Shanghai's Changning district has outlined its economic and social development strategy for the next five years. The 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) prioritizes deepening high-level reform and opening-up, and optimizing the functional layout of key areas to enhance the district's development.

Here's a closer look at the blueprint:

I. Setting the general development target

In the next five years, Changning aims to further strengthen its economy, achieve breakthroughs in reform, and continue improving public well-being. Progress will be made in enhancing the district's cultural appeal, environmental quality, and urban governance capacity. Looking ahead to 2035, Changning seeks to advance socialist modernization and build a premium urban area with global influence.

Development strategies include:

• Upgrade the Hongqiao brand: Changning will develop a cluster of headquarters for enterprises expanding into overseas markets, while strengthening interconnectivity with domestic and international resources and markets.
• Promote digital Changning: The district will inject momentum into the digital economy, enriching digital lifestyle experiences, improving e-governance effectiveness, and advancing new digital infrastructure construction.
• Promote urban renewal: Changning will build a high-quality living environment and expand ecologically sound and visually appealing urban spaces.
• Build a cluster for talent: The district will improve systematic talent development mechanisms, broaden talent attraction channels, and further strengthen its talent service brand.

II. Supporting Shanghai's 'Five Centers' construction

In support of Shanghai's construction of the "Five Centers" — international economic, financial, trade, shipping, and science and technology innovation centers, Changning will focus on increasing regional economic density, strengthening the clustering of distinctive financial services, expanding trade openness, highlighting the leading role of the aviation economy, and enhancing the integration of technological and industrial innovation.

III. Building core competitiveness in the modern industrial system

Efforts will be made across four principal areas:

• Consolidate and expand its leading industries, including the life-oriented internet sector, aviation services, and fashion-driven consumption.
• Cultivate emerging industries, with a focus on the industrial internet, the low-altitude economy, investment, and mergers and acquisitions.
• Plan ahead for future industries, targeting specific fields such as next-generation internet, high-performance fiber materials, new energy storage, cell therapy, and deep-space exploration.
• Strengthen support for industrial development by enhancing mechanism coordination and efficiency, advancing enterprise growth at all stages, and reinforcing development boosted by application scenarios.

IV. Deepening high-standard reform and opening-up

• Invigorate market entities by advancing State-owned enterprise reform, expanding the private economy, and attracting and utilizing more foreign investment.
• Intensify reform efforts in key areas to promote a fair and competitive market order, build new advantages in high-standard opening-up, and expand diversified investment and financing channels.
• Foster a world-class business environment through more effective market-oriented approaches, law-based service safeguards, and sounder alignment with international standards.

V. Optimizing the functional layout of key areas

• Strengthen the East Hongqiao Area as a major hub, developing it into a core engine for economic growth, enhancing its role as a hub for the "dual circulation" (a guideline which gives greater weight to the domestic economic cycle while sustaining international engagement), and advancing integrated industry-city development.
• Reshape the Hongqiao Development Area with a high international profile, positioning it as a prime zone for urban renewal, further enhancing its international commercial and trade functions, and fostering a high-quality business environment.
• Develop the Silicon Alley Area with distinctive urban features, building it into a major platform for tech innovation, accelerating the formation of a new fashion-oriented hub, and strengthening supporting facilities and infrastructure.
• Promote regional coordination and integrated development.

VI. Fostering a culturally vibrant, humanistic urban area

• Promote the integrated development of cultural programs and cultural industries by optimizing public cultural services, strengthening the preservation and promotion of historical and cultural heritage, and advancing innovation in the culture and tourism sectors.
• Advance the development of a sports district by expanding public fitness programs, promoting high-quality growth in sports-related economic activities, and fostering urban sports industries with distinctive metropolitan characteristics.
• Promote integrated development across culture, tourism, commerce, sports, exhibitions, and green spaces, through the high-quality organization of festivals, events, and competitions, as well as inbound tourism. Expedite the development of a dynamic, 24-hour urban environment.

VII. Building a harmonious, inclusive urban community

Changning will accelerate the development of an age-friendly society, advance the building of a youth-oriented urban area, foster a child-friendly urban environment, promote a family-supportive society, and foster a welcoming community for international residents.

VIII. Improving urban quality and public well-being

The district will enhance people-centered urban quality by advancing the construction of 15-minute community life circles, promoting high-quality and full employment, developing high-quality education, strengthening the provision of efficient healthcare services, improving a multi-tiered social security system, and steadily promoting the equalization of basic public services.

IX. Improving environmental quality and urban livability

Changning will steadily and prudently strengthen efforts to reach peak carbon emissions, continue improving ecological quality, develop multi-functional green spaces, improve the modern urban transport system, and enhance the refined and smart management of the urban area.

X. Strengthening modern urban governance through co-building and shared responsibility

The district will be built into a resilient, safe urban area, improving its social governance system, enhancing government effectiveness, and upgrading the rule of law to a higher standard.

Source: Official WeChat account of Changning district information office at "shchangning"