On July 18, the Information Office of Liaoning Provincial People’s Government held the fifth press conference of a thematic series titled “Improving People’s Wellbeing and Delivering Practical Services to Benefit the People”. The conference introduced the main measures, progress, highlights, and plans of Liaoning’s efforts this year, including renovating old residential communities and building pocket parks in urban areas.

The construction of parks located close to residential areas, granting citizens the luxury of enjoying verdant vistas from their windows and effortlessly accessing the parks for recreation, encapsulates the comfortable lifestyle of the people of Liaoning. In 2021 and 2022, Liaoning has constructed a total of 2,800 pocket parks, effectively improving urban aesthetics. In 2023, Liaoning plans to build 1,300 more, ranking first in China for three consecutive years in terms of the number of pocket parks constructed. As of now, all pocket parks outlined in this year’s construction plan across Liaoning have finalized their design and planning, with 400 already constructed.

The renovation of old residential communities is a vital project that affects people’s livelihoods. In 2023, Liaoning plans to renovate 1,200 old residential communities, benefiting 715,000 households, with a planned investment of 14.6 billion yuan, making it the largest renovation project in China. So far, Liaoning has started construction on 1,366 old residential communities and continues to work on 883 ongoing projects. Notably, 1.02 million square meters of community roads have been renovated, 64 elevators have been installed, 8,571 additional parking spaces have been added, and 94,500 square meters of cultural, leisure, fitness, and public green spaces have been developed.

Meanwhile, Liaoning will strengthen the construction of urban drainage and waterlogging prevention infrastructure while accelerating the development of sponge cities. Liaoning will also renovate areas where waterlogging is prone to occur and rectify the issue of mixed and wrongly connected rainwater and sewage pipelines. Moreover, Liaoning plans to repair damaged and non-functional drainage and waterlogging prevention facilities. This year, Liaoning is on track to update and renovate 6,600 kilometers of old pipeline networks, including 2,000 kilometers of gas pipelines, 1,800 kilometers of water supply pipelines, 1,500 kilometers of heating pipelines, and 1,300 kilometers of drainage pipelines.