The State Council has approved a national territorial spatial plan for East China’s Nanjing municipality for the 2021-2035 period, according to an official reply released on Sept 18.

As per the reply, by 2035, the total area of cultivated land in Nanjing should be no less than 2.08 million mu, of which the protection area for permanent basic farmland should be at least 1.86 million mu, and the red line area for ecological protection should be no less than 496.64 square kilometers, and the urban development area within 1,492.53 square kilometers.

To build a territorial spatial system that supports the new development paradigm, the circular asked Nanjing to serve as a bi-directional open hub connecting the east and west, and enhance coordinated development with cities such as Shanghai, Hangzhou, Hefei, and others.

The development and protection of territorial space will be systematically optimized, the reply added.

To that end, efforts will be made to accelerate the construction of an urban system with regional coordination and integration of urban and rural areas. The ecological preservation and green development of the Yangtze River will be strengthened with strict development of the Yangtze River and its islands and shorelines.

While ensuring the space demand of modern urban agriculture, priority will also be given to the development of scientific and technological innovation, advanced manufacturing and modern service industries.

In addition, the city will work toward becoming an international aviation hub, a national railway hub and a national logistics hub with a safe, convenient, green and low-carbon comprehensive urban transport network.

The protection of historic urban areas and neighborhoods and world cultural heritage sites and red cultural heritage sites such as the Xiaoling Mausoleum of the Ming Dynasty (Mingxiaoling) should also be enhanced, the reply said.