From July 14 to 15, the Beijing Municipal Institute of City Planning & Design (BMICPD) held the 2024 Exchange Conference and Planning Execution Innovation Seminar. This year’s conference, the first co-hosted with the Planning Execution Division of the China Association of City Planning, centered on the theme “Effective Planning, Practical Execution.” The event aimed at aligning urban and rural planning to new demands and challenges in an era of high-quality development and bringing innovation to planning execution.

Esteemed guests, including Li Jinsheng, Executive Director of the China Association of City Planning, Director of the Association’s Planning Execution Division, and former Level-I Inspector of the Shanxi Provincial Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, and Zhou Nansen, Executive Vice President of the Beijing Urban Planning Society, delivered opening remarks. Shi Xiaodong, Deputy Party Secretary and President of BMICPD, gave an opening speech titled “Effective Planning, Practical Execution – Advancing Comprehensive Planning in the Capital.” The seminar featured several keynote presentations by leading experts such as Shi Weiliang, Level-I Inspector of the Beijing Municipal Commission of Planning and Natural Resources; Zhao Yanjing, Professor at Xiamen University’s School of Economics and School of Architecture and Engineering, and Vice President of the China Association of City Planning; Ye Yumin, Professor at Renmin University of China and the first Executive Director of the Capital Development and Governance Institute; and Zheng Degao, Vice President of the China Academy of Urban Planning and Design. Their presentations covered comprehensive planning execution, detailed planning in the era of urban redevelopment, transformation of urban village, and integrated watershed management. Following the keynote session, Lin Yuxian, Director of the Smart Planning Institute and Deputy Chief Planner of the Ministry of Natural Resources’ National Territory Spatial Planning Research Center, Zhang Xiaoxin, Deputy Party Secretary of BMICPD, and Jiang Man, Vice President and Chief Designer of China Visionary Group shared their respective thoughts on building a national monitoring network for spatial planning execution, resilient urban planning in Beijing, and community renewal case studies by China Visionary Group.

The conference set six thematic sessions: “Urban Strategy and Regional Coordination,” “Urban Governance and Planning Innovation,” “Urban Safety and Resilience,” “Urban Economy and Development Dynamics,” “Urban Quality and Public Art,” and “Cultural Heritage and Urban Revival.” 18 colleagues from BMICPD and Homedale Urban Planning & Architects Co., Ltd. shared their recent research and innovations in these fields.

BMICPD leaders chaired the sessions, with feedback provided by retired institute leaders, deputy chief engineers of the Technology Committee, and department heads. Representatives from the Capital Planning Commission Office and the Beijing Municipal Commission of Planning and Natural Resources also participated in the conference. Supported by the Commission’s publicity and big data centers, the conference was broadcast live to various departments and subordinate agencies of the Commission.

As the highlight of this year’s BMICPD Academic Month, the high-quality academic conference has provided a platform for planning execution where valuable insights and ideas are shared and exchanged, deepening the understanding of planning principles and reaffirming the commitment to the values of planning.