China has established 2027 and 2035 as crucial milestones to reshape its urban landscapes into more efficient, livable and economically vibrant hubs.

The recently released action plan to deepen smart city development and advance citywide digital transformation is a detailed roadmap for harnessing data to revolutionize urban management, services and economic growth.

The plan, jointly issued by the National Development and Reform Commission, the National Data Administration, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development and the Ministry of Natural Resources, aims to make significant progress in data-driven urban economic and social development by the end of 2027.

Key objectives include achieving "efficient handling of one matter" coverage for critical city operations and "efficient completion of one matter" for high-frequency public services.

The digital economy is projected to become a new growth engine, with breakthroughs in intelligent governance, inclusive services and urban digital renewal.

More than 50 citywide digital transformation cities are to be established, with megacities and large cities taking the lead in creating new smart governance systems and deploying advanced, independently developed urban large models.

By 2035, the vision expands to cultivating a group of modern cities with international competitiveness and global influence.

The plan is structured around several key action areas, such as smart and efficient urban governance, digital empowerment for emergency safety, digital services for a better life, and data-driven economic empowerment. Urban digital renewal and building a consolidated digital base are other action areas.

In smart and efficient urban governance, it focuses on building an integrated urban management system. The integration of systems for city operations, comprehensive management, traffic control, and emergency response is a priority.

Cities will be encouraged to build risk monitoring and early warning systems for public safety, production safety, and natural disasters. The use of large models for rapid analysis of extreme weather like rainstorms and typhoons will be promoted, along with developing digital emergency response plans for all types of disasters and scenarios.

It advocates for expanding integrated public services via platforms like one-network for easy access, reducing processing time and the need for in-person visits.

The plan calls for activating the value of data elements to drive industrial development through urban development. It also encourages the development of new business models like data as a service and the growth of data-intensive sectors.

Efforts will be made to advance the digital upgrading of critical urban infrastructure, such as water supply, drainage, gas, and heating systems, using advanced technologies like AI to enhance safety and management.

The construction of unified and intensively managed urban digital infrastructure will be promoted, including perception networks, data transmission networks, and computing power.

To ensure successful implementation, the plan outlines supporting measures such as adapting urban governance systems for the digital era, establishing sustainable operation and maintenance models, and creating a comprehensive standard system for citywide digital transformation.