中文
By Yasiru Ranaraja
Lead: China's Xiong'an New Area is reshaping how the world thinks about sustainable urban development, providing a reference point for Belt and Road Initiative countries designing major new cities.
Rapid urbanization worldwide places immense pressure on cities to balance economic growth, environmental protection and human well-being. Fast-growing cities like Dhaka, Colombo, and Delhi suffer from overcrowding, air pollution, infrastructure overload, and degraded ecosystems. China's older industrial-era cities have confronted similar problems, raising the question of whether it might be possible to create a new, more sustainable modernization model from scratch.
The Xiong'an New Area in north China's Hebei province has rapidly taken shape as China's most ambitious answer, transforming what had been farmland and wetlands into a national-level experiment in ecological urbanism, smart governance and people-centered development.
The establishment of the Xiong'an New Area on April 1, 2017, was part of a planned strategy to relieve Beijing of excessive population and institutional concentration by relocating "non-capital functions," such as university branches, research institutes, corporate headquarters, hospitals and government-affiliated organizations. Rather than allowing uncontrolled capital expansion, planners envisioned a complementary satellite city within the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region that could absorb development pressures while offering a more balanced and sustainable urban environment.
This model has also gained national prominence, as China's 15th Five-Year Plan recommendations explicitly call for building "Xiong'an New Area into a modern city through high-standard, high-quality development," signaling that the next phase of the new area's transformation is now anchored as a national priority. This inclusion demonstrates how China's top-level planning translates into action. Phased ecological restoration, controlled land-use allocation, clean-energy systems and the coordinated relocation of non-capital functions all reflect how national strategy becomes operational policy on the ground, reinforcing Xiong'an's role as a blueprint for sustainable, people-centered urban development.
In sharp contrast to earlier growth engines such as Shenzhen or Pudong, which were driven by market-led and export-oriented dynamics, the Xiong'an plan incorporates social services, ecological protection, technological coordination and governance reform within a unified philosophy. As Chinese President Xi Jinping has repeatedly stated, the project is people-oriented. He has termed the development of the Xiong'an New Area as a national project of millennial significance, positioning it among the most important long-term projects in China.
What distinguishes Xiong'an is its ecological-first approach. Extensive restoration was carried out prior to the commencement of large-scale construction. More than 32,000 hectares of forest have been planted since 2017, resulting in an increase in forest coverage from approximately 11% to over 32%.
In turn, nearly 70% of the planned urban area comprises blue-green corridors, wetlands and ecological buffers that will seamlessly integrate the city with nature. The revitalization of Baiyangdian Lake, north China's largest freshwater wetland, is central to this vision. Once heavily polluted and ecologically degraded, its water quality has substantially improved, with surveys now recording nearly 300 species of wild birds, an increase of 86 since the establishment of the Xiong'an New Area. Nearby, the 18-square-kilometer Xiong'an Jiaoye Park (Jiaoye meaning outskirts with green areas), roughly five times the size of New York's Central Park, serves as both a recreational asset and an ecological shield around the urban core.
These measures are particularly meaningful in the current climate era, as low-lying and heavily populated cities worldwide experience unprecedented risks: flooding, extreme heatwaves, environmental deterioration, severe air pollution and rising living costs. Much of the problem stems from unplanned, chaotic urbanization.
In contrast, resilience is embedded in Xiong'an's blueprint. Controlled urban density, extensive water and green systems, clean-energy infrastructure and low-carbon planning should position Xiong'an well to face long-term climate and environmental pressures. This model of strategically designed suburban cities could alleviate the burden on major metropolitan centers while enhancing climate adaptability and livability, an approach that is increasingly relevant worldwide.
Human-scale planning further distinguishes Xiong'an from many megacity models, which are often dominated by high-rises and speculative real estate cycles. The new area features a largely low-rise, people-centered urban form designed to avoid the urban ills of congestion, pollution, chaotic land use and overheated property markets.
Only about 30% of the total land is allocated for construction, while the rest is assigned to forests, water bodies, agricultural land, wetlands and open space. This aligns with advanced digital governance systems and clean-energy infrastructure. One example is Xiong'an Railway Station, whose 42,000-square-meter rooftop photovoltaic array generates around 5.8 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, making it one of the most energy-efficient public transportation facilities in China. Integrated smart systems link mobility, energy and service delivery for improved efficiency and reduced environmental impact.
Economically, Xiong'an is designed to become a hub for high-tech, knowledge-intensive industries rather than traditional heavy manufacturing. By April of 2025, more than 300 central state-owned enterprises had established branches in the area, with several relocating major departments or headquarters. Emerging industrial clusters include satellite internet, digital innovation, artificial intelligence, modern finance, green technology and advanced materials.
As of early 2025, accumulated spending in the new area exceeded 835 billion yuan ($115 billion). More than 50 million square meters of floor space had been developed. Population growth has kept pace, rising to approximately 1.36 million in 2024, with long-term projections suggesting an eventual capacity of 2 million to 2.5 million residents. These achievements are significant, though challenges remain, including attracting top-tier talent, nurturing genuine economic dynamism from relocated institutions and maintaining ecological integrity as the population grows.
Beyond China's borders, Xiong'an holds broader significance for the Belt and Road Initiative. While Shenzhen and Pudong played foundational roles in China's global economic opening, Xiong'an represents an evolution toward what China calls "high-quality development." This approach prioritizes environmental stability, social well-being, innovation-driven growth and coordinated regional governance.
As several Belt and Road countries — including Sri Lanka with its Port City Colombo and Hambantota, Indonesia's Nusantara, Egypt's New Administrative Capital and emerging hubs across Central Asia and Africa — develop major new urban projects, Xiong'an provides a crucial reference point. It demonstrates how ecological constraints, public services, smart mobility and low-carbon infrastructure can be integrated from the outset, ensuring urban expansion does not come at the cost of ecological or social sustainability.
Xiong'an's future will depend on longer-term demographic trends, institutional depth and the ability to maintain ecological gains as development accelerates. Early indicators — including rising forest cover, revitalized water systems, strong investment flows, and the concentration of key enterprises — suggest that the project is steadily taking shape. For policymakers, planners and development analysts worldwide, Xiong'an demonstrates persuasively how future cities might combine ecological restoration, climate resilience, technological innovation and human-centered design.
In a world confronting rapid urbanization and unprecedented environmental challenges, Xiong'an serves as a promising template and model for the next generation of sustainable, balanced and resilient cities along the Belt and Road and beyond.
Yasiru Ranaraja is a commentator on current affairs, a researcher on maritime issues, and an expert on the development of the Belt and Road Initiative. He is the founding director of the BRISL, an international development organization in Sri Lanka.
