Qingdao thrives as hub of urban development

Action plan sees successful completion of major citywide projects

Since the beginning of 2022, Qingdao in East China's Shandong province has improved the quality of urban functions and gained recognition from residents in accordance with its three-year action plan to comprehensively revamp and renovate.

Over the past two years, Qingdao has focused on 10 key areas including the protection and renewal of urban historical zones, low-efficiency land development and transport infrastructure. The city has launched 2,157 projects, 1,314 of which have been completed.

Qingdao has started construction on major transport infrastructure projects such as the Jiaozhou Bay second tunnel and Chongqing Road Expressway, and is making breakthroughs in the renovation of urban villages.

The city has integrated urban renewal with the development of the real economy and is building emerging industrial parks in low-efficiency lands. Over the past two years, Qingdao has implemented 135 infrastructure projects with a total investment of 421 billion yuan ($58.9 billion).

Key projects include the central section of the Jinan-Qingdao Expressway, and the expansion and reconstruction of the Qingdao-Lanzhou Expressway (Shuangbu to Hetao section), which alleviates traffic congestion between the main urban area and Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport. The Mingcun to Dongjiakou Highway, which runs north-south in Qingdao, will be completed and put into use later this year. The construction of the fast track from Langu to the Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport, which connects the east and west, is also in full swing.

The city has started construction of more than 20 main roads and completed projects such as the interchange of Hailu-Yinchuan Road, the widening of Nanjing Road and the transformation of Fuzhou South Road. Nearly 60 dead-end roads have been connected, making the city's road network more accessible. The operating length of the subway in Qingdao has reached 318 kilometers, ranking 10th in the country.

The Guanlu Reservoir, the long-anticipated strategic water diversion project, has commenced construction. After completion, its total reservoir capacity will reach 210 million cubic meters, fundamentally solving the city's water shortage problem.

Qingdao takes the expectations that the public have for a better life as the foundation of its development, protecting historical areas, transforming old towns and villages, and striving for the construction of a park city.

The core area of the historical district, covering 2 square kilometers, has undergone overall protection, renovation and utilization. Qingdao has renovated 350,000 square meters of old buildings, improved key roads such as Zhongshan Road and Taiping Road, and used underground space to build parking lots. Fifteen old street areas such as Silver Fish Street and Pichaiyuan have introduced new business formats, becoming new landmarks for urban tourism. The highest daily passenger flow in historical areas exceeded 300,000 people this year.

The city has upgraded nearly 800 old residential areas and greened surrounding blocks. For example, 12 communities in Zhangcun River area, the largest village in the main urban area, completed its three-year relocation task in just 18 months. Qingdao has also renovated 60 mountain parks in the urban area and built riverside greenways and parks.

Adhering to the integration of the city with industry, Qingdao takes urban renewal construction as an important means to promote industrial transformation.

A virtual reality industrial park covering more than 133 hectares has been built in Laoshan district, attracting leading companies such as electroacoustic components manufacturer GoerTek and Chinese virtual reality headset maker Pico to create an advanced VR research and manufacturing base.

The Wangtai area in Qingdao West Coast New Area has demolished 1.8 million sq meters of old factory buildings, freeing up some 733 hectares of low-efficiency land. A new display industrial cluster centered on BOE Technology Group and other leading enterprises has been formed there.

Qingdao has also improved its traffic situation in more than 200 congested sections throughout its main urban areas. It has added an additional 23,000 parking spaces and is promoting the digitalization of parking.

wangjinhui@chinadaily.com.cn