Full Text: Integrated Reform Plan for Promoting Ecological Progress

IV. Establishing a Planning System for Territorial Space

14. Formulating plans for territorial space

All types of current spatial plans formulated by different departments will be integrated into unified spatial plans, which will be all-encompassing. The new plans will be the guide for the development of the country's territorial space, and the spatial blueprints for sustainable development; they will be the fundamental basis for all types of development and construction programs. Spatial plans will be divided into national, provincial, and municipal (or county) levels (spatial plans for cities which are divided into districts will be formulated for the district level). Research will be conducted into how to establish unified and standardized mechanisms for formulating spatial plans. An environmental impact assessment system will be set up to be used in spatial planning. Provincial-level spatial planning trials are encouraged. A spatial plan will be developed for the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

15. Integrating municipal-level (county-level) plans

Cities and counties will be supported in combining different types of plans into a single spatial plan, such that gradually, there will be one plan - one blueprint - per city or county. Municipal or county spatial plans should classify land using a unified standard, and, in accordance with the relevant functional zoningand the requirements of the provincial-level spatial plan, should delineate production space, living space, and ecological space, demarcate the development boundaries of urban construction areas, industrial areas, and rural living areas, as well as the boundaries of protected areas of arable land, woodlands, grasslands, rivers, lakes, and wetlands, and strengthen coordinated planning for urban subsurface space. More effective guidance will be given to cities and counties regarding their trials for plan integration. Research will be undertaken into developing guidelines and technical standards for the formulation of municipal-level (county-level) spatial plans, which will then serve as experience that can be applied elsewhere.

16. Developing new approaches for formulating municipal-level (county-level) spatial plans

We will explore how best to standardize procedures for formulating municipal-level (county-level)spatial plans, public participation will be expanded, and planning will be made more effective and transparent. Those areas piloting municipal-level (county-level) spatial plans are encouraged to integrate planning departments, making a single department responsible for formulating the spatial plan for that municipality or county; and they may form a planning appraisal committee of experts and representatives of the relevant fields. Prior to the formulation of a plan, a resource and environmental carrying capacity assessment must be carried out, and the results of the assessment should serve as the fundamental basis of planning. During the process of formulation, efforts should be made to solicit opinions of those from relevant sectors; the draft of the plan should be published in full so that the suggestions and comments of local residents can be extensively solicited. After evaluation and approval by the planning appraisal committee, the plan must be deliberated and passed by the local people's congress, then reported to the relevant government department at the next level up to be placed on record. The finalized plan should include the text of the plan along with precise maps and images, and should be made available to the public through websites and other forms of local news media. Local residents are to be encouraged to oversee the implementation of the plan and report any development and construction activities that violate it. The local people's congress and its standing committee will hear reports at regular intervals on the implementation of the plan, and will hold the local government accountable for violations of the plan.