, urbanization has accelerated most in China's less-developed interior. Between 2014 and 2023, the Xizang Autonomous Region, Guizhou Province, and Henan Province experienced double-digit gains in urbanization rates. County towns have emerged as key platforms for local employment and service delivery.

Unlike traditional models that concentrate growth in coastal megacities, China is promoting local urbanization, enabling people to find jobs, settle, and thrive close to home. This policy helps prevent the social disruptions caused by massive rural-to-urban migration and fosters more resilient urban systems.

What truly distinguishes China's urban governance is its people-centered ethos. The concept "The people build the cities and are for the people," first put forward by President Xi, encapsulates a governing philosophy that places residents, not capital, infrastructure, or technology, at the center of the urban narrative. Urban development is guided not by abstract metrics of growth, but by the lived realities of ordinary citizens.

This philosophy is visible in practical policies. The 2024 five-year action plan for new urbanization emphasizes expanding public services to all permanent residents, including the 250 million "semi-urbanized" migrants who live and work in cities without full access to benefits.

Administrative reforms are easing residency restrictions. Educational and housing provisions for migrant families are being expanded. In most cities with under three million residents, barriers to household registration have been removed.

Urban governance in China is also undergoing a technological transformation. Cities such as Hangzhou and Chongqing are leveraging big data and artificial intelligence for smarter traffic control, emergency response and service delivery. Community-level digital platforms allow residents to report concerns and access services more efficiently. Urban resilience is being enhanced with smart grids, disaster preparedness and intelligent infrastructure systems. These innovations are not ends in themselves, but tools for building safer and more livable cities.

Environmental quality, which has long been a casualty of rapid development, is now a central pillar of urban policy. The days of "black rivers and gray skies" are increasingly giving way to blueprints of green cities and sponge cities. The vision is clear: to build cities where people can not only make a living but also enjoy life.

Ultimately, what defines the Chinese approach to urbanization is its fusion of ambition with care, of large-scale planning with local responsiveness. Whether in the sweeping plans for Xiong'an New Area envisioned as a city without the diseases of old urban sprawl, or in the grassroots transformation of decades-old alleyways in Chongqing, the spirit is the same: Urbanization must serve the people.

With urbanization projected to reach 70 percent in the next five years, China's journey is far from over. Each percentage point of progress now represents deeper structural reform, finer governance and greater attention to the needs of the people. It also brings over 200 billion Chinese yuan ($27.9 billion) in new consumption potential, showing that urbanization is not only a social project but an economic engine.

As global observers seek sustainable and inclusive models of city-building, the Chinese experience may offer valuable insights, namely that cities can grow fast and reasonably, tall and green, big and beautiful. The true measure of a city's success is not in its skyline, but in the happiness of its people.

In China, happiness is becoming visible in upgraded homes, inclusive schools, cleaner air, and the laughter echoing through revitalized neighborhoods.

(If you want to contribute and have specific expertise, please contact us at opinions@cgtn.com. Follow @thouse_opinions on X, formerly Twitter, to discover the latest commentaries in the CGTN Opinion Section.)