Strengthen the Party’s Overall Leadership over Urban Work

The Central Urban Work Conference [1]1 The Central Urban Work Conference refers to a high-level meeting convened by the CPC Central Committee to set the overall direction and policy for urban development in China. The most recent one was held in 2025. held recently explicitly stated that “to build modern people’s cities, it is necessary to strengthen the Party’s overall leadership over urban work.” The Party’s overall leadership is the fundamental guarantee for doing urban work well. To advance the construction of modern people’s cities on the new journey of the New Era, it is essential to deeply study and comprehend General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important discourses on urban work, and to deeply understand the important theoretical significance and practical value of strengthening the Party’s overall leadership over urban work.

日前召开的中央城市工作会议明确提出，“建设现代化人民城市，必须加强党对城市工作的全面领导”。党的全面领导是做好城市工作的根本保证，新时代新征程推进现代化人民城市建设，要深入学习领会习近平总书记关于城市工作的重要论述，深入理解加强党对城市工作的全面领导的重要理论意义与实践价值。

The Party’s overall leadership is the fundamental guarantee for doing urban work well

党的全面领导是做好城市工作的根本保证

Attaching importance to urban work is a fine tradition of the Party. The more than 70 years of development of urban work since the founding of New China have fully proved that the Party’s overall leadership is the fundamental guarantee for doing urban work well.

重视城市工作是党的优良传统，新中国成立以来城市工作70多年的发展历程充分证明，党的全面领导是做好城市工作的根本保证。

It provides the correct direction for urban work. Our Party is adept at scientifically guiding the development direction of cities in accordance with the central tasks of the Party and the state. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC [2]2 The 18th National Congress of the CPC was held in 2012, marking the beginning of the Xi Jinping era., the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has accurately judged the changes in the principal contradiction in society, established the realization of the people’s aspiration for a better life as the Party’s goal, and put forward the important concept of people’s cities in the field of urban work. Guided by the concept of people’s cities, China’s new-type urbanization level and urban development capacity, planning, construction, and governance levels, livability and employability, historical and cultural protection and inheritance levels, and ecological environment quality have all been greatly improved, promoting historic achievements in urban development and fully demonstrating the superiority of the socialist system.

为城市工作指引正确方向。我们党善于根据党和国家中心工作科学指引城市的发展方向。党的十八大以来，以习近平同志为核心的党中央准确研判社会主要矛盾变化，把实现人民对美好生活的向往确立为党的奋斗目标，在城市工作领域提出了人民城市重要理念。在人民城市理念指引下，我国新型城镇化水平和城市发展能级、规划建设治理水平、宜业宜居水平、历史文化保护传承水平、生态环境质量大幅提升，推动城市发展取得历史性成就，充分体现出社会主义制度的优越性。

It formulates scientific plans for urban work. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “Urban planning plays an important leading role in urban development. When inspecting a city, one should first look at its planning. Scientific planning is the greatest benefit, planning mistakes are the greatest waste, and planning capriciousness is the greatest taboo.” On the one hand, since the founding of New China, each successive “Five-Year Plan” formulated under the Party’s leadership has taken urban planning as an important component, making comprehensive arrangements and coordinated planning for urban spatial layout, land use, infrastructure construction, etc., to achieve coordinated development in all aspects of the city. On the other hand, the Party Central Committee has successively convened five Central Urban Work Conferences, scientifically positioning the functions of cities in light of the development characteristics of specific eras, and holistically planning the overall requirements, basic goals, and key tasks of urban construction and development, injecting strong development momentum into urban work.

为城市工作制定科学规划。习近平总书记指出：“城市规划在城市发展中起着重要引领作用，考察一个城市首先看规划，规划科学是最大的效益，规划失误是最大的浪费，规划折腾是最大的忌讳。”一方面，新中国成立以来我们党领导制定的历次“五年规划”都把城市规划作为重要内容，对城市的空间布局、土地利用、基础设施建设等进行综合部署和统筹安排，实现城市各方面协调发展；另一方面，党中央先后召开五次中央城市工作会议，结合具体时代发展特点科学定位城市的功能，并整体谋划城市建设和发展的总体要求、基本目标、重点任务，为城市工作注入强大发展动能。

It provides organizational guarantees for urban work. The Communist Party of China is the backbone of China’s urban construction and development. By establishing and improving leadership systems and working mechanisms, and strengthening the construction of urban grassroots Party organizations, the Party has played its core leadership role of overall leadership and coordinating all parties. In terms of leadership systems and working mechanisms, adhering to Party building as the core, it has established and improved a governance system with unified leadership by Party committees, specific responsibility by governments, and coordinated implementation by departments, forming a working pattern of “regional coordination, integration of vertical and horizontal lines, and linkage between upper and lower levels,” effectively solving the problems of policy fragmentation and implementation obstacles. In terms of the establishment of grassroots Party organizations, it has carried forward the fine tradition of “building Party branches on company-level units” [3]3 “Building Party branches on company-level units” is a historical reference to the practice established by Mao Zedong during the 1927 Autumn Harvest Uprising, ensuring Party leadership at the most basic military unit. It is now used as a metaphor for extending Party organization to the grassroots level in all sectors., and on the basis of the existing “street-community” two-level Party organizations, it has explored the establishment of “street-community-residential building” four-level Party organizations, and established Party organizations in areas such as new economic organizations and new social organizations, office buildings, industrial parks, and business districts, expanding the coverage of Party organizations over urban work and providing organizational guarantees for the Party to better lead urban work.

为城市工作提供组织保障。中国共产党是中国城市建设和发展的主心骨，通过建立健全领导体制和工作机制、强化城市基层党组织建设等举措发挥了党总揽全局、协调各方的领导核心作用。在领导体制和工作机制方面，坚持以党建引领为核心，建立健全党委统一领导、政府具体负责、部门联动落实的治理体系，形成“区域统筹、条块结合、上下联动”的工作局面，有效破解了政策碎片化和执行障碍问题。在基层党组织设置方面，发扬“支部建在连上”的优良传统，在已有“街道—社区”两级党组织的基础上探索设立“街道—社区—小区—楼栋”四级党组织，在两新组织、楼宇园区商圈等区域建立党组织，扩大了党组织对城市工作的覆盖范围，为党更好领导城市工作提供了组织保障。

Implement the Party’s leadership over urban work comprehensively, systematically, and holistically

全面、系统、整体落实党对城市工作的领导

The Party’s leadership is comprehensive, systematic, and holistic. To build modern people’s cities, it is necessary to implement the Party’s leadership over urban work comprehensively, systematically, and holistically.

党的领导是全面的、系统的、整体的。建设现代化人民城市，必须全面、系统、整体落实党对城市工作的领导。

From the perspective of process, comprehensively strengthen the full-cycle management of urban construction and development. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, “A city is a living organism. We must respect the city, treat it well, and establish a ‘full-cycle management’ awareness.” As a dynamic, developing living organism, a city and its constituent elements have different stages in the development process, as well as different links within the development stages. If the differentiated characteristics of development stages or links are neglected, it will lead to problems in urban work such as treating the symptoms but not the root cause, or solving one problem only to create another. Strengthening the Party’s overall leadership over urban work requires accurately identifying and effectively managing the different development stages and links of the city as a whole and its constituent elements throughout the entire process, achieving full-cycle arrangement and process management of urban work.

从过程看，全面加强对城市建设和发展过程的全周期管理。习近平总书记指出，“城市是生命体、有机体，要敬畏城市、善待城市，树立‘全周期管理’意识”。作为动态、发展的生命体、有机体，城市及其构成要素都有发展过程中的不同阶段，以及发展阶段的不同环节。如果对发展阶段或环节的差异化特点疏于把握，就会导致城市工作出现头痛医头、脚痛医脚，按下葫芦浮起瓢的问题。加强党对城市工作的全面领导，需要全过程精准识别、有效管理城市整体及其构成要素的不同发展阶段与环节，实现对城市工作的全周期安排和过程性管理。

From the perspective of content, systematically plan all aspects of work inside and outside the urban work system. A city is a complex, open mega-system, which determines the systemic characteristics of urban work. On the one hand, from the relationship between the large system and subsystems, urban work is a subsystem within the overall work of the Party and the state, closely related to other subsystems. Taking the urban-rural relationship as an example, urban work and rural work, as two subsystems within the overall work of the Party and the state, constitute a symbiotic and mutually integrated community. Our Party has always attached importance to coordinating the advancement of urban work and rural work to achieve common prosperity and development of both urban and rural areas. On the other hand, from within the subsystem, urban work involves a myriad of tasks and numerous fields. Doing urban work well requires coordinating and advancing all aspects of the city, including economic construction, political construction, cultural construction, social construction, and ecological civilization construction, helping to build innovative, livable, beautiful, resilient, civilized, and smart modern people’s cities.

从内容看，系统谋划城市工作系统内外方方面面的工作。城市是一个复杂、开放的巨系统，这决定了城市工作的系统性特征。一方面，从大系统与子系统的关系看，城市工作是党和国家工作全局这一大系统范围内的子系统，与其他子系统密切相关。以城乡关系为例，城市工作与农村工作这两个党和国家工作全局大系统内的子系统，构成一个共生互融的共同体。我们党历来重视协调推进城市工作和农村工作，以此实现城乡共同繁荣发展。另一方面，从子系统内部看，城市工作千头万绪，涉及众多领域。做好城市工作，需要统筹推进城市的经济建设、政治建设、文化建设、社会建设和生态文明建设等各方面，助力建设创新、宜居、美丽、韧性、文明、智慧的现代化人民城市。

From the perspective of subjects, holistically advance the construction of a multi-governance urban governance community. Cities are places with concentrated populations. Various types of subjects in the city are not only beneficiaries of urban development achievements but also participants and builders of urban development. Doing urban work well requires implementing the concept of whole-process people’s democracy and stimulating the sense of ownership among various urban subjects. Urban local Party committees should effectively coordinate subjects such as the government, the market, and citizens. While playing the Party’s leadership responsibilities in setting direction, planning overall situations, formulating policies, and promoting reform, they should also leverage the government’s functions in creating institutional environments, preparing development plans, building infrastructure, providing public services, and strengthening social governance; leverage the market’s decisive role in resource allocation; and leverage citizens’ roles in participation and supervision in urban planning, construction, and development. This will build an urban governance community where everyone participates, everyone is responsible, everyone contributes, and everyone shares. By coordinating multiple urban subjects and allowing them to fully participate and integrate into the entire process, all links, and all fields of urban governance modernization, it provides a continuous source of momentum for urban development.

从主体看，整体推进多元共治的城市治理共同体建设。城市是人口集中的地方，城市各类主体既是城市发展成果的受益者，也是城市发展的参与者、建设者。做好城市工作需要贯彻全过程人民民主理念，激发城市各主体的主人翁精神。城市地方党委应有效统筹政府、市场、市民等主体，在发挥党把方向、谋大局、定政策、促改革等领导责任的同时，发挥政府在创造制度环境、编制发展规划、建设基础设施、提供公共服务、加强社会治理等方面的职能，发挥市场在资源配置中的决定性作用，发挥市民在城市规划、建设和发展中的参与和监督作用，从而构建人人参与、人人负责、人人奉献、人人共享的城市治理共同体。通过统筹城市多元主体，让其充分参与、融入城市治理现代化全过程各环节各领域，赋予城市发展源源不断的动力支撑。

Strengthen the capacity building of Party members and cadres for urban work

加强党员干部队伍城市工作能力建设

Doing urban work well requires a high-quality urban cadre team. Party members and cadres must fully understand the scientific nature of urban work and advance the construction of modern people’s cities by continuously improving their urban work capabilities.

做好城市工作，需要一支高素质城市干部队伍。党员干部要充分认识城市工作的科学性，在不断提高城市工作能力中推进现代化人民城市建设。

Deeply study and comprehend General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important discourses on urban work, and correct the guiding ideology for urban development. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “To do urban work well, we must first understand, respect, and comply with the laws of urban development, and correct the guiding ideology for urban development.” General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important discourses on urban work reveal the rich and multi-dimensional laws of urban development and are the compass and guide for doing urban work well. Advancing urban work requires studying and comprehending General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important discourses on urban work, continuously deepening the understanding of the laws of urban development, correcting the guiding ideology for urban development, and constantly improving capabilities and levels to achieve an understanding of cities and proficiency in management.

深入学习领会习近平总书记关于城市工作的重要论述，端正城市发展指导思想。习近平总书记指出：“做好城市工作，首先要认识、尊重、顺应城市发展规律，端正城市发展指导思想。”习近平总书记关于城市工作的重要论述揭示了丰富多维的城市发展规律，是做好城市工作的定盘星、指南针。推进城市工作需要学习领会习近平总书记关于城市工作的重要论述，从中不断深化对城市发展规律的认识，端正城市发展指导思想，不断提高能力和水平，做到懂城市、会管理。

Establish a correct outlook on political performance that the people’s city serves the people. General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out, “In undertaking endeavors and starting undertakings, one must establish a correct outlook on political performance.” [4]4 This is a direct quotation from Xi Jinping, emphasizing that the evaluation of officials’ performance should prioritize the well-being of the people over narrow economic or project-based metrics. The outlook on political performance is the fundamental view and overall perspective of leading cadres on political achievements. One concentrated manifestation of a correct outlook on political performance is taking benefiting the people as the greatest political achievement. Cities are places where people live in concentration. To establish and practice a correct outlook on political performance in the field of urban work, it is necessary to uphold the people’s city concept and take benefiting the people as the greatest political achievement in urban work. It is necessary to adhere to a people-centered approach, carry out urban work around various needs such as clothing, food, housing, transportation, birth, aging, illness, death, peaceful living, and joyful employment, leave the best resources to the people, strive to build a modern people’s city, and continuously enhance the people’s sense of gain, happiness, and security. At the same time, it is necessary to improve the urban development evaluation system. Relevant assessments should not only focus on how much GDP has grown or how many large projects have been built, but also look at the public’s reputation, taking whether the common people are satisfied and whether their lives are convenient as important criteria for judging the effectiveness of urban work.

树立人民城市为人民的正确政绩观。习近平总书记指出，“干事创业一定要树立正确政绩观”。政绩观是领导干部对政绩的根本观点和总的看法，正确政绩观的一个集中体现就是把为民造福作为最大政绩。城市是人集中生活的地方，在城市工作领域树立和践行正确政绩观需要坚持人民城市理念，把为民造福作为城市工作的最大政绩。要坚持以人民为中心，围绕衣食住行、生老病死、安居乐业等各项需求做好城市工作，把最好的资源留给人民，着力建设现代化人民城市，不断提升人民群众的获得感、幸福感、安全感。与此同时，要健全城市发展评价体系，相关考核不能只盯着GDP增长了多少、建了几个大项目，还要看群众口碑，把老百姓满意不满意、生活方便不方便作为评判城市工作成效的重要标准。

Effectively improve the work style in the field of urban work. Every city must adhere to seeking truth from facts and being pragmatic and realistic, making corresponding decisions based on the city’s actual conditions. It must not deviate from reality or be impatient for success, but instead maintain sufficient historical patience and advance project construction step by step; it must not be intense one moment and slack the next, but instead carry forward the spirit of driving in nails [5]5 “Spirit of driving in nails” (钉钉子精神) is a metaphor used by Xi Jinping to describe the need for persistent, focused, and step-by-step effort in implementing policies and projects, ensuring they are carried through to completion., promoting the implementation, refinement, and tangible results of projects; it must not “change the blueprint with each change of term,” but instead maintain the strategic resolve of drawing the blueprint through to the end, both “looking forward” and “looking back,” continuously achieving new results in the construction of a modern people’s city.

在城市工作领域切实改进工作作风。各个城市要坚持实事求是、求真务实，结合本市实际作出相应决策，不能脱离实际、急于求成，而是保持足够的历史耐心，循序渐进地推进项目建设；不能紧一阵松一阵，而是发扬钉钉子精神，推进项目落实落细、见行见效；不能“换届就换蓝图”，而是保持一张蓝图绘到底的战略定力，既“瞻前”又“顾后”，不断推进现代化人民城市建设取得新成效。

(Author: Fu Gaosheng, Distinguished Researcher of the Jiangxi Provincial Research Center for the Theoretical System of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics, Deputy Director of the Philosophy Teaching and Research Department of the Party School of the Jiangxi Provincial Committee of the CPC)

（作者：付高生，系江西省中国特色社会主义理论体系研究中心特约研究员、江西省委党校哲学教研部副主任）

Online editor: Tongxin

网络编辑：同心