Core Viewpoint - The central urban work conference in July 2025 proposed a comprehensive strategy for developing modern urban agglomerations and metropolitan areas, emphasizing their role in enhancing the capacity for population and economic development [1] Group 1: Requirements for Modern Urban Agglomerations and Metropolitan Areas - Urban agglomerations and metropolitan areas are crucial for China's new urbanization and must adhere to urban development laws [2] - The construction of urban agglomerations and metropolitan areas should focus on optimizing spatial patterns and creating a coordinated system of large, medium, and small cities [3] Group 2: Building Urban Communities of Interest - The development of urban communities of interest is essential for the integration of urban agglomerations and metropolitan areas, connecting cities through commuting, industrial, and living circles [4] - Promoting resilient and safe urban construction is necessary to ensure sustainable development within urban agglomerations and metropolitan areas [4] Group 3: Systematic Approach to Development - The systematic approach to developing modern urban agglomerations and metropolitan areas involves creating a complementary spatial structure and enhancing connectivity through modern transportation and digital infrastructure [5] - The focus on "group-style" development aims to prevent redundant construction and disorderly competition while promoting efficient resource allocation [5] Group 4: Enhancing Quality of Urban Agglomerations and Metropolitan Areas - The key to improving the quality of urban agglomerations and metropolitan areas lies in strengthening group-style development dynamics and optimizing functional layouts [7] - World-class urban agglomerations should focus on high-tech fields to drive high-quality development and international competitiveness [8] Group 5: Exploring Shared Benefit Mechanisms - Establishing a shared benefit mechanism is crucial for the integration of urban agglomerations and metropolitan areas, promoting a win-win situation [9] - Implementing cross-regional fiscal sharing mechanisms can balance responsibilities and development returns among different areas [9] Group 6: Ecological Resilience and Sustainable Development - Group-style development must prioritize ecological protection and green development, creating a resilient ecological network [10] - Strengthening cross-regional ecological safety measures is essential for ensuring sustainable urban development [10] Group 7: Enhancing Governance Efficiency - Improving governance efficiency in urban agglomerations and metropolitan areas requires breaking down institutional barriers and enhancing resource allocation [12] - Collaborative governance across multiple fields, including industry, innovation, and ecology, is necessary for optimizing resource distribution and enhancing regional competitiveness [13]

Group 1: Urban Development Strategy - The urbanization strategy in China is shifting from rapid growth to stable development, focusing on quality and efficiency improvements[3] - The emphasis is on "in-depth urban development," contrasting with previous strategies that prioritized expanding city sizes[3] - The meeting highlights the need for urbanization to enhance quality rather than merely increasing population and housing stock[3] Group 2: Modern Urban Clusters - Developing modern urban clusters and metropolitan areas is essential for the dual circulation development pattern, driven by industrialization[4] - High-end industries and innovation activities are concentrated in first-tier cities, which are nearing their resource capacity limits[4] - The strategy involves dispersing mature production capacities from high-level cities to surrounding lower-level cities to improve living costs and resource utilization[4] Group 3: Real Estate Development - The meeting emphasizes a "steady progress" approach to real estate development, focusing on infrastructure investment rather than stimulating new property demand[4] - Key tasks include improving urban infrastructure safety and upgrading old pipelines, while limiting the construction of super-tall buildings[4] - Future urbanization investments are expected to primarily target new urban infrastructure development[4]