The view of the Weifang Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone in East China's Shandong province. CHINA DAILY

High-technology hub of Weifang transforms environment for residents

The Weifang Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone in East China's Shandong province has taken action to create a pleasant urban environment for local people.

Over the past three years, the high-tech industrial zone has invested a total of 12 billion yuan ($1.78 billion) and implemented 450 renewal projects in key urban areas.

Walking through streets in the zone, people can easily spot the changes that have taken place over the years: the number of green spaces and parks is rising, public facilities are becoming more accessible and traffic congestion is disappearing.

"The high-tech zone has the responsibility to build itself into a demonstration urban area with high quality. We planned renewal projects from the perspective of building a better urban ecosystem here, so as to meet the residents' needs in pursuing a better-quality life," said Zhao Wenjun, director of the zone's administrative committee.

Urban renewal is a systematic program that involves the rational design of ecology, city space, industrial layout and cultural resources as a whole.

It requires careful management and sincere consideration to reach a people-centered standard.

The eastern entrance and exit of the Qingdao-Yinchuan Expressway has long served as the east gate of Weifang city. It is also a landmark area for visitors to enter the Weifang high-tech zone.

By employing a world-renowned urban design team, the zone drew up 116 special plans to redesign the space. So far, the zone has invested 54 million yuan to revamp the east gate, making it a reception hall with landscaped gardens and a welcoming atmosphere.

Another representative project that showcases the zone's commitment to a people-centered urbanization is pocket parks.

"A pocket park was built in front of my home. Equipped with a sports space, fitness equipment and children's entertainment facilities, the park has a useable design," said Li Ling, a resident in the zone.

In her spare time, Li will take a walk and do some exercise in the pocket park. Since then, going walking there has become a habit of hers.

"Pocket parks like this are scattered all around the high-tech zone. Adhering to high-standard planning, the city planners have upgraded tiny spaces hidden in the corners of the urban area and rebuilt them into a series of leisure areas," said Zhao Jiankai, a staff member at the urban management center of the zone.

Nowadays, in the high-tech zone, every street or road has beautiful surroundings.

At a cost of 2.2 billion yuan, the local administration rebuilt 79 key roads such as Yuqing Street, Dongfang Road and Jiankang East Street. With wider streets and a more pleasant environment, the zone is becoming home to more enterprises.

Weichai Group's power equipment industrial park, Goertek's hardware industrial park and the aerospace industrial park are among industrial demonstration platforms to settle in the zone.

Along with other industrial platforms, they are attracting a number of high-tech enterprises and talents.

To further meet the diversified consumption demand of its residents, the zone has made strides in developing business districts and shopping malls.

The former Huadu Furnishing Town was rebuilt and upgraded into a garden-style catering and entertainment complex. Spanning more than 75,000 square meters, the project has injected vitality into the eastern Weifang area.

Ancient textile mills and other old factories were replaced by characteristic bars, hotels, cafes and bookstores.

It made the streets a landmark area integrating catering services and stores, art shows and European-style architecture.

Walking around the high-tech zone nowadays, the welcoming atmosphere brought by the new facilities with all-day services can be felt in all aspects.

If people are tired, they can drop in to bars or cafes to have a rest and enjoy a drink.

On a rainy day or in the sweltering summer, they can go to the white-colored sheds at the street intersections and seek shelter.

Intelligent bus stations allow people to check real-time transport data.

They are even equipped with sockets that can charge mobile phones. There are 28,000 free parking spaces all over the zone, which make it no longer difficult to park. More than 9,000 shared bicycles are available for residents as well.

The key to the success of the renewal project lies in its adherence to a people-centered philosophy. Official data released in 2021 showed that the permanent resident population of the high-tech zone increased to 389,000.