
BEIJING, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- China has achieved remarkable results in urban construction and development, with a new urbanization model deeply advanced during the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020), a government official said Monday.
By the end of the five-year period, the built-up urban area reached 60,300 square km, with 684 cities registered in the country, said Wang Menghui, minister of housing and urban-rural development, at a national work meeting.
From January to November this year, 39,700 old urban residential communities in China have been added to a renovation project, benefiting nearly 7.25 million households as the country stepped up efforts to improve living conditions in old residential areas, ministry data shows.
In 2019, the per capita housing areas of urban and rural residents were 39.8 square meters and 48.9 square meters, respectively.
The minister called for efforts to promote high-quality development of cities in 2021, transforming development and construction methods to improve the structure, functions and qualities of cities, as well as deepening a new type of urbanization that puts people first, while building livable, green, resilient, smart and cultural cities.
Ecological restoration projects in the cities should be implemented in a bid to improve the quality of the living environment, while historical and cultural protection should be strengthened to shape city features, Wang said.
Fire brigade in Shanghai holds group wedding
Tourists enjoy ice sculptures in Datan Town, north China
Sunset scenery of Dayan Pagoda in Xi'an
Tourists have fun at scenic spot in Nanlong Town, NW China
Harbin attracts tourists by making best use of ice in winter
In pics: FIS Alpine Ski Women's World Cup Slalom
Black-necked cranes rest at reservoir in Lhunzhub County, Lhasa
China's FAST telescope will be available to foreign scientists in April
"She power" plays indispensable role in poverty alleviation
Top 10 world news events of People's Daily in 2020
Top 10 China news events of People's Daily in 2020
Top 10 media buzzwords of 2020
Year-ender:10 major tourism stories of 2020
No interference in Venezuelan issues
Biz prepares for trade spat
Broadcasting Continent
Australia wins Chinese CEOs as US loses