The primary political task of the whole party and the whole country now and in the near future is to study, disseminate and implement the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. Yangpu District is comprehensively implementing the concept of “a people’s city”, accelerating the construction of the district in an all-round way, and continuously exploring new patterns of city construction with a focus on its key tasks.

At the beginning of 2023, the Publicity Department of the CPC Yangpu District Committee and Yangpu District Integrated Media Center jointly held a seminar on the topic of “Learning, contemplating, understanding and practicing the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the CPC and drawing a new blueprint for development”, and invited the heads of government agencies, civil groups, district state-owned enterprises and party organizations of all sub-districts. The participants studied the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the CPC, exchanged views and explored new ways of development on the basis of their work and the progress of key projects in Yangpu District.

2023 is the first year to comprehensively implement the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the CPC, and a key year for Yangpu District to accelerate the construction of “four areas” and implement the tasks laid out in the 14th Five-Year Plan. The Administration of Afforestation & City Appearance of Yangpu District will continue to practice the concept of “a people’s city”, find the correct positioning according to its goals, make use of the establishment of a park city demonstration area and the second round of construction of beautiful neighborhoods, continue to consolidate the results of waste sorting, continuously improve city appearance and environment in urban areas and contribute wisdom and strength to the construction of a people’s city.

Aiming for the construction of a park city to lay the groundwork for an eco-city (2023)

Yangpu District is a central district with the largest area, the largest population and the longest riverside shoreline on the west bank of the HuangPu River. The AACA of Yangpu District conscientiously practices the people-centered development concept, actively advances the transformation from “parks in a city” into “a city in parks”, and goes all out to let the residents see greenery through the window, in street corners and outside their doors.

Comprehensively implementing the forest chief system

The comprehensive implementation of the forest chief scheme is a major institutional innovation in the field of ecological civilization in China. By now, Yangpu District has established an organizational structure consisting of district-level and sub-district-level forest chief offices, and issued implementation plans at both levels.

In 2022, Yangpu District set up 17 forest chief signboards, inaugurated two citizen horticultural centers and promoted the opening-up of an institution’s afforestation. It completed the adjustment and construction of the main body of the Bridge Park (Phase I) project, promoted the opening-up of the park, and completed the construction of Phase I of the park city project.

Bridge Park (Phase I)

At present, Yangpu District is advancing the construction of riverside green land with different features in different sections in order to build the Yangpu Riverside Park City Demonstration Area with distinctive characteristics and display a high-quality ecological life integration area.

Optimizing the layout of pocket parks

Pocket parks are small parks that have certain recreational functions and are accessible to the general public. They are welcomed by the public because of their diversity, environmental friendliness and convenience. In recent years, pocket parks have been emerging on the streets of Yangpu District, allowing residents to feel joy in these small but beautiful parks.

In response to the requirements on pocket park construction laid out in the 14th Five-Year Plan, the AACA completed the construction of seven pocket parks and rebuilt one pocket park in 2022, which are open to the public 24 hours a day. Three other pocket parks were included in the practical projects of Yangpu District People’s Government in 2023.

In the future, the AACA will continue to improve the long-term management mechanism, encourage residents to build, govern and share their community, and enhance their sense of belonging and happiness.

Promoting the opening-up of green space in parks

The AACA prioritizes ecological protection and green development and adheres to a people-oriented and demand-oriented approach.

In 2022, 8.03 hectares of green land and 2.55 hectares of 3D greenery were built. Amid the construction of a beautiful neighborhood on Jiangpu Road, the management of Jiangpu Park had its wall along Jiangpu Road demolished, connected the park to the green space along the street, and built open ecological green space so that the facilities in the park are more accessible to the public. As the scenery in the park and the neighborhood environment are integrated, pedestrians can walk through the shade and feel the charm of “a city in parks”.

The wall of Jiangpu Park along Jiangpu Road has been demolished.

In 2023, the AACA will continue to promote the construction of the ecological environment, continuously accelerate the construction of public green space, street green space, 3D afforestation and green walkways, with plans to build two-kilometer-long green walkways, open up more parks and green space to citizens, and realize the transformation from parks into urban living rooms.

Focusing on the construction of beautiful neighborhoods to dress up the people’s city (2023)

A city is a place for urban production and life. The appearance of a city is closely related to people’s happiness. It demonstrates the energy of a city and represents the soft power, competitiveness and cohesion of the city.

On the basis of its actual work, the AACA strives to meet the requirements on the “construction of a livable, resilient and smart city” put forward in the report of the 20th National Congress of the CPC, improve urban management, optimize city appearance and environment, and comprehensively promote refined and standardized urban management.

A beautiful neighborhood on Zhangwu Road

Exploring new models of beautiful neighborhood construction and improving city appearance according to public opinion

To encourage citizens to participate in urban management, the AACA determined the first batch of “city appearance and environment observation spots in Shanghai” on the basis of preliminary survey. Citizens can scan the QR code on the signboard at each spot to offer suggestions on ways to optimize and improve the appearance and environment of beautiful neighborhoods and other areas.

In 2023, the AACA will continue to explore the connotation, heritage and characteristics of Yangpu District, and start the construction of more beautiful neighborhoods in accordance with the Guidelines on the Design of Beautiful Neighborhoods in Yangpu District and related standards and specifications. The improvement and transformation of city appearance and environment will be extended to small alleys, lanes and other places that residents often complain about. The relationship between the existing layout, historical context, green landscape, community features and other elements will be taken into account to ensure the overall effect and lay a solid foundation for the construction of a people’s city.

Carrying out refined improvement of key areas to better meet the needs of people

The AACA actively promotes the improvement of city appearance and environment in key areas, and carries out customized facade beautification, scenic spot transformation, wall beautification and other work. With a focus on outdoor public space such as public green space, squares and beautiful neighborhoods, the AACA has added new seats, optimized the layout of a number of seats, improved the quality of a number of seats, shared a number of seats with shops along the streets, established a management and maintenance mechanism and optimized seat arrangement in public space.

Upgraded landscape lighting on Daxue Road

The AACA will accelerate the refinement and upgrading of space under bridges in accordance with the requirements of delicacy management. It will make every effort to ensure good city appearance on important occasions, adhere to a problem-oriented approach, focus on key projects, and strengthen control measures to further improve city appearance and environment.

Implementing the area of responsibility mechanism and uniting the people through joint construction and co-governance

According to relevant requirements of the city, the AACA takes into account the actual conditions of each sub-district in the management of city appearance in different areas of responsibility when trying to complete tasks such as self-regulatory organization construction and systematic information management.

The AACA advocates joint construction and co-governance of city appearance in different areas of responsibility. Two self-regulatory organizations in Yangpu District were included on the list of top 25 city-level models of outstanding self-regulatory organizations in Shanghai in 2022.

In 2023, the AACA will continue to consolidate the achievements in the construction of the areas of responsibility management demonstration roads (neighborhoods) of city appearance and sanitation, and improve the operational efficiency of self-regulatory and autonomous organizations. By optimizing the “Clean Shanghai” activity, it will promote clean-up of blind spots month by month. Besides, it will strengthen the standardized management and facilities improvement of temporary stall control stations, resolutely curb the return of disorderly stalls, and establish a high benchmark for city appearance.

Creating new characteristics of the “four areas” on the basis of waste sorting experience (2023)

In July 2019, the Regulations of Shanghai Municipality on Municipal Solid Waste Management went into effect. The AACA adheres to a cooperative mechanism to promote the sorting and reduction of solid waste, coordinates the work of the district, sub-districts and communities, and continuously improves the solid waste sorting system to strengthen delicacy management and improve the efficiency of solid waste sorting. It got the first place in the annual assessment of the efficiency of solid waste sorting systems of the city. As a “top student” in waste sorting, the AACA will work hard to consolidate its achievements and practical results, make innovation to improve the mechanism, overcome difficulties and continue to lead a low-carbon life style.

Strengthening management to improve the efficiency of the solid waste sorting system

The AACA optimizes long-term management mechanisms such as regular evaluation and red and yellow card supervision, improves the ability to detect problems, strengthens on-site guidance and coordination, and carries out targeted filling of holes. It deepens collaboration, coordinates management and enforcement, strengthens waste sorting management of key spots such as schools, hospitals and food markets, and encourages all the organizations in the district to continuously advance waste sorting. The AACA continuously strengthens the publicity of waste sorting, carries out thematic publicity activities on the fourth anniversary of the implementation of the Regulations of Shanghai Municipality on Municipal Solid Waste Management, and continues to strengthen residents’ habit of waste sorting in order to create an atmosphere for long-term success in waste sorting.

Making breakthroughs to solve tricky problems

The AACA strives to promote the application of new technologies, improve the waste sorting management platform, build a management system with dual closed loops and a digital disposal process, organize follow-up training in a timely manner, promote the optimization of district-level and sub-district-level platforms in terms of effectiveness and practicality, advance the transition from “cloud monitoring” to “cloud disposal” in the digital governance of waste sorting, and continuously improve the efficiency of digital governance.

The solid waste sorting management platform of Yangpu District

Implementing environmental protection and accelerating the construction of environmentally friendly sanitation facilities

The AACA will continue to promote the construction and reconstruction of sanitation facilities. It plans to build a new public toilet and reconstruct two public toilets and a solid waste compression station in 2023. It will actively promote the transformation of sanitation facilities, give full play to the role of the online monitoring system and implement daily supervision to ensure standardized operation of environmental protection equipment that supports sanitation facilities. With a focus on the goals regarding carbon neutrality and the emission peak, the AACA will purchase new energy sanitation vehicles as planned, and properly distribute charging piles in some parking lots for sanitation vehicles. By upgrading and transforming compression equipment, updating vehicles, strengthening operation specifications and taking other concrete measures, the AACA will strive to decrease disturbance caused by the operation of sanitation vehicles.

Yingao East Road Green Land Public Toilet was awarded the “Most Beautiful Toilet” in Shanghai in 2022

Optimizing services and comprehensively improving the recycling system

The AACA will further expand the scope of recycling services, increase the amount of smart equipment, and accelerate the replacement of old equipment. It will guide major enterprises to strengthen the construction of core cleaning and transportation teams, improve the stability and timeliness of the collection and transportation system, strive to build a recycling system for low-value recyclables such as foamed plastic and glass, continue to improve refined sorting at distribution centers and automatic terminal treatment technology, increase categories of refined sorting and improve resource utilization efficiency.

In 2023, the AACA will pursue excellence and creativity, and strive to transform the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the CPC into a strong driving force for the high-quality development of afforestation and city appearance so as to win honor for Yangpu District.