The People’s City Concept Manifests the Radiance of Humanism

As many experts have noted, the proposal of the people’s city concept embodies the essential attributes, principal forces, and value orientation of Chinese cities, and embodies the fundamental principle of for whom, by whom, and to whom Chinese urban construction belongs.

正如许多专家所言，人民城市理念的提出，体现了中国城市的本质属性、主体力量和价值取向，体现了中国城市建设为了谁、依靠谁、属于谁的根本遵循。

Many progressive Western scholars, such as Lefebvre and Harvey, have raised the issue of the “right to the city,” pointing out that the right to the city is a right to transform the city according to our desires and, in doing so, to transform ourselves. The people’s city provides a more definitive determination of ownership for the right to the city. Urban planning, construction, and governance, including issues such as spatial justice and equity, should ultimately be considered with the people’s interests at the center.

许多西方进步学者，如列斐伏尔、哈维等都提出过“城市权利”的问题，指出城市权利是一种按照我们的愿望改造城市、同时也改造我们自身的权利。人民城市对城市权利作了更为确凿的权属定性。城市规划、建设、治理，包括空间公平正义等问题，归根到底都应该以人民利益为中心去考量。

The people’s city concept is both a full affirmation of the value orientation of China’s urban development achievements and a reflection on the problems that have emerged in the process of urban development globally; it is both a response to the challenges of globalization and modernization and a rethinking of the right to the city, spatial planning, and justice and equity.

人民城市理念既是对中国城市发展成就在价值取向上的充分肯定，也是对全球范围内城市发展过程中出现的问题的反思；既是对全球化与现代化挑战的回应，也是对城市权利、空间规划和公平正义的再思考。

The other day, I participated in an academic seminar discussing “ruins” in the city. After the seminar, a friend from out of town said to me: to an outsider, “ruins” are empty “ruins”; but in the eyes of a native Shanghainese, they should not be called “ruins,” but rather “sites,” because you understand the history and culture of this place, you have lived here for a long time, and every brick and tile carries your feelings. I was deeply moved by this; there is a kind of “sympathetic understanding” here. I believe that in other cities, this kind of understanding also exists.

日前，我参加了一次学术研讨会，就城市中的“废墟”展开讨论。研讨会结束后，一位外地的朋友跟我说：在外来者眼中，“废墟”是空洞的“废墟”；但在上海本地人眼中，不应该叫作“废墟”，而应该叫作“遗址”，因为你们了解这个地方过去的历史文化，你们在这里长时间地生活过，这里的一砖一瓦寄托了你们的感情。我听后非常感动，这里有一种“理解的同情”。我相信，在其他城市，这种理解也是存在的。

We often say that a building is not a simple pile of cement and bricks, but a living organism that is continuously endowed with warmth through human activity. Demolishing a historic building demolishes not only the structure but also, very likely, a person’s familiar neighborhood relationships and a mature community.

我们常讲，建筑不是水泥砖块的简单堆砌，而是通过人的活动不断赋予其温度的生命体。拆掉一幢历史建筑，拆掉的不仅是房子，很可能同时也拆除了一个人熟悉的邻里关系和一个成熟的社区。

Clarifying the Two Urban Development Concepts of Physique-ism and Humanism from a Global Perspective

厘清全球视野下形体主义和人文主义两种城市发展理念

Since reform and opening up, China’s urban construction has achieved remarkable accomplishments. Taking Shanghai as an example, whether it is the construction of high-rise buildings, the prosperity of comprehensive commercial complexes, the improvement of actual living conditions for urban residents, the increase in per capita park green space, or the rapid development of transportation networks, especially high-speed rail and subways, all have brought citizens a strong sense of pride and tangible efficiency and convenience.

改革开放以来，中国城市建设取得了令人瞩目的成就。以上海来说，无论是高楼大厦的建造、综合商业体的繁荣，还是城市居民实际居住条件的改善、人均公园绿地面积的增加、交通路网尤其是高铁和地铁的迅速发展，都给市民带来满满的自豪感和实实在在的高效便利。

However, it should be recognized that some problems also exist in urban construction practice. For example, the homogenized urban form and spatial layout leading to “a thousand cities with one face, ten thousand buildings with one appearance,” the neglect of urban heritage and historical features leading to “demolishing genuine antiquities to build fake historical sites,” and the entrepreneurial management style driven by capital leading to “urban construction dominated by a few real estate developers.” These problems have all been pointed out in General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important discourses on urban work.

但应该看到，在城市建设实践中也存在一些问题。比如，均质化的城市形态和空间布局导致的“千城一面，万楼一貌”，对城市遗产和历史风貌的忽略导致的“拆真古董建假古迹”，资本引导下的企业主义管理方式导致的“由几个房地产开发商主导城市建设”。这些问题在习近平总书记关于城市工作的重要论述中都有指出过。

In addition, there are problems such as overemphasizing economic interests and material functions, replacing cultural economy with financial economy and cultural capital with land capital, as well as the erosion and neglect of people by digitalization, the loss of human meaning, happiness, and social identity, and the frustration of people’s sense of dignity, value, and belonging.

除此之外，还有过分强调经济利益和物质功能，用金融经济代替文化经济、土地资本代替文化资本，以及数字化对人的侵蚀和忽略，人的意义、快乐、社会身份丢失，人的尊严感、价值感、归属感受挫等问题。

From a global perspective, today’s built environment of modern cities is actually the result of the combined action of two different urban development concepts: physique-ism and humanism.

从全球视野看，今天的现代化城市建成环境实际上是形体主义和人文主义两种不同城市发展理念共同作用的结果。

Physique-ism is mainly manifested in the strict control and planning of urban form and spatial structure, pursuing order, symmetry, functionality, and geometric beauty in the city, emphasizing the physical beauty and visual impact of buildings and public spaces from an aerial perspective. Physique-ism has spread around the world along with the waves of globalization, industrialization, and modernization, and China’s urban modernization has also been deeply influenced by it.

形体主义主要体现为对城市形态和空间结构的严格控制与规划，追求城市的秩序性、对称性、功能性和几何美感，强调空中视角下建筑和公共空间的形体美感和视觉冲击力。形体主义伴随全球化、工业化、现代化浪潮蔓延到世界各地，中国的城市现代化也深受其影响。

The initial representative of physique-ism was Baron Haussmann, who led the 18-year-long great transformation of Paris through large-scale demolition and construction, building the new Paris [1]1 Baron Haussmann: Georges-Eugène Haussmann, prefect of the Seine department under Napoleon III, who oversaw the massive renovation of Paris from 1853 to 1870, involving large-scale demolition and construction of boulevards, parks, and infrastructure.; later came the planning and design master Le Corbusier, who proposed the concepts of the “Radiant City” and “machine aesthetics.” Although his urban planning also contained humanist ideas, in specific urban construction practice he believed that “a house is a machine for living in,” which is far from the humanism we discuss today that meets the rich daily needs of citizens. Le Corbusier liked to plan cities from an aerial perspective, with skyscrapers, monuments, large plazas, large green spaces, and wide traffic arteries forming a beautiful urban landscape. According to this concept, two young designers, Oscar Niemeyer and Lúcio Costa, planned Brazil’s new capital, Brasília. L’Enfant, who designed Washington, D.C., and Moses, who designed New York, are also inheritors of physique-ism.

形体主义最初的代表人物是主导长达18年的大改造、通过大拆大建建成新巴黎的奥斯曼男爵；其后是提出“光辉城市”“机械美学”理念的规划设计大师柯布西耶，其城市规划中虽然也包含人文主义思想，但在具体的城市营造实践中认为“房屋是居住的机器”，与我们今天所谈论的满足市民日常生活丰富需求的人文主义有很大距离。柯布西耶喜欢用空中视角来规划城市，摩天大楼、纪念碑、大广场、大绿地以及宽阔的交通干道构成城市的美丽图景。按照这一理念，两位年轻的设计师奥斯卡·尼迈耶和卢西奥·科斯塔规划了巴西新首都巴西利亚。设计华盛顿的朗方、设计纽约的摩西也是形体主义的传承者。

The “Radiant City” made a great contribution historically, largely shaping most of today’s global cities. However, Le Corbusier’s planning theory became an object of reflection for modern humanists in the 1960s, represented by Jane Jacobs, author of *The Death and Life of Great American Cities*. She strongly criticized modern cities for lacking the concept of “home” and meaningful human contact, emphasizing mixed functions, small scale, and vibrant neighborhoods. She said this interesting sentence: “If a city’s streets look interesting, the city looks interesting; if a city’s streets look dull, the city looks dull.” Jane Jacobs is regarded as a representative of modern humanist urban theory, and many young urban planners and designers influenced by her believe that cities should be built on the basis of a continuous process of change over centuries, not on a “momentary” rupture.

“光辉城市”在历史上有巨大贡献，很大程度上塑造了今天大多数的全球城市。但柯布西耶的规划理论在20世纪60年代成为现代人文主义者的反思对象，代表人物是《美国大城市的生与死》的作者简·雅各布斯。她强烈批判现代城市缺乏“家”的概念，缺乏人与人有意义的接触，强调混合功能、小尺度、充满生机的街区。她说过这样一段有意思的话：“如果一个城市的街道看上去很有意思，那这个城市也会显得很有意思；如果一个城市的街道看上去很单调乏味，那么这个城市也会非常乏味单调。”简·雅各布斯被视为现代人文主义城市理论的代表，在其影响下的很多年轻城市规划设计师相信：城市应该建立在几个世纪连续变化过程的基础上，而不是“瞬间”断裂上。

Humanism emphasizes urban cultural diversity, historical feature preservation, and sustainable development, emphasizes the ground-level perspective and organic urban growth, and focuses on the city’s cultural connotation and residents’ daily life. Expressed in common language, it is “the breath of life, the flavor of the marketplace, connection to the ground, and the gathering of people.” Humanism in urban construction embodies post-modern urban thought, attempting to resist globalization and the lack of vitality in formatted cities through locality, daily life experience, and the construction of individual situations.

人文主义强调城市的文化多样性、历史风貌保护和可持续发展，强调地面视角和城市有机成长，注重城市的文化内涵和居民的日常生活。用通俗的话表达，就是“烟火气、市井气、接地气、聚人气”。城市建设中的人文主义，体现了后现代化城市思想，试图通过地方性、日常生活体验和个体情境建构来抵抗全球化、缺乏活力的格式化城市。

Humanism can also be traced back to Ebenezer Howard’s “Garden City” utopia in *Garden Cities of To-morrow*, which proposed a city combining the advantages of both city and countryside, and Lewis Mumford’s “City of Life” in *The City in History*, which emphasized urban wholeness, vitality, sustainability, and harmonious coexistence between city and countryside, although their “plans” may not be recognized by later humanists.

人文主义还可追溯至埃比尼泽·霍华德在《明日的田园城市》中提出的兼有城市和乡村优点的“田园城市”乌托邦，刘易斯·芒福德在《城市发展史》中强调的具有城市整体性、生命力和可持续性以及城乡之间和谐共生的“生命城市”，尽管他们的“规划”未必为后来的人文主义者所认可。

Jane Jacobs used the metaphor of “ballet” to depict scenes of spontaneous street interaction, revealing her urban ideal. Sharon Zukin’s *Naked City* developed the concept of the “authentic city,” arguing that “authenticity is a continuous process of living and working, a gradual accumulation of daily experience, an expectation that the houses in front of you and the neighborhood around you will remain as they were. When this continuity is interrupted, the city loses its soul.” Doug Saunders, in *Arrival City: The Final Great Migration and Our Next World*, proposed the concept of the “arrival city,” referring to a transitional space similar to urban-rural fringe areas, inhabited by marginalized urban populations who do not yet have household registration [2]2 Household registration: The *hukou* system in China, a legal registration of a person’s residential status (urban or rural) that determines access to social services and rights..

简·雅各布斯用“芭蕾”隐喻街头即兴互动生活场面，揭示她的城市理想。莎朗·佐金的《裸城》发展出“原真城市”概念，认为“原真性是一种生活和工作的连续过程，是一种日常体验的逐步积累，一种人们对眼前房子、身边社区依然故我的期待。当这种连续性中断时，城市就失去了灵魂”。道格·桑德斯在《落脚城市：最后的人类大迁移与我们的未来》中提出“落脚城市”的概念，指的是类似城乡接合部的一个过渡性空间，居住着尚没有户籍的城市边缘人群。

In China, Qian Xuesen placed great importance on urbanology in his later years. In 1990, in a letter to Wu Liangyong, he proposed the concept of the “Shanshui City” [3]3 Shanshui City: Literally “mountain-water city,” a concept proposed by Chinese scientist Qian Xuesen (1911–2009) that integrates traditional Chinese landscape aesthetics with modern urban planning., emphasizing the unity of heaven and humanity and a return to nature, incorporating concepts such as gardens, feng shui, ecosystems, and sustainability. This can also be seen as an advocacy of the humanist urban development concept. In addition, Yi-Fu Tuan’s “topophilia,” Christian Norberg-Schulz’s “genius loci,” and Edward Relph’s “place and placelessness” are also important concepts full of humanist concern.

在中国，钱学森在晚年非常重视城市学研究。1990年，他在给吴良镛的信中提出“山水城市”概念，强调天人合一、回归自然，包含园林、风水、生态系统、可持续等概念，也可视为人文主义城市发展理念的倡导者。此外，段义孚提出的“恋地情结”、舒尔兹的“场所精神”、雷尔夫的“地方与无地方”等也是充满人文主义关怀的重要概念。

Toward the Essence of “A City Is Where People Gather” and “Better City, Better Life” [4]4 “A city is where people gather”: A classical Chinese phrase from the *Shuowen Jiezi* dictionary (2nd century CE), defining the character for “city” (*cheng*). “Better City, Better Life” was the official slogan of the 2010 Shanghai World Expo.

朝向“城，所以盛民也”以及“城市，让生活更美好”之本质

If we clarify these two main lines of urban development, we can arrive at a relatively fair understanding and summary of the achievements and losses of China’s urban development over the past 40-plus years.

如果厘清了这两条城市发展的主线，我们就可以对40多年来中国城市发展的成就和得失有一个比较中肯的了解和概括。

The path of modernization and urbanization after reform and opening up, and even the 180-plus years of Shanghai’s modern urban planning and construction, were undoubtedly influenced by Western theories and practices of the modern city. At the beginning of reform and opening up, it was not surprising that physical-form urbanism [5]5 Physical-form urbanism (形体主义): A term referring to an approach to urban planning and architecture that prioritizes the visual, physical, and monumental aspects of the built environment, often associated with modernist “international style” design. was widely welcomed and prevailed, because we were too eager for a modernized China. One cannot be overly critical of our predecessors, since at that time our understanding of modernization was simply “skyscrapers plus automobiles.” Shanghai’s urban modernization, initiated through land leasing in those years, was an inevitable historical process. Without these bold experiments, there would be no vivid achievements in urban construction today, nor the surging landscape of “imageability” [6]6 Imageability (可意向性): A concept from Kevin Lynch’s *The Image of the City* (1960), referring to the quality in a physical object that gives it a high probability of evoking a strong image in any given observer. that characterizes an international metropolis.

改革开放后的现代化、城市化道路，乃至近现代上海180多年的城市规划和建设，无疑受到西方现代化城市理论和实践的影响。改革开放之初，形体主义大受欢迎大行其道并不奇怪，因为我们太需要一个现代化的中国了。你不能苛求前人，因为我们在那个时候对现代化的认知就是“摩天大楼+汽车”。上海从当年的土地批租开始启动的城市现代化建设，是一个必然的历史发展过程。没有这些大胆尝试，也就不会有今天生动的城市建设成就和国际大都市“可意向性”的澎湃景观。

Embarking on the journey of the New Era, urban construction has reached a new stage. We should base ourselves on Chinese soil and, from a global perspective, rethink the development path of Chinese-path modernization cities. Because the “international style” of physical-form urbanism once profoundly influenced China’s urban modernization, humanism, characterized by the “vitality of everyday life” [7]7 Vitality of everyday life (烟火气): Literally “the smell of cooking smoke and fire,” a Chinese idiom evoking the lively, warm, and authentic atmosphere of ordinary people’s daily life and street-level commerce., should now become an important concern. In this sense, the proposal of the people’s city concept comes at exactly the right time. The cultural manifestation of the people’s city should be a people-centered cultural production of urban space. Humanism emerges as a “reflexive” [8]8 Reflexive (自反性): A term from sociological theory (e.g., Ulrich Beck’s “reflexive modernization”), referring to a society’s capacity to critically examine and respond to the risks and unintended consequences it itself produces. form that resists the risks of modernity, placing greater emphasis on historical continuity, natural authenticity, local characteristics in daily life, and the intrinsic emotional value of individuals. If physical-form urbanism is seen as a framework and structure, then humanism is the sinews, veins, flesh, and blood within that framework. In contemporary China, humanism can better represent the conceptual trend of future urban construction and development, and it moves toward a return to the original meaning of the Chinese saying “a city is that which holds the people” [9]9 “A city is that which holds the people” (城，所以盛民也): A classical Chinese saying from the *Han Shu* (Book of Han), defining the city’s fundamental purpose as containing and sheltering its inhabitants. and the essence of the city as implied in “Better City, Better Life.” [10]10 “Better City, Better Life”: The official slogan of the 2010 World Expo held in Shanghai. The future model of urban construction should be one in which physical-form urbanism and humanism merge, complement each other, and bring out the best in each other.

踏上新时代新征程，城市建设到了一个新的阶段。我们应该立足中国大地，在全球视野下重新思考中国式现代化城市的发展道路。由于形体主义的“国际风格”一度深刻影响了中国的城市现代化，当下以“烟火气”为表征的人文主义应该成为一个重要关切。从这个意义上说，人民城市理念的提出正逢其时。人民城市在文化形态上的体现，应该是城市空间以人民为中心的文化性生产。人文主义以抵御现代性风险的“自反性”面目出现，更加强调历史连续性、自然真实性、日常生活中的地方性特色和个体内在情绪价值。如果把形体主义看作是一种框架和结构，那么人文主义就是这一框架内的筋脉和血肉。在当代中国，人文主义更能代表未来城市建设和发展的理念趋势，并朝着中国传统“城，所以盛民也”的初义以及“城市，让生活更美好”所蕴含的城市本质回归。未来的城市建设应该是形体主义和人文主义相互融合、相辅相成、相得益彰的发展模式。

The people are concrete; the demands of each group and each individual reflect different interests. For today’s urban construction, several pairs of relationships can be identified: first, the “tourist city” versus the “resident city”; second, the “aerial city” versus the “ground-level city”; third, the “suspended city” versus the “city of everyday vitality”; fourth, the “radiant city” versus the “city of arrival” [11]11 “City of arrival” (落脚城市): A term popularized by Doug Saunders’ book *Arrival City* (2010), referring to urban neighborhoods that serve as the first destination for rural-to-urban migrants.; fifth, the “gentrified city” versus the “common people’s city”; sixth, the “internet-famous city” versus the “ordinary city”; seventh, the “concrete city” versus the “mountain-water city.” [12]12 Mountain-water city (山水城市): A concept proposed by Chinese scientist Qian Xuesen in the 1990s, envisioning cities that integrate natural landscapes (mountains and water) with the built environment, in harmony with traditional Chinese aesthetics. Here, a brief explanation of a few of these pairs is in order.

人民是具体的，每一个群体、每一个人的诉求都体现了不同的利益。对于今天的城市建设，可梳理出几对关系：一是“游客城市”与“居民城市”，二是“空中城市”与“地面城市”，三是“悬浮城市”与“烟火城市”，四是“光辉城市”与“落脚城市”，五是“士绅城市”与“平民城市”，六是“网红城市”与“平常城市”，七是“水泥城市”与“山水城市”。这里，可就几对关系稍作解释。

For example, the “tourist city” versus the “resident city.” For tourists, a “suspended city” planned from an aerial perspective better suits their romantic sensibilities. But for residents, a “city of everyday vitality” from a ground-level perspective better meets their real-life needs. “Internet-famous check-in spots” are necessary for developing the cultural tourism industry targeting tourists, but this “right to check in” should not override residents’ living space and their right to daily life.

比如，“游客城市”与“居民城市”。对游客来说，一座用空中视角规划的“悬浮城市”更符合他们的浪漫主义情怀。但对居民来说，一座地面视角的“烟火城市”更符合他们的现实生活需求。“网红打卡地”对针对游客的文旅产业发展来说是必需的，但这种“打卡权”不应该凌驾于居民的生活空间和日常生活权利之上。

Another example is the “radiant city” versus the “city of arrival.” A global city striving for excellence undoubtedly needs good infrastructure, a number of major projects and landmark landscapes, and the “hard power” of high-quality development. But cities ultimately serve people; people are the “soft power” of high-quality development. The worship of grand and lofty landscapes cannot replace concern for ordinary citizens. Cities need not only talents in productive service industries—such as lawyers, consultants, accountants, auditors, and financial analysts—but also a large number of personnel in life-service industries—such as couriers, cleaners, security guards, nannies, and caregivers—as well as university students as the reserve force for urban construction. Since our cities cannot do without their services, we should provide them with a place.

再如，“光辉城市”与“落脚城市”。一座追求卓越的全球城市，无疑需要良好的基础设施、一批重大项目和标志性景观，需要高质量发展的“硬实力”。但城市毕竟是为人服务的，人是高质量发展的“软实力”，对高大上景观的崇拜不能取代对普通民众的关心。城市不仅需要生产性服务行业的人才，如律师、咨询师、会计师、审计师、金融分析师等，也需要大量生活性服务行业的人员，如快递员、清洁工、安保、保姆、护工等，以及作为城市建设后备军的大学生。既然我们的城市离不开他们的服务，就应该给他们一席之地。

In recent years, Shanghai has made considerable efforts in these areas. For instance, the 2024 Shanghai Municipal Government Work Report clearly stated: adhere to the simultaneous development of rental and purchase, improve the housing security system, construct and raise 70,000 sets (units) of government-subsidized rental housing, raise more than 30,000 beds for “New Era urban builders and managers’ homes,” and construct and raise more than 10,000 sets of government-subsidized housing.

近年来，上海在这些方面作了不少努力。比如，2024年上海市政府工作报告明确提出，坚持租购并举，健全住房保障体系，建设筹措7万套（间）保障性租赁住房，筹措供应“新时代城市建设者管理者之家”床位3万张以上，建设筹措保障性住房1万套以上。

Looking further, in the Chinese context, the people’s city concept mainly includes three aspects of connotation:

进一步看，在中国语境里，人民城市理念主要包括三个方面的内涵：

First, actively absorb the achievements of Chinese civilization, including contemporary experience, and realize creative transformation and innovative development. Incorporate China’s philosophical wisdom, political wisdom, economic wisdom, and military wisdom into urban planning, design, and construction, and establish a mature urban theory that conforms to Chinese social practice. Although Qian Xuesen’s [13]13 Qian Xuesen (钱学森, 1911–2009): A prominent Chinese scientist and engineer, known as the “father of Chinese rocketry,” who also wrote on urban planning and proposed the “mountain-water city” concept. concept of the “mountain-water city” has limitations due to the era in which it was understood, it is highly compatible with the current development concepts emphasizing ecological civilization, green and low-carbon development, and sustainability. Such city types are not uncommon in traditional Chinese cities; the most typical examples include “Above there is heaven, below there are Suzhou and Hangzhou,” [14]14 “Above there is heaven, below there are Suzhou and Hangzhou” (上有天堂、下有苏杭): A well-known Chinese proverb praising the beauty and prosperity of the cities of Suzhou and Hangzhou. Chengdu’s “Seeking the Dao on Qingcheng Mountain, paying homage to water at Dujiangyan,” [15]15 “Seeking the Dao on Qingcheng Mountain, paying homage to water at Dujiangyan” (问道青城山、拜水都江堰): A slogan describing two famous cultural and natural sites near Chengdu, Sichuan: Qingcheng Mountain, a Taoist sacred site, and the Dujiangyan irrigation system, an ancient engineering marvel. Xiamen’s “A city of spring colors half filled with flowers, ten thousand hectares of waves embracing the sea,” [16]16 “A city of spring colors half filled with flowers, ten thousand hectares of waves embracing the sea” (一城春色半城花，万顷波涛拥海来): A poetic description of the coastal city of Xiamen, Fujian province. Changshu’s “Ten li of green hills half enter the city, a peak of clear beauty embraces the homes,” [17]17 “Ten li of green hills half enter the city, a peak of clear beauty embraces the homes” (十里青山半入城，一峰晴翠抱人家): A poetic description of Changshu, Jiangsu province, known for its Yushan Mountain extending into the city. and Dali’s “Water encircles the green hills, the hills encircle the city; ten thousand households’ cooking smoke brightens one river.” [18]18 “Water encircles the green hills, the hills encircle the city; ten thousand households’ cooking smoke brightens one river” (水绕青山山绕城，万家烟火一川明): A poetic description of Dali, Yunnan province, situated between Erhai Lake and the Cangshan Mountains.

一是积极吸收包括当代经验在内的中华文明成果，并实现创造性转化、创新性发展。在城市规划、设计、营造中涵纳中国的哲学智慧、政治智慧、经济智慧和军事智慧，建立起符合中国社会实践的成熟城市理论。钱学森提出的“山水城市”尽管理解上有时代局限，但和当下强调生态文明、绿色低碳、可持续的发展理念十分契合。这样的城市类型在传统中国城市中并不少见，最典型的就是“上有天堂、下有苏杭”，成都“问道青城山、拜水都江堰”，厦门“一城春色半城花，万顷波涛拥海来”，常熟“十里青山半入城，一峰晴翠抱人家”，大理“水绕青山山绕城，万家烟火一川明”，等等。

Second, combine the construction of the people’s city with whole-process people’s democracy. It should be recognized that large-scale urban development has ended, and we have entered a stage of micro-renewal in the era of the existing stock. In the process of urban construction, benefit distribution is one aspect; the degree of participation is another. In the process of urban renewal, the concept of joint contribution, co-governance, and shared benefits can play a greater role. In a certain sense, a longer period of consultation can make the outcome more reasonable and more perfect.

二是将人民城市建设和全过程人民民主结合起来。应该看到，大规模的城市开发已经结束，我们进入到存量时代的微更新阶段。在城市建设过程中，利益分配是一方面，参与程度是另一方面。在城市更新过程中，共建、共治、共享的理念可以发挥更大的作用。从一定意义上说，协商的时间长一点，可以让结果更合理、更完美。

Third, establish an indicator evaluation system that better meets the daily needs of the masses. For a socialist city with Chinese characteristics, in addition to benchmarking against “New York, London, Paris, and Tokyo,” [19]19 “New York, London, Paris, and Tokyo” (纽伦巴东): A Chinese shorthand for the four most prominent global cities often used as benchmarks for international urban competitiveness. the measurement standards should also consider the actual feelings of citizens and construct an indicator system based on citizens’ sense of existence, security, happiness, gain, and belonging.

三是建立更贴合人民群众日常需求的指标评估体系。中国特色社会主义的人民城市，其衡量标准除了对标“纽伦巴东”，还应该考虑市民的实际感受，构建以市民的存在感、安全感、幸福感、获得感和归属感为考量的指标体系。

In my view, the future development path of Chinese-path modernization cities will face three major transformations: first, from capital-driven cities to people’s cities; second, from physical-form cities to humanistic cities; third, from physical cities to digital cities. Within this, the people’s city concept, which advocates the comprehensive and free development of human beings, radiates an inherent brilliance of humanism and can provide intellectual reference for global urban development.

在我看来，未来中国式现代化城市发展道路将面临三个重大转型：一是从资本驱动城市向人民城市转型，二是从形体城市向人文城市转型，三是从实体城市向数字城市转型。这里面，崇尚人的全面自由发展的人民城市理念作为一个价值观表达，散发出内在的人文主义光辉，可以为全球城市发展提供智慧借鉴。

(Xu Jinjiang, Dean of the Institute of Urban Cultural Innovation and Researcher at the Institute of Literature, Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences)

（徐锦江 上海社会科学院城市文化创新研究院院长、文学研究所研究员）

Online editor: Huihui

网络编辑：慧慧