At the series-themed press conference on "Promoting High-Quality Development" held by the State Council Information Office on August 23, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development detailed specific measures for improving the level of urban planning, construction, and governance.

At present, China's urban development has entered the stage of urban renewal, shifting from the past large-scale incremental construction to placing equal emphasis on both quality improvement of existing stock and structural adjustment of increments. The development mode of cities has also shifted from the past expansion of scale to the enhancement of substance, and the people have put forward new and higher demands for a high-quality life. This requires us to actively adapt to new development needs, and, while always upholding the foundation of serving the people wholeheartedly, to work hard on innovating methods and seek practical results in raising our level.

The original aspiration of serving the people remains unchanged. We will thoroughly practice the important concept emphasized by General Secretary Xi Jinping that "people's cities are built by the people and for the people," take enhancing people's well-being as the starting point and ultimate goal of deepening reform, advance the implementation of urban renewal actions, solve the urgent, difficult, worrying, and anxious problems of the people, and continuously improve urban quality so that the people can live more conveniently, more comfortably, and more happily.

The focus of reform should respond scientifically to changes. To adapt to the new requirements of high-quality development, the focus of reform should shift from solving the problem of "whether there is" in the past to solving the problem of "whether it is good." In the past stage of "whether there is," we mainly accelerated construction and pursued speed and scale; in the current stage of "whether it is good," while doing a good job in construction, we must strive to improve management capacity and level and also pay more attention to improving quality and efficiency.

Refine tasks and take the initiative to adapt to changes. In accordance with the current tasks of urban planning, construction, and governance reform, we will actively establish new mechanisms suited to high-quality urban development. In terms of planning, to meet the actual needs of optimizing existing stock, improving functions, and enhancing quality, we will improve the urban planning system and further deepen the reform of the urban planning and design system; in terms of construction, we will study and establish sustainable urban renewal models and policies and regulations, strengthen the construction of underground comprehensive utility tunnels and the renovation and upgrading of old pipelines, deepen actions to improve urban safety and resilience, and innovate investment and financing mechanisms for urban construction and operation; in terms of governance, we will strengthen systematic thinking, work hard on overall coordination, improve the coordinated mechanism of urban management, accelerate the construction and application of urban operation and management service platforms, promote the integration of urban management into grassroots social governance, improve grassroots service and management capabilities, and advance the modernization of the urban governance system and governance capacity.

A city is a science; it has meridians, pulses, and textures like the human body. We believe that under the guidance of the important concept of people's cities, oriented toward green and low-carbon development, a beautiful environment, ecological livability, safety and health, and smart and efficient operation, and by honing "embroidery" skills and painting "fine brushwork," and by doing a good job in modernizing the urban governance system and governance capacity, we will surely be able to continuously improve the business forms, functions, and quality of cities and make the people's lives increasingly better.