Weifang advances green growth, urban livability

Weifang, East China's Shandong province, is turning its vision of a greener, more livable, and higher-quality city into reality. Guided by the notion that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets, the city has made tangible progress toward ecological transformation during the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021–25) period.

According to the Weifang Municipal Bureau of Ecology and Environment, the city has implemented 371 major pollution control projects and more than 2,200 ecological restoration initiatives in recent years. Campaigns such as the "Four Reductions and Four Increases" initiative have accelerated the elimination of outdated production capacity in the refining, coking, and chemical industries, reorienting the local industrial landscape toward cleaner, more sustainable growth.

Guided by the notion that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets, Weifang has made tangible progress toward ecological transformation during the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021–25) period. [Photo/VCG]

Weifang is also setting national examples in low-carbon development. Weifang Port has become China's first zero-carbon port, while the Jinan–Weifang Expressway stands as the country's first zero-carbon smart highway. The city has been selected as one of China's first pilot cities for coordinated pollution and carbon reduction innovation, ranking fourth in the national low-carbon city assessment.

Urban planning and green infrastructure are evolving in tandem. A new spatial layout now balances agricultural, ecological, and urban zones, while the city's 23 provincial-level wetland parks and two new national-level wetlands enhance biodiversity and improve air quality.

Meanwhile, Weifang's sponge city program has greatly improved stormwater management, reducing runoff by 49 million metric tons annually and increasing reuse by 7.6 million metric tons. Urban renewal is advancing rapidly, with 236 projects completed, 23,000 old housing units renovated, and nearly 24,000 affordable and talent housing units under construction.

With more than 1,100 pocket parks now integrated into its urban fabric, Weifang is reimagining green, people-centered development, becoming a city where greenery is visible from every window and parks are only steps away.