The Jin Gang Bei Historical and Cultural Block attracts numerous visitors, showcasing how urban renewal connects both livelihoods and development. On October 28, the 2025 China (Chongqing) Urban Renewal Forum and Resource Exchange Conference was held at the Chongqing Yuelai International Conference Center. The event, themed "Gathering Strength for the Mountain City, Sharing Renewal," was hosted by the Chongqing Municipal Government and organized by the Chongqing Housing and Urban-Rural Development Commission and the Yuzhong District Government.

**Over 260 Billion Yuan: Chongqing’s "Urban Renewal Opportunity List" Released** The conference featured a signing ceremony for urban renewal projects, with Chongqing securing 31 projects totaling 37.5 billion yuan in investment. These projects span key areas such as industrial heritage revitalization, commercial revitalization, urban functional improvements, historical and cultural preservation, and smart technology.

The "Urban Renewal Opportunity List" released at the event includes over 220 projects with investments exceeding 260 billion yuan. Among them, 13 key projects were highlighted, representing a total investment of 28.8 billion yuan. These projects cover old neighborhoods, old factory areas, urban village renovations, adaptive reuse of existing buildings, public spaces, historical and cultural districts, and complete community development.

For old residential areas, the Changbin Road Urban Renewal Project, with an investment of approximately 11.4 billion yuan, aims to revitalize eight plots along the route, creating 239,500 square meters of high-quality industrial space to form a regional headquarters economic cluster in Yuzhong District.

In the old block category, the Jin Gang Bei Historical and Cultural Block project in Beibei District, with a 600-million-yuan investment, focuses on preserving local heritage, promoting cultural spirit, and fostering creative and tourism industries. It will integrate traditional and modern elements to create a distinctive cultural and leisure destination.

For old factory areas, the Ye Shui Fang Urban Renewal Project (2.5 billion yuan) leverages its proximity to the Guanyinqiao business district to blend local charm with youth-oriented amenities, creating a vibrant mixed-use district.

Urban village redevelopment includes the Tongde Area project in Yubei District, which plans to develop clusters for smart connected vehicles, motorcycles, advanced manufacturing, aviation, and modern construction industries.

**Four Think Tanks to Contribute Chongqing’s Expertise** The conference also saw the establishment of four specialized think tanks: 1. Chongqing Sustainable Urban Renewal Innovation Center (jointly initiated by Chongqing Real Estate Group and Yanchuang Technology). 2. Chongqing Sustainable Urban Renewal Research Institute (operated by Chongqing Design Group). 3. Chongqing Urban Health Examination and Sustainable Renewal Research Center (affiliated with the China Academy of Urban Planning & Design’s Western Branch). 4. Chongqing City Information Modeling (CIM) Technology Innovation Center (the first provincial-level innovation platform in China’s "new urban infrastructure" sector, led by Chongqing Construction Information Center).

**Ten Financial Measures to Support Urban Renewal** Chongqing introduced policies to bolster urban renewal, including 17 measures for high-quality renewal and 10 financial support measures. These aim to enhance financing mechanisms, innovate financial products, and optimize the lending environment.

Key financial support directions include spatial restructuring, functional optimization, industrial upgrading, and ecological restoration.

**Governance Innovations: Two Chongqing Cases Recognized** Two Chongqing initiatives were included in the *China Urban Governance Innovation Casebook*: 1. Jiulongpo District’s digital supervision system for construction waste trucks (award-winning case). 2. Jinxiang Community’s grassroots governance model leveraging property management committees (shortlisted case).

**Expert Insights: Smart Tech Empowers Urban Vitality** At the World Cities Day event, Wu Zhiqiang, a Chinese Academy of Engineering academician, highlighted how smart technology can enhance urban sustainability. His analysis of Chongqing’s riverbanks showed that concave banks (with 3x more vibrancy than convex banks) offer greater potential for development.

**Other Cities Share Best Practices** Representatives from Tianjin, Hangzhou, and other cities shared their urban renewal strategies. Tianjin’s Haihe River lighting project, for instance, has boosted night-time economy and cultural tourism.

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