From December 21 to 22, the “Seminar on Smart and Efficient Governance of Mega-Cities” and the 7th Peking University Planning Forum were held at the College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University. The event was organized by the college in collaboration with the Key Laboratory of Territorial Spatial Planning and Development and Protection under the Ministry of Natural Resources, among other institutions. Zhang Wei, Director General of the Beijing Municipal Commission of Planning and Natural Resources, was invited to attend the forum and delivered a keynote address titled “The Planning System and Digital Intelligence Governance Practices in Beijing”.

The forum opened with remarks by Professor Wang Zhiheng, Deputy Director of the Academic Affairs Office and Vice Dean of the College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, and Professor Feng Changchun, Boya Distinguished Professor and Director of the Key Laboratory of Territorial Spatial Planning and Development and Protection under the Ministry of Natural Resources. The event brought together prominent experts and scholars, including Academician Chen Jun of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Chief Planner Zhang Bing of the Ministry of Natural Resources, He Liu, Director of the Nanjing Municipal Bureau of Planning and Natural Resources, and Professor He Yanling of Renmin University of China. Discussions centered on practical explorations and development pathways for smart and efficient governance of mega-cities.

In his keynote address, Zhang Wei provided an in-depth overview of the capital’s planning system and innovative mechanisms for territorial spatial planning. Drawing on practical examples such as street-level profiling, big data evaluations of the implementation of the city’s master plan, and the “One Map” supervision and information system for territorial spatial planning, Zhang elaborated on Beijing’s recent achievements in digital governance across various aspects, including planning formulation, implementation, assessment, oversight, and interdisciplinary integration. He also offered insights into future trends in smart and efficient applications for capital planning, focusing on innovation in implementation mechanisms, meeting the needs of the public, adopting targeted policies for future challenges, and supporting multi-value decision-making.

In recent years, the Commission has undertaken numerous initiatives in digital governance for territorial spatial planning. Moving forward, efforts will focus on strengthening theoretical innovation, expanding technical methodologies, aligning with business needs, and applying solutions to practical scenarios. The Commission aims to further enhance the role of digital technologies in supporting the planning and implementation of territorial spatial governance in the mega-city of Beijing.