The State Council has approved the overall development plan (2011-2020) for Kunming, capital of Southwest China’s Yunnan province.

According to the plan, Kunming, as a major city in Southwest China, will be a modern city, with a flourishing economy, harmonious environment, and distinctive local features.

The plan states that 4,060 square kilometers of designated area will be under a unified urban and rural management. Construction of infrastructure and public facilities should cover the surrounding villages.

By 2020, the permanent population of downtown areas should be controlled to within 4.3 million, with land allocated for urban construction limited to within 430 square kilometers. A reasonable scale and layout should be established to save resources and protect arable land.

Under the guidance of a low-carbon concept, urban infrastructure should be built to improve overall traffic, water supply, waste processing, and disaster prevention.

The plan also pledged to build Kunming into a resource-saving and environment-friendly city, with more efforts to cut emissions and excessive capacity, support green buildings, improve waste processing, ensure water safety, and protect ecological function areas.

Meanwhile, education, medical care, and other public service facilities should be mapped out and distributed, with increasing efforts in housing construction and renovation to ensure a livable urban environment.

The plan also emphasized that urban layout should be designed with natural landscapes in mind to demonstrate Kunming’s features and protect historical and cultural heritages.