China has successfully exceeded its annual urban renewal objectives by initiating comprehensive renovation projects across 25,100 aging residential communities during the first ten months of 2025. This achievement was confirmed by official data released by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development on December 5, 2025.
The substantial renovation effort, which forms part of China’s broader strategy to enhance urban livability, has already seen 16 provincial-level regions fulfill their annual renovation targets. The national program has now surpassed its goal of revitalizing 25,000 older urban residential communities this year.
This initiative represents the continuation of an extensive urban renewal campaign that began in 2019. Historical data reveals that between 2019 and 2024, approximately 280,000 residential communities underwent significant upgrades, directly improving living conditions for over 120 million residents nationwide.
The scope of these renovations extends beyond superficial improvements, addressing critical infrastructure needs including the replacement of 360,000 kilometers of aging pipelines, creation of 3.87 million new parking spaces, and establishment of 78,000 community-based facilities dedicated to elderly care and child care services.
The current renovation drive aligns with directives issued during the Central Urban Work Conference in July 2025, which emphasized urban renewal as a crucial mechanism for optimizing urban structures, transforming growth patterns, enhancing quality of life, promoting green development, preserving cultural heritage, and improving governance efficiency.
The accompanying photograph from October 31, 2025, depicts ongoing sewage pipeline renovation work in a Shanghai neighborhood, visually documenting the practical implementation of these nationwide improvements.