Beijing Proposes Plan To Limit Growth in City Center

The Beijing Municipal Institute of City Planning and Design released a detailed plan today proposing new regulations for building and development throughout the city.

"Beijing has mapped out a detailed plan for its central area in order to regulate its future development, the China Daily said"

The plan, which covers 1,000 square kilometers, includes restrictions on population density, construction, infrastructure, public facilities, and building height.

"A core area of the city within the Second Ring Road has been defined as 'an area under protection'"

"Wang Yin, deputy chief planner of the institute, told the paper that the number of construction projects and population within the area will be tightly controlled, adding that the scale of construction within the area will remain at the current level."

"Wang added that the population of this central area, currently at about 1.4 mln, would be gradually reduced to between 800,000 and 900,000 by the year 2020."

"He did not give further details as to how this reduction in city center population would be conducted, but did claim that population relocation would be achieved with the gradual improvement of transportation, education and medical facilities in the surrounding areas."