Southeast Asia Information Port News (www.dnyxxg.com) The "Shanghai Municipal Regulations on the Protection of Historic and Cultural Towns" officially came into effect on March 1st. This local regulation, while focusing on the "holistic" protection needs of historic and cultural towns, constructs a four-in-one protection system encompassing "management, protection, utilization, and safeguards."
Currently, Shanghai has 11 designated historic and cultural towns, spanning five administrative districts: Xinchang Town, Chuansha New Town, and Gaoqiao Town in Pudong New Area; Nanxiang Town and Jiading Town Subdistrict in Jiading District; Fengjing Town and Zhangyan Town in Jinshan District; Zhujiajiao Town, Liantang Town, and Jinze Town in Qingpu District; and Luodian Town in Baoshan District.
"For a long time, the development of ancient towns in Shanghai has been uneven. Apart from a few towns, such as Zhujiajiao and Xinchang, which have developed their own unique characteristics and attracted visitors, most still face challenges such as environmental degradation, unclear functional positioning, and ambiguous protection and utilization paths," said an official from the Shanghai Municipal Housing and Urban-Rural Development Management Commission. He added that because Shanghai previously lacked specific legislation for the systematic protection of historical and cultural towns, it was difficult to properly address these issues by coordinating spatial layout, cultural heritage preservation, cultural tourism integration, and operational safety to improve the quality of ancient towns.
The newly implemented "Regulations on the Protection of Historical and Cultural Towns in Shanghai" establishes a clear and efficient protection and management system, strengthening organizational guarantees. The "Shanghai Municipal Regulations on the Protection of Historic and Cultural Towns" focuses on breaking down institutional and systemic barriers such as "fragmented management, low local jurisdiction, and insufficient social participation." Vertically, it elevates the level of overall coordination, establishing a three-tiered government responsibility chain of "municipal-level coordination, district-level primary responsibility, and town/street implementation." Horizontally, it clarifies the departmental responsibility network of "comprehensive leadership, professional management, and inter-departmental collaboration," specifying the comprehensive management responsibilities of the municipal housing and urban-rural development management department and the district-level historical and cultural town protection management departments, as well as the work responsibilities of departments and institutions such as cultural relics management and planning resources. Furthermore, at the social level, it encourages and supports social forces to participate in protection work, building a multi-governance ecosystem of "government guidance, market operation, and public participation." (End)
