Livable Wuhu: Renewed Homes, Happiness Fills the City

Idle buildings have been transformed into "urban study rooms" filled with the fragrance of books; tiny plots of land on street corners have been transformed into "pocket parks" dotted with greenery; old neighborhoods plagued by chronic problems have been revitalized, improving both their appearance and their substance. Trivial chores that once required frequent trips around town can now be handled in a one-stop shop right at home, satisfying every need for daily life and cultural pursuits. Comfortable and convenient, Wuhu is a city where people live comfortably and feel happy.

A people's city is built by the people, and for the people. In recent years, Wuhu has deeply implemented the concept of a people's city, focusing on urban renewal. From optimizing spatial layout to improving service facilities, from improving living conditions to enhancing quality of life, it is meticulously painting a heartwarming "livable landscape."

Seeing beauty in the small details, building a warm and happy home.

A cup of hot tea and a book: find a quiet place amid the hustle and bustle of the world. Today, the City Study Room has become a popular after-work destination for many Wuhu residents. "The study room is very quiet and not far from where I live, so I come here almost every day to read and review. I really love it here," said Yu Ronggui, who is currently preparing for an exam and is a frequent visitor to the City Study Room.

"The City Study Room provides a comfortable place for residents to relax and have fun. We also organize various activities tailored to the needs of readers of different ages, such as parent-child reading and crafts. We also offer evening classes for young people, allowing residents of all ages to find unique enjoyment in the study room," said Hou Anqi, manager of Yilin Bookstore. The study room is also equipped with free amenities such as a microwave, water dispenser, and smart borrowing devices, hoping to encourage more people to visit the study room, fall in love with reading, and relax.

From bustling business districts to riverside attractions, from side streets to lush parks, once-idle buildings have been transformed into open, shared, and elegant urban reading spaces, connecting Wuhu's reading culture. This not only allows citizens to enjoy a "book-oriented" lifestyle, but also permeates the city with the fragrance of books, earning Wuhu the title of the first "City for Promoting National Reading."

Wuhu has always been closely aligned with the people's aspirations for a better life. By addressing everyday challenges, it has actively revitalized unused urban resources, such as idle buildings and street corners, elevating the city through cost-effective, "small but beautiful" and "small but exquisite" projects.

To address the challenges faced by outdoor workers, such as difficulty finding food, drinking water, and resting, the city meticulously renovated and built 42 "People's City Inns," providing warm resting places for sanitation workers and couriers.

Over 100 "Wu Xiaoyuan Pocket Parks" have been built across the city, integrating fitness, leisure, and scenic views. These green spaces dotted along street corners and alleys have become beloved daily leisure destinations for residents and have been selected for the China Habitat Environment Model Award.

Glimmering light touches the heart. These small touches of happiness add color to subtle details, weaving a vibrant, happy atmosphere for the city.

Meeting the needs of the people, creating a convenient "15-minute living circle"

With access to physical examinations and fitness centers, public service halls, and community Party and mass service centers, residents can enjoy a brand-new "one-stop" shopping experience and convenient living within a 15-minute walk, from basic necessities to food, clothing, housing, transportation, and leisure. This is Wuhu's unique "happiness circle" at their doorstep.

To advance public services from "availability" to "excellence," Wuhu has innovatively built 17 neighborhood centers at both the city and district levels, adhering to the principles of diversity, integration, and aggregation. These centers effectively integrate previously scattered and single-function Party and mass service and public convenience services, transforming them into integrated community service complexes.

Here, citizens can not only handle government affairs but also meet a full range of daily needs, including grocery shopping, dining, reading, and fitness, all in one place, truly achieving the goal of "no need to leave the community for small matters." To date, the Yilin Center has served over 3.6 million residents. This innovative model has helped Wuhu successfully become a pilot city for the national "15-minute Convenience Living Circle" program, becoming a vivid example of the city's livability and convenience.

"What's on offer today?" Before 11 a.m., scores of residents were already arriving to order food. "The food here is delicious, clean, and affordable. We eat here every day." Since the opening of the Xingfu Canteen, Shen Zongqin and his wife, who live in a nearby community, have been checking in daily.

The Xingfu Canteen, located in the Yilin Center on Zheshan Middle Road, serves over 600 people daily and is open over 350 days a year. As one of the city's senior dining centers, the Xingfu Canteen not only solves the problem of food availability for the elderly but also earns praise from surrounding residents. "Our canteen primarily caters to the elderly and those with special needs, addressing their food shortages while also providing a platform for communication and interaction. Many elderly residents have made friends here," Wu Rong, head of the Yihu Chinese Kitchen Comprehensive Department, told reporters. Because there are a large number of elderly residents, the menu emphasizes a balanced diet with both meat and vegetables, and is also considering developing self-service options tailored to their needs.

Like its name, the Happy Canteen allows people to experience the taste of happiness through a healthy, delicious, and affordable meal.

"Concerns about Housing" Transformed into "Excellent Living": Old Residential Communities "Reverse Growth".

In urban areas, old residential communities are an integral part of housing security. With aging hardware and deficient software becoming common characteristics, renovation of these communities is naturally crucial to improving residents' quality of life.

Wuhu has prioritized this as a key urban renewal initiative and is systematically promoting it. Over the past five years, 691 old residential communities have been renovated, benefiting 176,000 households, becoming the first city to achieve "all necessary renovations" for old communities built before 2000.

Throughout the renovation process, Wuhu consistently adhered to the principle of "asking the people for their needs, seeking their advice, and ensuring their effectiveness," implementing a precise "one community, one policy" approach. "Where to renovate, how to renovate, and how well to achieve it all depended on the residents' input." The renovations went far beyond simply painting walls and paving roads; they focused on addressing deficiencies in facilities, improving community functions, and enhancing environmental quality. Parking spaces, fitness equipment, and recreational plazas were added simultaneously, effectively addressing prominent issues such as aging infrastructure and a dirty and untidy environment. The renovations addressed a number of pressing issues facing the community. During the renovations, Wuhu focused on improving the infrastructure and public service facilities in older communities, adopting a "renovation + long-term management" model to promote standardized property management services and ensure the long-term benefits of the renovations.

As once-aging communities have undergone a comprehensive renovation, both superficially and subtly, the living environment has become more beautiful, facilities are more comprehensive, matters are more effectively managed, and neighborhood relations have become more harmonious.

Livability is both a feeling and a skill. From cozy stations, study rooms, pocket parks, to functionally integrated neighborhood centers, to newly renovated old communities, Wuhu is transforming its livable and convenient urban blueprint into the happy daily lives of its citizens through a series of visible and tangible people's livelihood projects.

Translated by Wang Yafang from Jinning Foreign Affairs Services of Anhui Province Co.,Ltd