Core Viewpoint - The recent Central Urban Work Conference marks a significant shift in China's urban development strategy, emphasizing the optimization of a modern urban system as a key task for achieving socialist modernization by 2035 [1][2]. Group 1: Key Tasks and Trends in Urban Development - The conference identified seven key tasks for urban work, with the optimization of the modern urban system being the foremost priority, highlighting its role in coordinating various urban developments and addressing imbalances [1][2]. - The construction of modern urban systems is seen as crucial for supporting stable development and addressing issues of unbalanced and uncoordinated growth [1][2]. - The urbanization rate in China has surpassed 66%, transitioning from "incremental expansion" to "stock quality improvement," indicating a critical phase for urban system construction [2][3]. Group 2: Development Trends in Urban Systems - There is an accelerated development of group-style and networked modern urban clusters and metropolitan areas, which are now recognized as essential for efficient resource allocation and innovation [3]. - The role of county towns in urbanization has become more prominent, with 1,866 county towns accommodating 250 million people, serving as key nodes for urban-rural connections [3]. - The concept of coordinated development among large, medium, and small cities has evolved to focus more on human-centered approaches, ensuring that different city sizes contribute effectively to the urbanization of the agricultural population [3]. Group 3: Deepening Urban-Rural Integration - Urban-rural integration is gaining more attention, with a focus on achieving mutual empowerment through multi-dimensional integration beyond just the flow of resources [4]. Group 4: Institutional Innovations for Urban Development - There is a need for flexible and diverse urban classification standards that go beyond traditional population metrics to include economic density and ecological capacity [5]. - Innovative fiscal support mechanisms are required in light of declining land revenues, with a focus on developing new tax sources from digital and green economies [5][6]. - The establishment of a unified national standard for basic public services is essential to accommodate the increasing frequency of inter-regional population movement [6].

Core Viewpoint - The central urban work conference marks a significant shift in China's urbanization from rapid growth to stable development, emphasizing quality improvement and efficiency in existing urban resources [1][2][8]. Group 1: Urban Development Transition - The conference highlights the transition of urbanization from a phase of rapid growth to a stable development phase, focusing on improving existing urban quality rather than expanding [8]. - The urban development strategy is shifting from material growth to addressing human needs and social governance, indicating a substantial change in growth dynamics [8][10]. Group 2: Key Tasks for Urban Work - Seven key tasks were outlined for urban work, including optimizing modern urban systems, building innovative cities, creating livable environments, and developing green and resilient cities [2][10]. - The emphasis on building a modern urban system aims to enhance the capacity of cities to support population and economic development, promoting coordinated growth among different city types [10]. Group 3: Urban Renewal and Housing Policies - The conference stresses the importance of high-quality urban renewal, which is expected to improve urban appearance and livability while generating new industrial demand [14][17]. - The continuation of real estate regulation policies is highlighted, particularly in the context of urban renewal and the transformation of urban villages and dilapidated housing [16][17]. Group 4: Green and Smart Cities - The focus on constructing green and low-carbon cities aligns with the growing trend of "good housing," which emphasizes safety, comfort, and sustainability [19]. - The conference calls for innovative urban governance models, enhancing citizen participation in urban management, which may lead to new institutional breakthroughs [20].

Core Viewpoint - The Central Urban Work Conference held in Beijing emphasizes the need to optimize the modern urban system to enhance the comprehensive carrying capacity of cities for population and socio-economic development [1] Group 1: Urban Development Strategy - The conference focuses on developing group-style and networked modern urban clusters and metropolitan areas [1] - It advocates for a categorized approach to urbanization, with county towns as important carriers [1] - The initiative aims to continue the urbanization of the agricultural transfer population [1] Group 2: Coordination and Integration - The meeting promotes coordinated development among large, medium, and small cities, as well as small towns [1] - It emphasizes the importance of urban-rural integration development [1]