Recently, the State Council officially approved the Qingdao Overall National Territory Spatial Planning (2021-2035) (hereinafter referred to as Qingdao Overall Planning), which, known as Qingdao’s first overall national territory spatial planning that combines multiple aspects, gives an overall consideration to all factors across the city, stipulates explicitly the city’s nature and core functional orientation, and elaborates on a new paradigm for urban development across the territory.

In respect of the city’s nature and core functional orientation, the Qingdao Overall Planning stipulates clearly that Qingdao is set to become an important coastal central city, a nationally famous historic and cultural city, a modern marine city as well as an international comprehensive transportation hub city in China, and is positioned as a base for advanced manufacturing in northern China, a gateway for China’s opening up in northern China, and an international coastal tourist destination.

The Qingdao Overall Planning elaborates on the new paradigm for urban development that is characterized by “one area, two poles, two cities and multiple points”. “One area” refers to the metropolitan area around Jiaozhou Bay. Solid steps will be taken to develop the east coast, the west coast and the north coast of the central urban area as a whole, promote the integration of urban areas of Jiaozhou, Jimo and the place previously known as Jiaonan into the central urban area, facilitate the development of all cities and towns across Jiaozhou Bay in a substantive, intensive and well-coordinated way. The “two poles” comprise Pingdu and Laixi. With a focus on the implementation of the strategy of “strengthening role models” and embracing the integration of city clusters on Shandong Peninsula and the building of the Qingdao Metropolitan Circle, Qingdao will take advantage of the Qingdao-Weifang-Jinan and Qingdao-Yantai-Weihai regional development axes to build Pingdu and Laixi as two comprehensive nodal cities to foster important growth poles for regional development. The “two zones” include Qingdao Oceantec Valley and Dongjiakou port city. Qingdao will give full play to the innovation capacity of Laoshan National Lab for Marine Studies and the Dongjiakou Port as a transport hub to shore up the capacity of innovation in marine science and technology, and build the strength of port-vicinity industry clusters. “Multiple points” consist of nine newly developing cities or towns. Prioritizing the development of such new towns as Jiangshan and Nancun, which boast favorable geographical conditions and industrial foundation, Qingdao will work hard to create more jobs, improve public services and push up the rate of urbanization.  (Wang Bingjie)

Qianhai area in Qingdao.  By Xing Zhifeng