On June 10, the seminar titled "Focusing on Challenges, Seeking Solutions Together: Key Issues in Urban Development" was held at the Institute of Economics and Social Development, co-hosted by the Institute for the Development of Chinese-style Modernization, the Institute of Economics and Social Development, and the Frontier Interdisciplinary Research Institute of Nankai University. Over 50 experts and scholars from national ministries, the Tianjin Municipal Committee, research institutes, and universities gathered to engage in in-depth discussions on topics including metropolitan governance during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, future cities, and urban renewal.
In his opening remarks, Professor Liu Binglian, Dean of the Institute of Economics and Social Development at Nankai University, emphasized that China’s urbanization rate continues to rise, with a significant population expected to enter cities in the future. Urban development now faces systematic challenges involving spatial governance, industrial upgrading, and population transition. These challenges urgently require collaborative research across government, industry, academia, and research institutions to deepen theoretical exploration.
The discussion session was chaired by Professor Zhou Mi, Director of the China Urban and Regional Economic Research Center at Nankai University. Gao Guoli, Director of the China Center for Urban and Small-Town Reform and Development at the National Development and Reform Commission, analyzed key issues and trends in the development of modern metropolitan areas and proposed policy recommendations for their continued evolution. Liu Shilin, Dean of the Institute of Urban Science at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, highlighted the need to distinguish between economic laws and urban development laws, advocating for breakthroughs in systemic bottlenecks through policy coordination, factor mobility, and industrial integration.
Fan Zhihong, President of the Wuhan Academy of Social Sciences, presented the case of "Luobo Kuai Pao"—an autonomous vehicle initiative in Wuhan—demonstrating through data and examples how intelligent transportation systems are reshaping urban spatial structure and governance models. He emphasized the need to concurrently build frameworks for technological safety and ethical standards.
Ma Tao, Dean of the School of Management at Harbin Institute of Technology, focused on AI-driven consumer transformation, suggesting that during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, major cities will lead in forming smart consumer ecosystems, with the integration of virtual spaces and cultural tourism driving new consumption patterns.
Li Zhigang, Dean of the School of Urban Design at Wuhan University, used the Wuhan New City project to explain governance pathways in megacities. He stressed the importance of multi-scalar spatial governance that ensures effective resource coordination and planning implementation.
Wu Haijun, Associate Research Fellow at the Institute of Industrial Economics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, shared research on how industrial digitalization and intelligence impact employment. He provided a systematic overview of related challenges and offered solutions across different levels of distribution.
Professor Yuan Xin of Nankai University, a Distinguished Talent Professor, presented an in-depth analysis of China’s structural population changes. Using extensive data, he explained the interconnections among population, employment, aging, and education, and proposed future strategic responses.
Focusing on urban renewal in Tianjin, Professor Jiang Manqi, also a Distinguished Talent Professor at Nankai University, suggested piloting a "property owner-led renewal mechanism" in the Heping and Hongqiao districts. She advocated for reforms in mixed land use to address the current imbalance between residential and employment locations.
During the closing session, Sun Jiuyi, Director of the Theory Division of the Tianjin Municipal Publicity Department, summarized the key outcomes of the seminar. He noted that the discussions provided valuable theoretical references for clarifying the foundational logic of urban development and for responding to the challenges posed by ultra-large-scale urbanization.
