The State Council has approved a national territorial spatial plan for Changzhou, East China’s Jiangsu province, for the 2021-2035 period, according to an official reply released on Jan 16.

According to the reply, by 2035, the total area of cultivated land in Changzhou should be no less than 1.2608 million mu, and the red line area for ecological protection should not be less than 346.1 square kilometers.

To build a territorial spatial system that supports the new development paradigm, Changzhou is urged to deeply integrate itself into the development of the Yangtze Economic Belt and the strategy for integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta.

The development and protection of territorial space will be systematically optimized, the reply added.

To that end, efforts should be made to accelerate building an urban system featuring regional coordination and urban-rural integration. The ecological function along the Yangtze River should be recovered, and meanwhile the comprehensive governance of the Taihu Lake basin should be advanced.

The city is also asked to ensure the spatial demands for modern urban agriculture and optimize its functional structure and spatial layout. Furthermore, priority should be given to guarantee the space demands for advanced manufacturing and the development of scientific and technological innovation industries, the reply said.

Changzhou should improve external and internal channels with multi-directional connectivity and multimodal transport, and build a safe, convenient, green and low-carbon comprehensive urban transport system.

The circular also stressed highlighting the natural and cultural characteristics of urban and rural areas in Changzhou, improving the space protection mechanism of cultural and natural heritage sites, and strengthening the protection of the Grand Canal in its urban area, a world heritage, and red cultural heritages.