Towards Green Development: From an Option to an Objective
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planning. Based on the resource and environment carrying capacity, existing development density and development potential of each region, the plan for developing
functional zones strategically divides the national land and space into four categories
of functional zones where development must be optimized, prioritized, restricted, or
forbidden. This is a major measure to achieve the goal of ecological progress and
coordinated regional development.
The basic idea of developing functional zones was first put forward in the proposal
for the 11th Five-Year Plan. The proposal for the 12th Five-Year Plan elevated the plan
for developing functional zones to a strategy. In 2013, the Decision of the Central
Committee of the Communist Party of China on Some Major Issues Concerning
Comprehensively Continuing the Reform made it clear to “unwaveringly implement
the system of functional zones.” In the Outline of the 13th Five-Year Plan, the system
of functional zones constituted a specific strategic measure underpinning the concepts
of coordinated and green development, as well as an important means to promote
the coordinated and green regional development. The idea of developing functional
zones has gradually developed from a plan, a strategy, a system, to an integral part
of the national plan for socioeconomic development.
Following the release of the National Plan for Functional Zones in 2010, the
provincial plans for functional zones were issued and implemented successively. The
plan for functional zones established the system of “nine policies + one system,”
referring to the fiscal, investment, industrial, land, agricultural, population, ethnic,
environmental, and climate change policies, plus the performance evaluation system
for the functional areas. In 2017, the Opinions of the CPC Central Committee and the
State Council on Improving the Strategy and System of Functional Zones was issued.
It proposed that by 2020, the county-scale geographical space in consistence with the
functional definition will be basically delineated, the strategic layout of functional
zones covering land and sea will be accurately implemented, and the spatial planning
system that integrates various planning into a single master plan will be established
and improved.
2. Promote the implementation of the strategic layout of functional zones
based on the national space planning for “three spaces and three redlines”
The key to perfecting the strategy and system of functional zones lies in the implementation of the national and provincial strategic layout for functional zones at the
city and county levels, on the basis of strictly sticking to the plan for functional
zones. The three spaces refer to the urban, agricultural and ecological spaces, while
the three redlines are for protecting the ecosystems, the permanent basic cropland,
and the boundaries for urban development. The former lays stress on the definition of
dominant functions, while the latter focused more on the rigid control of boundaries.
The report to the 18th CPC National Congress put forward to ensure that “the space
for production is used intensively and efficiently, that the living space is livable and
proper in size, and that the ecological space is unspoiled and beautiful,” charting
the course for optimizing the optimization of three spaces. In the report to the 19th
CPC National Congress, it’s specified to “complete work on drawing redlines for
339
planning. Based on the resource and environment carrying capacity, existing development density and development potential of each region, the plan for developing
functional zones strategically divides the national land and space into four categories
of functional zones where development must be optimized, prioritized, restricted, or
forbidden. This is a major measure to achieve the goal of ecological progress and
coordinated regional development.
The basic idea of developing functional zones was first put forward in the proposal
for the 11th Five-Year Plan. The proposal for the 12th Five-Year Plan elevated the plan
for developing functional zones to a strategy. In 2013, the Decision of the Central
Committee of the Communist Party of China on Some Major Issues Concerning
Comprehensively Continuing the Reform made it clear to “unwaveringly implement
the system of functional zones.” In the Outline of the 13th Five-Year Plan, the system
of functional zones constituted a specific strategic measure underpinning the concepts
of coordinated and green development, as well as an important means to promote
the coordinated and green regional development. The idea of developing functional
zones has gradually developed from a plan, a strategy, a system, to an integral part
of the national plan for socioeconomic development.
Following the release of the National Plan for Functional Zones in 2010, the
provincial plans for functional zones were issued and implemented successively. The
plan for functional zones established the system of “nine policies + one system,”
referring to the fiscal, investment, industrial, land, agricultural, population, ethnic,
environmental, and climate change policies, plus the performance evaluation system
for the functional areas. In 2017, the Opinions of the CPC Central Committee and the
State Council on Improving the Strategy and System of Functional Zones was issued.
It proposed that by 2020, the county-scale geographical space in consistence with the
functional definition will be basically delineated, the strategic layout of functional
zones covering land and sea will be accurately implemented, and the spatial planning
system that integrates various planning into a single master plan will be established
and improved.
2. Promote the implementation of the strategic layout of functional zones
based on the national space planning for “three spaces and three redlines”
The key to perfecting the strategy and system of functional zones lies in the implementation of the national and provincial strategic layout for functional zones at the
city and county levels, on the basis of strictly sticking to the plan for functional
zones. The three spaces refer to the urban, agricultural and ecological spaces, while
the three redlines are for protecting the ecosystems, the permanent basic cropland,
and the boundaries for urban development. The former lays stress on the definition of
dominant functions, while the latter focused more on the rigid control of boundaries.
The report to the 18th CPC National Congress put forward to ensure that “the space
for production is used intensively and efficiently, that the living space is livable and
proper in size, and that the ecological space is unspoiled and beautiful,” charting
the course for optimizing the optimization of three spaces. In the report to the 19th
CPC National Congress, it’s specified to “complete work on drawing redlines for