(Photo provided to Xinhua Daily)
The Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development recently announced 36 projects winning the 2023 China Habitat Environment Model Award, including three from Jiangsu Province.
The biennial award evaluates projects from multiple perspectives, such as environment, livability, safety, traffic, landscape, inclusiveness, innovation and vitality. Jiangsu’s three winning projects are the Renewal of Yonghong Zone in Zhonglou District of Changzhou City, the core area of the High-speed Rail New Town in Changzhou City and the streetscape upgrade in the Dongjiu New Town in Yixing City.
The Yonghong project has significantly improved living conditions of the community, making the area comfortable, clean, orderly and inclusive. Zhang Yi, director of Zhonglou District’s Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, highlighted the transition from poor conditions and insufficient public services to enhanced landscaping, infrastructure, cultural charm and commercial activities through the 3-year renewal starting 2021.
Focusing on the community’s needs, the project included new elevators for old buildings and charging piles for electric vehicles, and also gave priority to the wellbeing of elderly residents and children. Currently, all old complexes built before 2000 in Yonghong have completed renewal, with public satisfaction increasing from 75% to 98%, according to Zhang.
The High-speed Rail New Town’s core area is honored for its environment and livability improvements, including carbon emissions control in construction, according to Yang Kuanrong, director of the Green Building and Technology Office in Changzhou’s Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development.
The core area, spanning 1.46 square kilometers, highlighted environmental performance in the construction of residential apartments, office buildings, and commercial venues. It has integrated the underground pipeline and employed technologies for better energy efficiency and low carbon emissions. In the next three years, the town plans to build a new energy hub to support the heating and cooling across a total floor area of 6 million square meters.
Dongjiu New Town’s enhancements included a 2-kilometer fitness trail, waterfront amenities, community libraries and recreational venues, said Wang Jun, an official of Yixing’s Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development.
According to the provincial Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, Jiangsu now has 15 cities acknowledged by the China Habitat Environment Award, ranking first in the country, and a total of 60 projects from the province won the China Habitat Environment Model Award.
