New Beijing subcenter to offer 600,000 more jobs

The overall urban design for Beijing's subcenter in Tongzhou District has been completed, and is expected to offer jobs for 600,000 to 800,000 people, Beijing Daily reported.

The municipal government plans to gradually relocate some of its functions to Tongzhou, a move designed to develop the district as a new subcenter of Beijing and address issues like overcrowding and congestion in downtown areas.

Wei Chenglin, director of Beijing's Urban Planning and Land Resources Committee, said the overall design aimed to create a world-class livable zone that emphasizes environmental protection and cultural heritage.

Besides, authorities have created more detailed designs for the center's six core areas.

Current efforts focus on the 155-square-kilometer sub-center as well as the greater 906 square kilometer region.

The expected 600,000 to 800,000-strong working population in the zone would also live there, helping address transportation needs.

According to the plan, a comprehensive network that links with high speed roads and 10 subway lines would meet the requirements of commuting between the subcenter, downtown and new residential clusters.

A green area would cover at least 40 percent of the subcenter, which would also include 20 green zones of more than 10 hectares each.

Zhang Libing, the chief of Tongzhou District, said by 2030 the subcenter would have 38 parks, which would mean residents could access a park within 500 meters.

Zhang added the implementation of the plan would be transparent and involve full consultation with ordinary citizens.

Educational and medical resources are also gradually being relocated to the subcenter. The construction of new campuses for Renmin University of China, Capital Normal University and Jingshan School are currently being fast-tracked in Tongzhou, for example.