Governance, China Society

From 'Three Questions to the People' to Urban Renewal: How Shanghai Tests Full-Process Democracy

During a July visit to Shanghai, Xi Jinping stressed urban renewal should be 'asked of the people, planned with the people, judged by the people', turning city upgrades into a test of people-centered governance.

• Xi emphasized 'ask of, plan with, and judge by the people'.
• Xiejiawan's old neighbourhood was turned into a model community.
• 'Small-Courtyard Forum' lets residents decide on local matters.

On July 15, Xi Jinping visited Shanghai and called for urban renewal to follow the 'people's city' idea: ask the people's needs, plan with the people's ideas, and judge results by the people's satisfaction. The message built on the 2019 'People's City, People Built' slogan that first framed China's urban governance around residents' lived experience rather than developer blueprints. A good example is Xiejiawan street in Jiulongpo District, Chongqing — once notorious for old, dilapidated housing, outdated pipe networks and missing amenities. Today the same area has a bright community living room, a full-service party-service centre and a neighbourhood canteen. The lesson Xi cited is simple: good deeds should be measured by what residents genuinely need, not by officials' assumptions. Across China, '15-minute life circles', elevators added to old apartment blocks, and 'alley managers' in Tianjin illustrate the model: small local forums where residents decide on community matters, building a sense of belonging and sharpening how public services target the people who actually live there.