To promote the deep integration of the construction industry with high-quality urban development and to refine a development mechanism characterized by “government coordination, market-driven operations, and multi-stakeholder participation,” Sichuan Province recently issued the “Action Plan to Support Construction Enterprises in Cultivating and Developing ‘Urban Partners,’” guiding construction firms to transition their organizational models toward the “urban partner” framework. This initiative aims to establish a new, integrated urban development and operation ecosystem encompassing planning, regulation, investment, construction, operation, and governance, thereby enhancing the quality of urban development and the effectiveness of urban governance.

Under the plan, “Urban Partners” refer to independent enterprises or consortia that possess comprehensive capabilities in planning, design, investment, construction, operations, and governance. They establish an organizational model with local governments—through equity partnerships, long-term agreements, and other arrangements—that features shared risks and shared benefits. At its core, this approach places greater emphasis on planning and operations, enabling leading construction firms to transition from being mere project contractors to co‑creators of urban development.

In terms of development goals, by 2027, the aim is to cultivate 5 to 8 leading construction enterprises capable of implementing the “Urban Partner” model, and to establish a portfolio of replicable, scalable demonstration projects under the “Value Co‑creation” framework. By 2030, the target is to nurture 15 to 20 such backbone construction firms, develop five regionally renowned flagship projects, and build a nationally leading “Urban Partner” industrial ecosystem, fostering an industry‑development landscape characterized by government‑enterprise collaboration and mutually beneficial partnerships.

To foster market entities and establish platforms for demonstration projects, the plan proposes launching a “City Partner” program to cultivate a cohort of leading enterprises with expertise in area‑level planning, the revitalization of existing assets, and industrial park operations. Comprehensive enterprises possessing core competencies will be included in the provincial “City Partner” enterprise roster for prioritized development and support. A database of “City Partner” demonstration projects will be established, focusing on urban renewal, area‑based development, TOD (transit‑oriented development), park‑level development, and the reactivation of underutilized assets. Priority will be given to projects that demonstrate full‑chain collaboration and deliver significant social benefits, with dynamic monitoring and management implemented.

In terms of enhancing enterprises’ overall capabilities, the plan calls for fully leveraging the resource‑integration strengths of leading companies to link upstream and downstream resources across strategy, planning, investment, construction, operations, and governance, thereby achieving coordinated management at every stage and building end‑to‑end, integrated service capabilities across the entire industrial chain. Drawing on provincial pilot policies for smart and green construction, the plan promotes the deep integration and application of new technologies and products—such as Building Information Modeling (BIM), City Information Modeling (CIM), the Internet of Things, construction robots, and intelligent construction equipment—throughout the full project lifecycle. Enterprises are supported in strengthening their expertise in urban planning, urban health assessments, industrial development, and project consulting through mergers, acquisitions, and other means. The plan also explores a “pre‑emptive industry‑attraction” model, embedding self‑sustaining financial‑balance schemes during the conceptualization and planning phases, and making industrial investment attraction and operational performance prerequisites for project partnerships, thus fostering a virtuous cycle of “attracting industries first, then developing infrastructure, with operations shaping the design.” Furthermore, an investment‑financing matchmaking mechanism for “urban partners” will be actively established, with regular bank‑enterprise matchmaking events to break down information barriers among enterprises, projects, and financial institutions. Enterprises are encouraged to continuously increase R&D spending, collaborate with universities and research institutes, and establish key laboratories and engineering technology research centers as innovation platforms. Finally, efforts will be accelerated to develop and scale up green construction technologies, with active promotion of zero‑carbon building and low‑carbon community pilot projects within “urban partner” initiatives.

The plan focuses on key areas such as urban renewal and district‑level development, precisely mobilizing industrial resources. In the realm of urban renewal, it encourages enterprises to participate in the upgrading of old residential communities, historic neighborhoods, urban villages, and underperforming industrial zones. Within the existing framework of special funds for urban renewal, local authorities are supported in providing assistance for both preliminary planning and long-term operational sustainability, while guiding market players to introduce new business models that revitalize existing assets in these districts. For district‑level development, within the bounds of compliant land‑use planning, financial balance is achieved through market‑driven revenues generated from the transfer of commercially zoned land and the revitalization of existing assets. In accordance with regulations, a coordinated implementation approach is adopted, pairing commercial projects with public‑interest initiatives in a manner that ensures their complementary and synergistic development. Revenue sharing between government and enterprises is strictly governed by market‑based contractual agreements, and no fiscal subsidies or other forms of implicit guarantees may be used to cover project losses.

To enhance service capacity, the plan proposes establishing a provincial-level “City Partner” project approval green channel, implementing an “immediate submission and review, rapid completion” process for demonstration‑zone projects. It also calls for the establishment of a collaborative oversight mechanism for “City Partners,” clearly defining the rights and responsibilities of both government and enterprises, standardizing cooperative practices, mitigating cooperation risks, and providing timely guidance to correct deviations. Furthermore, a government‑enterprise coordination service mechanism will be put in place, with regular forums and project‑matching events held to gather enterprises’ transformation needs and challenges, and to coordinate solutions for issues such as project advancement and resource allocation.

To ensure the effective implementation of the plan, Sichuan Province will establish a Leading Group for “Urban Partnership” Development to coordinate and advance policy formulation, major project decisions, and related initiatives. At the same time, a mechanism will be put in place to publish an inventory of project opportunities under the “Urban Partnership” framework, regularly identifying urban renewal, district‑level development, TOD projects, and other initiatives that can be commercially leveraged. In addition, “Urban Partnership” enterprises will be encouraged to recruit and cultivate specialized talent across the entire industrial chain, and to collaborate with higher education institutions to implement customized, order‑based talent‑training programs.