Ningbo heading for modern metropolis
- Details
- Category: Ningbo News
- Published: Tuesday, 14 February 2012 11:31
In 2011, Ningbo municipality stepped up the modernization efforts with a series of construction plans which involved 50 key development blocks and 100 major infrastructure projects with a total investment of 142.8 billion yuan, hitting a record high. Ningbo is well on its way to an international port city. During the past five years, the city has launched unprecedented push for urban construction, including the enlarging framework of the city, the multi-traffic network system replacing the traditional one, and enhancement and perfection of functional urban blocks. At present, the urbanization rate of Ningbo has reached 66%, 7 percentage points higher over five years ago, taking a lead in Zhejiang province. Meanwhile, Ningbo ranks the first for balancing of urban and rural development in Zhejiang province for five consecutive years. In brief, urban construction is playing a key role in Ningbo's economic and social development. Back in September 2006, the Ningbo municipal government released a regional development strategy, setting out the all-round urban construction in Ningbo. The implementation of the strategy has successfully boosted the development and construction of the functional urban blocks. So far, a total investment of 120 billion yuan has been allocated in the construction of the ten blocks. More than 100 projects are under construction, 70 of which were completed and put into use. The rational layout of urban transportation infrastructure has formed, with a number of major projects including Ningbo–Taizhou–Wenzhou Railway, Hangzhou Bay Bridge, Zhoushan Island-Land Project, Ring Expressway, and Ningbo-Jinhua Expressway, put into use, further strengthening Ningbo’s position as transportation hub. The urban road network has formed to ensure a more convenient and efficient transportation. By the end of 2011, the total mileage of the central urban roads had reached 1500 km, with a road area per capita of 14.46 square meters, an increase of 11.4% and 9.7% respectively, compared with the end of 2006. Ningbo is taking a new look, too. A series of renovation projects and environmental infrastructure projects are well under way. The wastewater treatment capacity has risen from 370,000 tons in 2006 to 1.44 million tons, which means 85.21% of the wastewater has been properly treated in urban center. The improvement of living environment in Ningbo further ensures the life quality of both urban and rural residents. Since 2008, 126 rivers have been regulated. By the end of 2011, the urban ratio of green space had risen to 38.04% with 34.51% in built-up areas, the per capita public green space amounting to 10.49 square meters. All the administrative villages in plan have been renovated, 97% of which has a waste disposal system, and the rate of rural electrification reaches 93.4%
