Recently, the 2023 Guangzhou Municipal Planning and Development Yearbook (hereinafter referred to as the "Yearbook"), compiled by the Municipal Planning and Natural Resources Bureau, was officially released. A series of municipal data reflect Guangzhou's full play of the leading role of municipal planning, stronger municipal infrastructure support, and the steady realization of the vision of "Beautiful Municipal Administration".

      More Comprehensive Municipal Planning Coordination

      Reinforcing Underground Pipeline Safety

Detailed planning for underground pipelines in Tianhe, Baiyun, Haizhu, Liwan, and Panyu districts has been completed, covering a total area of approximately 1471 square kilometers. This meticulously coordinates the "single network" planning of underground pipelines, securing the safety baseline of the city's "lifeline".

Nationally leading in achieving city-wide desensitization and online sharing of underground pipeline information. Approximately 86,000 kilometers of desensitized pipeline data has been uploaded, shared with over 200 units, with click-through rates exceeding one million. The pipeline damage rate decreased year-on-year by 50%. China Natural Resources News commented that this work "marks a breakthrough in the long-standing problem of desensitizing underground pipeline information".

Nationally leading among cities in achieving city-wide desensitization and online sharing of underground pipeline information

     

      Accelerated Implementation of Facility Land

The "Guiding Opinions on Municipal Yellow Line Management in Guangzhou (Trial)" was issued, representing a national first in the combined management mechanism of "municipal yellow line + dynamic update + work guidelines." This constructs a growth-oriented "single map" of municipal yellow lines, with 3549 municipal facilities planned for implementation in 2023.

 

Substation Render

　　

      Strong Leadership in Upgrading Facility Quality

The "Guangzhou Municipal Public Utility Facilities Urban Design Guidelines" were compiled. Addressing public concerns about safety, NIMBYism, aesthetics, and sharing, it proposes top-level normative guidance for high-quality construction of municipal facilities, covering three major landscape zones (north, central, and south), four key design areas (modern axis, Pearl River landscape, historical culture, and public gateway), and nine professional areas such as water supply and drainage, and electricity. The "Nansha District Municipal Public Utility Facilities Urban Design Guidelines" were also issued, deepening planning, reporting, and construction throughout the entire life cycle, promoting Nansha's development into a high-quality development benchmark and a new core area of Guangzhou.

 

Xindanyong Water Gate, Huangpu District

　　

      Comprehensive Planning of Vertical and Three-Dimensional Space

The "Guangzhou Vertical Overall Plan (2023-2035)" was compiled, dividing the city's land area into four vertical zoning categories: built-up areas, incremental construction areas, agricultural areas, and ecological areas. It proposes three types of urban landscape styles: mountain-river city landscape, metropolitan landscape, and diversified coastal city landscape, constructing an overall urban pattern that harmoniously interacts with the mountain-river environment, and shaping the unique Lingnan style of "multiple facets of one city, connecting mountains and rivers".

 

Image of the undulating mountain-river city landscape in the northern region

　　

      Stronger Municipal Infrastructure Support

      More Reliable Resource Support

Further improvement of the drinking water source pattern. In 2023, Guangzhou's water supply capacity reached 8.503 million cubic meters/day, ranking third nationally; the Pearl River Delta Water Resources Allocation Project (Nansha section) was completed and trialled, the North River Water Diversion Project's entire tunnel was completed, and the overall progress of the Niulu Reservoir emergency backup water source project reached 96%.

 

Pearl River Delta Water Resources Allocation Project

     

Further improvement of energy security. In 2023, Guangzhou's electricity consumption reached 120.5 billion kilowatt-hours, a year-on-year increase of 4.0%; the first unit of the second phase of the Pearl River LNG power plant was put into operation; the Guangzhou LNG emergency peak-shaving gas source station was built, forming an emergency gas storage capacity that can meet at least 15 days of the city's demand.

 

Guangzhou LNG Emergency Peak-Shaving Gas Source Station

　　

      More Resilient Safety Protection

Drainage and flood prevention capacity has been consolidated and improved. In 2023, Guangzhou's total length of river and sea embankments reached 1683.3 kilometers, with a compliance rate of 91.1%, and the flood (tide) control capacity of the central urban area reached a 200-year return period; 1509 kilometers of new rainwater pipelines were built, accumulating to 10771 kilometers.

 

Zhengguo River Dam

     

Steady progress in sponge city construction. In 2023, the cumulative area of sponge city standards in Guangzhou's built-up areas reached 464.0 square kilometers, with an in-situ rainwater absorption rate of 35.0%. 7123 water storage facilities were implemented, with a total storage capacity of approximately 14.05 million cubic meters and a total storage area of approximately 17.5 million square meters, promoting the construction of a city-wide sponge city.

Continuous improvement of fire rescue capabilities. In 2023, Guangzhou invested in 112 operational fire rescue stations; "high-end, sophisticated, and cutting-edge" fire rescue equipment has developed from nothing to something, from weak to strong, and equipment configuration is gradually developing towards composite, intelligent, fast, and efficient directions.

 

Haixinsha Fire Station

 

      Better Ecological Environment

Nationally leading in the harmless treatment capacity of urban domestic waste. In 2023, Guangzhou had 24 operating domestic waste terminal treatment facilities and a total of 354 garbage transfer stations; the total amount of domestic waste treated throughout the year was 7.916 million tons, maintaining a 100% harmless treatment rate.

 

Garden-style Garbage Transfer Station

　　

Nationally second in sewage treatment capacity. In 2023, Guangzhou's sewage treatment capacity reached 8.14 million cubic meters/day; a total of 32,668 kilometers of sewage pipelines have been built; the centralized collection rate of urban domestic sewage reached 93.5%, basically eliminating blank areas for sewage treatment facilities in built-up areas.

Significant achievements in the construction of "Green and Beautiful Guangzhou." In 2023, Guangzhou built one new forest park with an area of 258.3 hectares; 3874 kilometers of greenways, 308 kilometers of forest trails, and 1242 kilometers of beautiful waterways were built.

 

Camellia-themed Pocket Park, Zengcheng District

　

      Smarter Urban Development

The number of 5G base stations ranks first in the province. In 2023, Guangzhou built 15,000 new 5G communication base stations, with a total of 92,000, achieving continuous coverage in areas above the town center.

Smart lamppost applications are nationally leading. By the end of 2023, Guangzhou had built a total of 4,254 smart lampposts, integrating 15 smart applications such as 5G communication base stations, roadside parking, vehicle-road collaboration, smart party building, smart meteorology, safe Guangzhou, smart civil defense, and emergency broadcasting, making its application scenarios nationally leading.

      The "Beautiful Municipal Administration" system is accelerating its formation.

      City-wide transformation is steadily advancing.

The utilization rate of reclaimed water is continuously improving. In 2023, Guangzhou's reclaimed water utilization reached 940 million cubic meters, with a utilization rate of 36.3%; it was awarded the title of "Guangdong Province Water Efficiency Leader City"; Huangpu District was selected as one of the 23 typical regions nationwide for excellent pilot projects in reclaimed water utilization configuration.

 

Huangpu District Reclaimed Water Social Practice Publicity and Education Base

　　

Solar photovoltaic applications are rapidly growing. By the end of 2023, Guangzhou had a cumulative installed capacity of 1.6 million kilowatts of photovoltaic power generation projects, accounting for 12% of the total installed capacity of local power sources.

      Comprehensive and continuous improvement efforts

The "Three Unifications and Five Standardizations" transformation is steadily progressing. By the end of 2023, Guangzhou had completed the "Three Unifications and Five Standardizations" transformation of water supply in 289 administrative villages.

The construction of rural domestic sewage treatment facilities is continuously improving. In 2023, the domestic sewage treatment rate in Guangzhou's administrative villages reached 94.8%, and some rural sewage is gradually being incorporated into the urban system.

The "Gas Delivery to Rural Areas" project is continuously advancing. Huadu District covers 5,893 users, with 1,930 new users installed in 2023; Conghua District covers 906 users, with 146 new users installed in 2023.

 

Zhugang Street Lianxing Village Chatian Community Sewage Treatment Facility, Zengcheng District

　　

      City-wide promotion with unique characteristics

Underground sewage treatment plant capacity is nationally leading. By the end of 2023, Guangzhou had built a total of 20 underground (semi-underground) sewage treatment plants, with a total treatment capacity of 2.31 million cubic meters/day.

 

20 "underground construction + above-ground park" garden-style water plants across the city

　　

      More active participation from the whole society

Various municipal facilities such as the Fushan Circular Economy Industrial Park, Lieqiao Substation, Likiao Water Plant, Shijing Water Plant, and Lied Water Plant are open to citizens for reservations, achieving space sharing and scenario-based education, changing citizens' traditional impressions of municipal facilities, encouraging citizens to participate in the construction and operation of municipal facilities, and contributing "neighborly power" to alleviate the NIMBY effect. By the end of 2023, the Fushan Circular Economy Industrial Park had received over 63,000 visitors, Lieqiao Substation over 50,000 visitors, and Likiao Water Plant over 12,000 visitors.

 

Source: Guangzhou Municipal Planning and Natural Resources Bureau