Ecological Spatial Planning (ESP) is essential in urban planning as it enables cities to grow sustainably, harmonising with nature while enhancing resilience to climate change

Shanghai, China (4-8 August 2025) – The Urban-Act Thailand project, implemented by GIZ Thailand, organised a study visit to explore China’s advanced approach to developing Ecological Spatial Planning (ESP) – a blueprint for designing cities that are harmonised with, not against, nature. ESP is another key area of knowledge for urban planning, enabling cities to respond to and build resilience against climate change. The delegation included representatives from the Urban Environment and Area Planning Division (UEAP) at the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning (ONEP), as well as academics from Chulalongkorn University (CU).

The purpose of this study visit was to exchange experiences between Thailand and China in the development and implementation of ESP, and was aimed at learning from China’s advanced expertise in spatial planning, particularly regarding datasets, planning methodologies, operational mechanisms and monitoring frameworks.

This visit was a collaboration between the Urban-Act projects of Thailand and China, together with Tongji University and the Shanghai Tongji Urban Planning and Design Institute (TJUPDI). It provided the Thai delegation with valuable insights and featured unprecedented access to China’s expertise in environmental planning.

‘Beautiful China’: A vision for harmony between people and nature

At the heart of China’s approach is the ‘Beautiful China’ initiative, promoting harmony between humans and nature through sustainable resource use and effective ecological protection. This approach supports China’s long-term goals of achieving carbon neutrality, pollution reduction and sustainable industry development.

Representatives from ONEP and CU take notes during the interactive exchange

The Thai delegation participated in an intensive two-day workshop, where Professor Liu Song, Director of the TJUPDI, provided an overview of China’s national strategy and explained how the ‘1+1+N’ policy framework is being applied to drive and promote the ‘Beautiful China’ initiative.

The ‘1+1+N’ policy framework turns China’s national strategies into practical plans. The first ‘1’ is the national master plan, while the second ‘1’ is a pilot or demonstration area plan, and the ‘N’ represents action plans for key sectors like forestry, water management, urban development, agriculture, climate adaptation and biodiversity protection.

Three pillars of success
The Thai delegation took an in-depth look at China’s ecological planning, which rests on three main pillars:

• Ecological Protection Redlines (EPR): Areas with vital ecological functions that must be strictly protected.
• Ecological Networks (ENs): Systems connecting natural or semi-natural areas to maintain and enhance ecosystem functions, biodiversity and ecological processes. These links allow species to move, interact and thrive, and strengthen resilience to environmental changes. Key elements include ecological source areas, corridors, nodes and other features.
• Ecosystem Services (ESs): Benefits humans receive from ecosystems that support wellbeing, economic activities and environmental sustainability – such as water conservation, climate regulation, biodiversity protection and carbon storage.

From floods to China’s eco-city innovations
The delegation also visited two remarkable sites demonstrating ESP in practice, showing how ecological and cultural elements can be integrated into sustainable urban-rural development.

Left: Restored wetlands treating water pollution as well as enhancing biodiversity in Jiaxing; Right: Speaker explaining the concept of green living prototypes in Jiaxing City

• Jiaxing City, Zhejiang province: An ‘eco-agriculture innovation hub’ is a showcase on near-zero carbon development, smart farming and green living prototypes. Situated in the central Yangtze River Delta, Jiaxing is a plain and river-network region that struggled with recurring floods and severe water pollution. Nature-based solutions, including wetland restoration and green infrastructure, have effectively tackled these challenges, improving flood management, water quality, ecological conditions and biodiversity.

The delegation visited Water Towns Living Rooms in the Yangtze River Delta Ecological Green Demonstration Zone

• ‘Water Towns Living Rooms’, Yangtze River Delta Ecological Green Demonstration Zone: A model of cross-provincial cooperation, sustainable spatial planning and low-carbon building. A joint governance framework unites Shanghai, Zhejiang and Jiangsu to overcome policy barriers. As this area connects three cities/provinces, aligning the differing policies of each jurisdiction is a significant challenge. At the same time, this project promotes environmentally-friendly development by designating ecological zoning and applying concepts of EPR and ENs to support ecological conservation and land management.

Where cutting-edge technology meets ancient wisdom
China’s integration of cutting-edge technologies, such as artificial intelligence and advanced mapping systems, alongside traditional ecological knowledge, greatly impressed the Thai delegation. These tools enable planners to make precise decisions about where to build, which areas to protect and how to connect natural spaces.

Balancing development and nature
Key takeaways from discussions with Chinese experts highlighted the importance of robust datasets and methodologies, the role of digital tools in planning, the need to consider local context and the combination of top-down government guidance with bottom-up community engagement.

The collaboration between Urban-Act partners from both countries marks a crucial step in strengthening Thailand’s ESP. This study trip demonstrates that Thailand can balance development with environmental conservation, laying the foundation for a sustainable and climate-resilient future.