750
H. Xu
United Kingdom traditionally calls it “town and country planning,” Germany and
Austria call it “spatial planning (Raumplanung),” and France calls it “urban planning
(Urbanisme)” or “territorial improvement (Amenagement du Territoire).”
If we tease out spatial planning systems of developed countries which have been
relatively improved for a long time, we can tell that they have different types but
still have something in common to be learnt for reshaping China’s spatial planning
system. The first is arranging and implementing territorial space planning based
on sustainable development. Currently, developed countries opt for spatial planning that no longer gives priority to economic development but to their ecological
environments and sustainable use of land or other natural and energy resources,
while paying attention to fair public services like providing housing and creating
infrastructure in society—a fact particularly prominent in the planning systems of
the United Kingdom, Germany and Japan. In this new era, we should follow these
developed countries in territorial space planning and focus on the ecological environment, resources and energy, while adopting high-quality development methods that
emphasize both development and protection, as well as efficiency and fairness. The
second is macroeconomic regulation and control, often abbreviated macro-control.
For most countries, national spatial planning is an indispensable way of improving
their market systems, enhancing competitiveness, and conducting macro-control. It is
also the central government’s standpoint to prevent and correct market failures under
a completely free economic system—a government intervention. This is exactly the
basic principle of reforming China’s spatial planning system to improve the national
governance system and modernize the governance capabilities.
2. China’s spatial planning system
China’s spatial planning took shape during the planned economy period, which began
in the mid-1950s, yet without legislative guarantee for a long time. In February 1979,
the Forest Law of the People’s Republic of China (Trial) was issued, marking the first
requirement for legally binding planning. With the promulgation of subsequent laws
such as the Land Management Law, Urban Planning Law, Environmental Protection
Law, and Water Law, spatial planning kept evolving, with an increasing number of
the types of arrangements that are mostly compatible with laws and management,
and respond to the management requirements of different industries with a strong
departmental flavor.
China’s old spatial planning system is complex and imperfect. With varied
purposes, problems and needs, many outmoded spatial plans are self-contained.
Laws that clearly define a complete spatial planning system are yet to be made, but a
consensus has been reached: China’s spatial planning system should mainly consist of
planning regarding to the national economic and social development, overall land use,
urban and rural development, and ecological protection, in addition to special plans
for other fields like transportation development planning. Spatial planning represents a “vertical and horizontal” network. Vertically, different plans are connected at
all administrative levels, with departments adopting “top-down” management; horizontally, “multiple plans are adopted at the same time”—a situation where these
H. Xu
United Kingdom traditionally calls it “town and country planning,” Germany and
Austria call it “spatial planning (Raumplanung),” and France calls it “urban planning
(Urbanisme)” or “territorial improvement (Amenagement du Territoire).”
If we tease out spatial planning systems of developed countries which have been
relatively improved for a long time, we can tell that they have different types but
still have something in common to be learnt for reshaping China’s spatial planning
system. The first is arranging and implementing territorial space planning based
on sustainable development. Currently, developed countries opt for spatial planning that no longer gives priority to economic development but to their ecological
environments and sustainable use of land or other natural and energy resources,
while paying attention to fair public services like providing housing and creating
infrastructure in society—a fact particularly prominent in the planning systems of
the United Kingdom, Germany and Japan. In this new era, we should follow these
developed countries in territorial space planning and focus on the ecological environment, resources and energy, while adopting high-quality development methods that
emphasize both development and protection, as well as efficiency and fairness. The
second is macroeconomic regulation and control, often abbreviated macro-control.
For most countries, national spatial planning is an indispensable way of improving
their market systems, enhancing competitiveness, and conducting macro-control. It is
also the central government’s standpoint to prevent and correct market failures under
a completely free economic system—a government intervention. This is exactly the
basic principle of reforming China’s spatial planning system to improve the national
governance system and modernize the governance capabilities.
2. China’s spatial planning system
China’s spatial planning took shape during the planned economy period, which began
in the mid-1950s, yet without legislative guarantee for a long time. In February 1979,
the Forest Law of the People’s Republic of China (Trial) was issued, marking the first
requirement for legally binding planning. With the promulgation of subsequent laws
such as the Land Management Law, Urban Planning Law, Environmental Protection
Law, and Water Law, spatial planning kept evolving, with an increasing number of
the types of arrangements that are mostly compatible with laws and management,
and respond to the management requirements of different industries with a strong
departmental flavor.
China’s old spatial planning system is complex and imperfect. With varied
purposes, problems and needs, many outmoded spatial plans are self-contained.
Laws that clearly define a complete spatial planning system are yet to be made, but a
consensus has been reached: China’s spatial planning system should mainly consist of
planning regarding to the national economic and social development, overall land use,
urban and rural development, and ecological protection, in addition to special plans
for other fields like transportation development planning. Spatial planning represents a “vertical and horizontal” network. Vertically, different plans are connected at
all administrative levels, with departments adopting “top-down” management; horizontally, “multiple plans are adopted at the same time”—a situation where these