NINGBO, in east China’s Zhejiang Province, intends to support sustainable living and urban development by fostering a number of small towns with special industrial, cultural and functional characteristics.

Ningbo is set to host the APEC High-level Urbanization Forum 2016 tomorrow and Friday. The event will center on the theme of “Urbanization and Inclusive Growth.” It will be hosted by the National Development and Reform Commission, in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and support from China Center for Urban Development.

The forum is aimed at exploring new opportunities to promote trade and investment, create jobs and safeguard social equality — all with a view toward realizing the government’s goals of people-oriented urbanization and inclusive growth.

Ningbo’s urbanization rate climbed to 68.6 percent in 2015, up from 18.2 percent in 1980. It has also been named a model city in China when it comes to environmental protection.

According to the city’s Committee of Population, Resources and Environment and its Urban Construction Commission, Ningbo’s long-standing urban development model no longer aligns with its social and economic priorities.

Finding new ways to sustain urban development through collaborative, innovative, environmental-friendly and transparent methods is a key goal in the city’s 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20).

Local officials have put forward a new development plan that includes creating small towns with special characteristics, while at the same time also pursuing continued reforms in central business districts and satellite cities.

Specialty towns in Ningbo refer to those with industrial assets as well as attractive natural surroundings. They are not industrial parks in the traditional sense, since they are also intended to function as platforms for tourism and residential living.

“Ningbo has been striving to deepen reform and innovation, and beef up efforts to promote the urban transformation and development,” Ningbo Acting Vice Mayor Chen Yijun told Shanghai Daily.

“In order to better empower these small towns, we have been carrying out decentralization policies since 2009 to give them more administrative rights,” Chen added.

Finding ways to increase land efficiency and optimize productivity have always been key issues for the government of Ningbo. The city’s specialty towns have solved this issue by scaling down their total area while also offering modern services found in downtown areas.

“We put special attention on the … consolidation of industrial output, the needs of daily life as well as the local ecosystem in these small towns during the planning and construction process,” Chen noted.

Ningbo has been promoting these small towns to attract high-end companies, while at the same time enhancing its appeal for innovative businesses and start-ups.

A total of 11 small towns in Ningbo have been included in a provincial level shortlist to receive assistance and support.

Premier Li Keqiang also noted in the central government’s annual work report in early 2015 that Zhejiang Province is planning to set up about 100 small towns with special features within three years.

Based on local conditions, the municipal government has been promoting a number of strategic emerging industries — such as high-end equipment and intelligent manufacturing — and has included these small towns into an overall plan that could put Ningbo at the forefront of China’s industrial upgrading and economic transition process.

These small towns cater to both the daily living demands of residents as well as the needs of businesses looking for a better environment to grow. They’ve also become new icons for Ningbo, showcasing the city’s successful urban-rural integration efforts. In the near future, these small towns could be seen by a whole new generation of young people as ideal places to work and live.

“Ningbo invites all relevant parties to participate and collaborate with us on pushing forward a more sustainable approach to urban development. Exploring new paths of urbanization and promoting urban innovation and development are important issues that we face together. We’ll adopt a more open-minded attitude and more pragmatic initiatives to strengthen exchanges and deepen collaboration,” Chen explained.

11 Ningbo small towns with special characteristics

Jiangbei Small Town

Jiangbei District

An industry cluster area that is home to companies in the power-metering, new materials and power-equipment industries. It will also serve as a center for industrial upgrading in Ningbo.

Meishan Small Town

Near Meishan Bay, southeastern Ningbo

A coastal small town featuring health and well-being services, leisure and sightseeing activities.

Fenghua Small Town

Southeast of downtown Ningbo

A small town centered on cultural tourism and a retirement community. It hopes to create a large-scale costal leisure area and high-quality resort.

Yinzhou Small Town

Southern Ningbo City

It aims to become a specialized zone based around financial-service and wealth-management companies.

Yuyao Small Town

Yuyao Industrial Park

A specialty zone dedicated to the industrial molding industry.

Ninghai Small Town

Eastern Ningbo City

A research and development hub, as well as a manufacturing center for new energy vehicles.

Binhai Vacation Small Town

West Hangzhou Bay New Zone

A leisure space with plenty of theme-park entertainment activities and resort facilities.

Yuehu Jinhui Small Town

Central/eastern Haishu District

It aims to host a number of financial institutions, including private equity and venture capital firms, and become an influential area that fosters the Internet finance industry.

E-Commerce Small Town

Jiangbei District

Aims to develop a wide variety of industries related to e-commerce, such as Internet finance, cultural and creative industries.

Yinzhou Electric Vehicle Small Town

Wuxiang County, Yinzhou District

It aims to become a modern equipment-manufacturing center for new energy transportation equipment and lead the technology development of modern electric cars.

Ninghai Hotspring Small Town

Shenzhen Town, Ninghai County

It aims to become a popular destination for leisure travelers by combining outdoor sports, folk culture and hot-spring resources.