Guizhou unveils new territorial spatial plan

The Guizhou Provincial Territorial Spatial Plan (2021-2035) was officially released on Aug 9.

This comprehensive plan integrates the strengths and characteristics of major functional zone planning, land use planning, and urban-rural planning, achieving a seamless transition from fragmented spatial planning to a unified territorial spatial plan.

The plan is structured into 10 chapters and 41 sections, encompassing four key areas: objectives and tasks, spatial layout, support systems, and safeguard measures.

The key features of the plan are as follows:

Alignment with the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25): The plan aligns closely with Guizhou's economic and social development goals outlined in the 14th Five-Year Plan period. It coordinates the spatial needs of various departmental plans, ensuring comprehensive arrangements for the development, protection, utilization, and restoration of territorial space. This provides robust spatial support for major strategies, projects, and industries.

New development and protection framework: Reflecting national requirements and Guizhou's unique context, the plan introduces a new framework characterized by "One Ring, Two Zones, Four Mountains, Eight Waters, One Cluster, Three Belts, and Dual Openings."

This framework supports the implementation of key strategies and the realization of Guizhou's primary positioning as a hub for innovation, urbanization, and ecological conservation.

Three control lines: The plan prioritizes the delineation of arable land, permanent basic farmland, ecological protection red lines, and urban development boundaries. It adheres to national constraints and supports food security, ecological safety, and high-quality economic and social development.

Infrastructure and public services: The plan coordinates the layout of energy, transportation, water conservancy, and new infrastructure, outlining over 3,000 key projects for the near and long terms.

It aims to enhance urban and rural living circles, ensuring the efficient and balanced allocation of education, healthcare, elderly care, culture, sports, safety, and emergency services. This fosters a higher quality living environment and more inclusive public services.

Industrial and Ecological Development: The plan emphasizes spatial support for six major industrial bases and efficient mining practices and promotes the high-quality development of industrial land and development zones. 

Utilizing Guizhou's rich natural and cultural heritage: The plan follows the principle of "protecting natural beauty and generating economic value," aiming to create a vibrant space that blends diverse landscapes and historical sites, supporting the development of a world-class tourism destination.

Lifecycle management and digital empowerment: The plan enhances the modernization of territorial spatial governance and management. It utilizes Guizhou's strengths in big data and spatial data platforms, developing a supervision information system for the entire planning lifecycle.

This system will play a crucial role in project-siting, monitoring control lines, land use approvals, land transfers, planning permits, and enforcement inspections, driving continuous improvements in governance through digital empowerment.