The State Council has issued a circular approving the overall urban planning (2006 - 20) for Hegang city, Northeast China’s Heilongjiang province.

Hegang is an important industrial energy city and a major city located in the northeastern part of Heilongjiang.

According to the circular, an area of 1,067 square kilometers was designated for Hegang’s unified rural and urban development.

The circular urged efforts to improve management in the city fringes, expand public facilities to serve neighboring villages, develop counties and key villages with potential, and optimize the overall layout of villages and towns.

The circular stated that by 2020, the downtown population should be kept to within 860,000, and urban construction land should be limited to 98.68 square kilometers.

No new development zones or districts should be established beyond the designated construction areas. Increases in construction land will be controlled, and protection of arable land will be strengthened, the circular stated.

Urban infrastructure facilities, including transportation systems, parking lots, underground tunnels and disaster prevention systems, will be improved in a greener way, the circular stated.

The circular also stressed efforts to save resources and protect the environment, by weeding out outdated capacity, controlling pollution emissions, and effectively using water resources.

Also, natural reserves, such as Qingyuan Lake, and ecological function zones, including wetlands and water sources, should be further protected.

The circular also stressed enhancing public service facilities involving education, healthcare, and municipal administration, including subsidized apartments, in construction plans, and stepping up renovation of villages and dilapidated houses within the city.

The circular also urged efforts to protect the traditional city landscape and historical and cultural heritage sites.