Shanghai: By the end of 2025, more than 40% of the built-up area in the city will meet the requirements for sponge city construction.

On February 26, the General Office of the Shanghai Municipal People's Government issued a notice on the implementation opinions of the city's systematic and comprehensive promotion of sponge city construction. The notice pointed out that by the end of 2025, over 40% of the area in the city's built-up area will meet the target requirements for sponge city construction, with more than 50% of the construction land in the new cities of Songjiang, Qingpu, Jiading, and Fengxian meeting the target requirements, and over 60% of the construction land in the new city of Nanhui meeting the target requirements. By the end of 2030, over 80% of the city's built-up area will meet the target requirements for sponge city construction. The original text reads: Notice of the General Office of the Shanghai Municipal People's Government on Printing and Distributing the Implementation Opinions on Systematically and Comprehensively Promoting Sponge City Construction in the City Shanghai Municipal People's Government Office [2024] No. 3 All district people's governments, municipal government committees, offices, bureaus: The "Implementation Opinions on Systematically and Comprehensively Promoting Sponge City Construction in the City" has been approved by the municipal government and is now issued to you for careful implementation. General Office of the Shanghai Municipal People's Government February 4, 2024 Implementation opinions on systematically and comprehensively promoting sponge city construction in the city In order to implement the spirit of the "State Council General Office on Promoting Sponge City Construction Guidance" and other documents, enhance urban safety and resilience, improve urban ecological environment, based on the previous pilot work, hereby put forward the following implementation opinions on systematically and comprehensively promoting sponge city construction in the city: 1. Work objectives Adhere to safety as the priority, ecology first, strengthen planning guidance, classify measures, systematize and comprehensively promote sponge city construction, coordinate the ecological environment governance of regional watersheds and urban construction, coordinate urban water resource utilization and disaster prevention and reduction, coordinate urban flood control and urban waterlogging control, with a focus on alleviating urban waterlogging, while considering reducing stormwater runoff pollution, to achieve the goals of increasing water safety resilience, improving water environmental quality, promoting healthy water ecological systems, and efficient water resource utilization. By the end of 2025, over 40% of the area in the city's built-up area will meet the target requirements for sponge city construction, with more than 50% of the construction land in the new cities of Songjiang, Qingpu, Jiading, and Fengxian meeting the target requirements, and over 60% of the construction land in the new city of Nanhui meeting the target requirements. By the end of 2030, over 80% of the city's built-up area will meet the target requirements for sponge city construction. 2. Key tasks (1) Improving the sponge city planning and technical system 1. Strengthen planning and control. Promote the evaluation and formulation of sponge city plans at all levels in urban areas, implement the sponge city construction standards for 2030. When formulating overall land use plans, detailed plans, and industry-specific plans at various levels, the relevant core indicators, spatial control elements, and management requirements of sponge city plans at all levels and sponge city system plans in various areas should be implemented. (Responsible units: Municipal Planning and Natural Resources Bureau, Municipal Housing, Urban and Rural Construction Management Committee, Municipal Transportation Committee, Municipal Water Affairs Bureau, Municipal Afforestation and Urban Landscape Bureau, Municipal Housing Management Bureau, district governments) 2. Formulate system plans. Focus on key areas, major projects, and areas that meet the standards, and formulate sponge city system plans based on drainage subdivisions, reasonably determine target indicators, and clarify construction projects. By the end of 2025, each district government and management committee will complete the 2030 standard area system planning preparation plan, and after expert review, submit the system plan to the Municipal Housing, Urban and Rural Construction Management Committee for filing. (Responsible units: Municipal Housing, Urban and Rural Construction Management Committee, district governments) 3. Improve the technical system. Revise sponge city construction technical standards, standard atlas, completion acceptance standards, formulate construction effectiveness evaluation standards, facilities operation and maintenance quota standards, and construction guidelines. Various relevant administrative departments should develop work requirements and technical guidance for sponge city construction based on the characteristics of their respective industries. Vigorously develop new products and technologies for sponge city construction, and conduct research on carbon impact assessment, soil and water conservation, etc. Improve the urban drainage and flood control model, and compile and publish rainstorm types and urban stagnant water and waterlogging risk maps across the city. (Responsible units: Municipal Housing, Urban and Rural Construction Management Committee, Municipal Transportation Committee, Municipal Ecology and Environment Bureau, Municipal Water Affairs Bureau, Municipal Afforestation and Urban Landscape Bureau, Municipal Housing Management Bureau, district governments) (2) Strengthen regional ecological environment protection and restoration 1. Construction of an ultra-large urban forest system. Promote the construction of green belt ecological parks surrounding the city and urban forest communities, advance the construction of protective forests, optimize the elevation design of forest land, promote forest-water composite construction, and expand rainwater retention and storage spaces. (Responsible units: Municipal Afforestation and Urban Landscape Bureau, Municipal Water Affairs Bureau, Municipal Planning and Natural Resources Bureau, district governments) 2. Restoration of river, lake, and coastal wetland spaces. Strengthen the protection and restoration of wetland ecosystems, enhance the purification capacity of river and lake water quality, and improve flood control and storage capacities. Focus on protecting the landscape of the Yangtze River estuary wetlands, maintaining the ecological base of Qingxi Dianshan Lake wetlands, and researching and formulating plans for the restoration of major natural wetlands. (Responsible units: Municipal Afforestation and Urban Landscape Bureau, Municipal Water Affairs Bureau, Municipal Planning and Natural Resources Bureau, district governments) 3. Establish and improve urban and rural park systems. In conjunction with the construction of Shanghai as a park city, according to the principles of "functional integration, intensive and efficient", enhance the rainwater storage capacity of urban and town parks, meet their own flood control demands, and adaptively improve the flood control safety of surrounding areas. (Responsible units: Municipal Afforestation and Urban Landscape Bureau, Municipal Water Affairs Bureau, Municipal Planning and Natural Resources Bureau, district governments) 4. Create integrated blue-green ecological corridors. Promote the construction of 34 waterfront ecological corridors, expand rainwater retention and storage spaces according to local conditions. Build waterfront corridors along the main rivers in the city center, strengthen forest-water combination along the main rivers in the suburban areas, expressways, and main roads, improve the capacity of road surface runoff, flood control, and storage and purification. (Responsible units: Municipal Afforestation and Urban Landscape Bureau, Municipal Water Affairs Bureau, Municipal Transportation Committee, district governments) (3) Construct a resilient and safe urban river and lake system 1. Enhance the flood defense capacity of river basins. Accelerate the construction of key water conservancy projects in river basins, continuously improve the risk resistance of the Huangpu River, Suzhou River, etc. Promote the standard construction of main sea dikes, and enhance the storm surge defense capacity of sea dikes. (Responsible units: Municipal Water Affairs Bureau, Municipal Planning and Natural Resources Bureau, Municipal Development and Reform Commission, district governments) 2. Improve the drainage capacity of river and lake systems. Systematically promote the construction of river networks and floodgates, orderly implement the backbone river revetment projects to achieve the connection from rivers to the sea. Promote the construction of peripheral water (pump) gates, renovate low-lying polder areas to meet standards, and enhance flood control resilience in the western low-lying polder areas. (Responsible units: Municipal Water Affairs Bureau, Municipal Planning and Natural Resources Bureau, district governments)Hazardous capabilities. (Responsible units: City Water Affairs Bureau, City Planning and Resources Bureau, City Development and Reform Commission, and district governments)3. Promote the ecological governance of river and lake systems. Promote the construction of ecological buffer zones along important rivers and lakes, carry out the construction of small wetlands along riverbanks and the cleaning and greening of river and lake shorelines, and increase the coverage of urban water body ecological shorelines. Focus on street districts to carry out concentrated and contiguous ecological protection and governance of river and lake water systems. Encourage the addition of effective storage space in river and lake governance projects such as new city green belts and comprehensive land treatment pilot projects. Strengthen the deep integration of sponge city construction and soil and water conservation work. (Responsible units: Municipal Water Affairs Bureau, Municipal Greening and City Appearance Bureau, Municipal Ecological Environment Bureau, district governments) 4. Improve the construction of urban drainage and flood control facilities 1. Promote the construction of urban stormwater drainage systems. In conjunction with urban renewal and road improvement projects, upgrade low-standard stormwater pipelines. Promote the construction of stormwater drainage systems in 23 towns including Daming and Yuepu. Through upgrading projects such as pumping stations, pipelines, and green storage, ensure that 25% of the urban area has the capacity to handle stormwater drainage every 3-5 years. Carry out special actions to eliminate prone-to-flood water accumulation points. (Responsible units: Municipal Water Affairs Bureau, Municipal Housing Urban and Rural Construction Management Committee, Municipal Greening and City Appearance Bureau, Municipal Transportation Commission, Municipal Housing Management Bureau, district governments) 2. Promote the construction of early-stage stormwater storage facilities. Promote the construction of early-stage stormwater storage tanks, pumping stations, and interception facilities, complete the initial stormwater storage projects for 6 sewage treatment plants in the central urban area, and advance subsequent upgrading projects. Construct a number of early-stage stormwater storage facilities for water-sensitive drainage pumping stations. (Responsible units: Municipal Water Affairs Bureau, Municipal Planning and Resource Bureau, Municipal Development and Reform Commission, district governments) 3. Improve the quality and efficiency of drainage facilities. Continuously carry out periodic testing and maintenance of drainage pipelines to ensure that the percentage of full pipelines in strong drainage areas is below 50%. Promote the upgrading and reconstruction of combined stormwater collection systems and stormwater outlets, enhancing pollutant interception and rainwater collection capacity. Improve the monitoring network of drainage facilities and gradually enhance the integrated operation and scheduling capabilities of "treatment plants, stations, and rivers". (Responsible unit: Municipal Water Affairs Bureau, district governments) 4. Promote resource utilization. Improve the functionality of urban green stormwater ecological infrastructure, promote the use of small-scale rainwater collection, storage, and treatment systems, and enhance the level of rainwater resource utilization. (Responsible units: Municipal Water Affairs Bureau, Municipal Housing Urban and Rural Construction Management Committee, Municipal Housing Management Bureau, Municipal Greening and City Appearance Bureau, district governments) 5. Promote the holistic development of sponge city projects 1. Promote the construction of sponge-type plots. Residential communities, commercial, cultural, sports, educational and research, squares, industrial and other new, renovation, and expansion projects should fully implement the requirements of sponge city construction, enhancing the functional compound utilization of stormwater storage facilities. Newly developed or expanded projects in strong drainage areas should simultaneously include stormwater storage facilities. The requirements of sponge city construction should be implemented in urban renewal actions, renovation of old residential areas, transformation of urban villages, rainwater-pollution separation, and rainwater diversion projects, strategically addressing flooding issues, improving the internal rainwater drainage standards of plots, and enhancing living environment quality. (Responsible units: Municipal Housing Urban and Rural Construction Management Committee, Municipal Planning and Resource Bureau, Municipal Development and Reform Commission, Municipal Water Affairs Bureau, Municipal Education Department, Municipal Administration Bureau, Municipal Sports Bureau, Municipal Housing Management Bureau, district governments) 2. Promote the construction of sponge-type municipal facilities. New construction projects including roads, squares, rail transit, drainage pumping stations, and other municipal infrastructure should fully implement the requirements of sponge city construction, diverging from traditional practices of direct stormwater drainage and ensuring smooth drainage. Existing municipal infrastructure should undergo continuous sponge city transformation in conjunction with major repairs, road drainage improvement, rainwater-pollution separation, rainwater diversion, overhead lines going underground, and public space quality improvement, promoting adaptive construction of multi-functional storage facilities based on local conditions. (Responsibility units: Municipal Transportation Commission, Municipal Water Affairs Bureau, Municipal Housing Urban and Rural Construction Management Committee, Municipal Development and Reform Commission, district governments) 3. Promote the construction of sponge-type parks. New construction and expansion of park green space projects should fully implement the requirements of sponge city construction, enhancing regional stormwater management, creating integrated water-green spaces, and promoting the construction of pocket parks. Promote the concept of dual-use rainwater storage facilities in parks like Ping'an Park, enhancing urban resilience. (Responsible units: Municipal Greening and City Appearance Bureau, Municipal Water Affairs Bureau, Municipal Planning and Resource Bureau, Municipal Development and Reform Commission, district governments) 4. Promote the construction of "sponge" in major projects. Strengthen the demonstration and leadership of major projects in fully implementing the requirements of sponge city construction from planning, design, construction, to operation and maintenance. (Responsible units: Municipal Housing Urban and Rural Construction Management Committee, Municipal Development and Reform Commission, district governments) 5. Strengthen the construction of sponge cities in key areas. Strengthen the construction of sponge cities in key areas such as the Yangtze River Delta Ecological Green Integration Development Demonstration Zone, Lingang New Area, Hongqiao International Central Business District, five new towns, Huangpu River and Suzhou River waterfront areas, Nanda District, Wusong Innovation City, North Bund area, Taopu Intelligent Innovation City, forming a sustainable urban water cycling system. (Responsible units: Municipal Development and Reform Commission, Municipal Planning and Resource Bureau, Municipal Housing Urban and Rural Construction Management Committee, Municipal Water Affairs Bureau, district governments) 6. Improve the management capabilities of sponge city construction 1. Strengthen project approval and control. Sponge city construction goals should be tailored to specific locations during project approval, feasibility studies or approvals, filing, preliminary design stages. Feasibility study reports and preliminary design documents for urban maintenance projects should clearly state the content of sponge city construction. Investments related to sponge city construction should be integrated into architectural, drainage, road, greening, and overall outdoor professional content. (Responsible units: Municipal Development and Reform Commission, Municipal Housing Urban and Rural Construction Management Committee, Municipal Transportation Commission, Municipal Water Affairs Bureau, Municipal Greening and City Appearance Bureau, district governments) 2. Strengthen planning conditions control. Planning resource departments should consult relevant management departments on the requirements of sponge city and green stormwater storage facilities construction, and incorporate them into land use contracts for state-owned construction land or construction project planning land opinions, planning and design schemes, and engineering construction planning permits. Urban renewal projects should seek opinions from construction management departments and implement sponge city construction requirements based on local conditions. (Responsible units: Municipal Planning and Resource Bureau, Municipal Housing Urban and Rural Construction Management Committee, Municipal Water Affairs Bureau, district governments) 3. Strengthen design quality control. Relevant industry management departments should include sponge city construction content in the review of construction project design plans and construction drawings, according to their responsibilities, and formulate key points and review management regulations for sponge city construction. (Responsible units: Municipal Housing Urban and Rural Construction Management Committee, Municipal Transportation Commission, Municipal Water Affairs Bureau, Municipal Greening and City Appearance Bureau, district governments)City Housing Management Bureau, Various District Governments4. Strengthen project construction management. Relevant industry management departments must strictly implement the requirements of sponge city construction at the construction supervision and completion acceptance stages, and introduce detailed operating rules for sponge city construction in their respective industries. Strictly follow the construction drawings, implement the vertical design requirements of the site, and control soil erosion. (Responsible units: Municipal Housing and Urban-Rural Development Commission, Municipal Transportation Commission, Municipal Water Authority, Municipal Greening and City Appearance Bureau, Municipal Housing Management Bureau, district governments) 5. Strengthen project operation and maintenance. Relevant industry management departments should clarify the responsible entities for the operation and maintenance of sponge city facilities in municipal, residential areas, water management, and green spaces, and equip professional teams to carry out daily maintenance and regularly monitor and evaluate the facilities. (Responsible units: Municipal Housing and Urban-Rural Development Commission, Municipal Transportation Commission, Municipal Water Authority, Municipal Greening and City Appearance Bureau, Municipal Housing Management Bureau, district governments) 6. Strengthen regional effectiveness evaluation. Based on drainage sub-zones, continue to carry out effectiveness evaluations of sponge city construction, strengthen tracking evaluations of the national sponge city construction pilot areas, and improve evaluation rules. Strengthen in-process and post-process supervision of sponge city construction projects, enhance pre-inspection, mid-year guidance, and year-end inspections. (Responsible units: Municipal Housing and Urban-Rural Development Commission, Municipal Transportation Commission, Municipal Water Authority, Municipal Greening and City Appearance Bureau, Municipal Housing Management Bureau, district governments) 7. Enhance digital management capabilities. Establish a platform that gathers information on the entire process of sponge city planning, construction, approval, operation and maintenance, and evaluation. Strengthen departmental coordination, enhance data monitoring, and establish a full-process digital control mechanism for information submission, progress tracking, and operational effectiveness evaluation of sponge city construction projects. (Responsible units: Municipal Housing and Urban-Rural Development Commission, Municipal Transportation Commission, Municipal Water Authority, Municipal Greening and City Appearance Bureau, Municipal Housing Management Bureau, district governments) Third, Organizational Support 1. Strengthen organizational leadership. Strengthen overall coordination mechanisms, promote cooperation between the city and districts, and form a united front. The Municipal Housing and Urban-Rural Development Commission is responsible for overall coordination of sponge city construction in the city, supervising the implementation of work; relevant industry management departments should propose specific measures for sponge city construction in their industries according to their responsibilities. District governments and management committees should take the lead in establishing coordination mechanisms and be responsible for promoting implementation. Strengthen evaluation of sponge city construction and establish a sound responsibility assessment system. (Responsible units: Municipal Housing and Urban-Rural Development Commission, Municipal Development and Reform Commission, Municipal Finance Bureau, Municipal Planning and Resources Bureau, Municipal Water Authority, Municipal Transportation Commission, Municipal Greening and City Appearance Bureau, Municipal Ecology and Environment Bureau, Municipal Housing Management Bureau, Urban Management and Law Enforcement Bureau, district governments) 2. Strengthen funding support. Implement funding support for sponge city planning at all levels, the preparation of sponge city system design in specific areas, project construction, and operation and maintenance, and improve the funding mechanism for sponge city construction in urban renewal projects and city maintenance projects. Special funds at all levels in the city and districts should prioritize supporting sponge city construction. (Responsible units: Municipal Housing and Urban-Rural Development Commission, Municipal Development and Reform Commission, Municipal Finance Bureau, Municipal Water Authority, Municipal Greening and City Appearance Bureau, Municipal Transportation Commission, Municipal Housing Management Bureau, district governments) 3. Strengthen incentives, publicity, and guidance. Through city-level commendation competitions, introduce a credit mechanism, prioritize recommending survey and design, excellent engineering awards, and awards for outstanding projects. Enhance the popularization and publicity of sponge city construction concepts and achievements, and encourage public participation. Through platforms such as World Cities Day, publicize the Chinese solution and Shanghai's practices in sponge city construction. (Responsible units: Municipal Housing and Urban-Rural Development Commission, Municipal Water Authority, Municipal Greening and City Appearance Bureau, Municipal Transportation Commission, Municipal Housing Management Bureau, district governments)