Urban renewal from an ecological perspective: Theoretical logic and implementation pathways

Urban renewal serves as a crucial driver for promoting the sustainable development of urban ecosystems. Exploring urban renewal from an ecological perspective not only embodies the concrete practice of Xi Jinping thought on eco-civilization but also represents an inevitable choice for achieving Chinese-style modernization characterized by harmony between humanity and nature. Based on practical demands, this paper elaborates on the theoretical logic of urban renewal from an ecological standpoint across four dimensions: theoretical foundations, core principles, implementation pathways, and mechanism innovation. Building on this framework, it analyzes the challenges and issues faced by urban renewal, including scarce ecological land and fragmented systems, a tendency towards landscaping and a lack of systemic thinking, financing difficulties and governance mechanism gaps, as well as public exclusion and environmental justice imbalances. From an ecological perspective, the paper proposes four pathways for urban renewal: comprehensively implementing strategic urban renewal plans, precisely executing key priorities, systematically improving the supporting system, and optimizing the innovation guarantee system.