Shenzhen plans to enforce its newly approved regulations on barrier-free city construction and ecological environment protection Aug. 1 and Sept. 1 this year, respectively, Shenzhen Special Zone Daily reported yesterday. These two are among the eight regulations passed by the city's legislature Tuesday.
Shenzhen is one of the first cities in China to promote the construction of a barrier-free environment.
In 2009, Shenzhen introduced its regulations on barrier-free environment construction in the form of local legislation.
From barrier-free environment to barrier-free city, Shenzhen has integrated barrier-free concept into all aspects of the city's development in the legislation, which covers not only the disabled, but also the elderly, the sick and wounded, pregnant women, children and people in need.
According to the regulations, the municipal government should organize the compilation of special plans for barrier-free city construction, and the market supervision department can, together with relevant departments, organize the formulation of local standards with Shenzhen characteristics.
The opinions of those in need should be considered when formulating plans, standards and policies for barrier-free city construction, as per the regulations.
In terms of barrier-free housing, it is stipulated that public housing projects and commercial housing projects should be equipped with barrier-free housing according to relevant standards, and priority should be given to meet the needs of the disabled, the elderly and other specific groups.
Meanwhile, to conform with relevant provisions, families of the disabled and the elderly that carry out the transformation of barrier-free facilities at home may apply to the community-based grassroots organizations for financial subsidies.
The city's regulations on ecological environment protection, which will take effect two months later, have included the carbon peak and neutrality goals into the overall planning of ecological environment construction.
The rules authorize the municipal government to formulate carbon intensity standards for key industries and include construction projects with excessive carbon emissions into the industry access negative list.
The regulations also empower the municipal government's relevant departments to compile mandatory local standards for ecological environment, such as standards for ecological environment quality, risk control and pollutant discharge.