2024 in Review ⑥ | Shenzhen's urban management

Editor’s Note: 

As we reflect on 2024, Shenzhen remains committed to advancing high-level opening up, actively integrating into the new development pattern, and attracting foreign investment. The“2024 in Review” special series highlights the city’s progress across various fields.

The pink trumpet trees (Tabebuia rosea) are in full bloom at the Houhai Zhongxin River Park in Nanshan District. Lin Jianping

Greening, park construction

Throughout 2024, Shenzhen planted 530,000 trees in parks, along roadsides, and in residential compounds. An additional 310,000 square meters of vertical greening has been added. The city's gardening and greening standards have reached national standards for an ecological garden city.

Shenzhen also enhanced park construction over the past year. Currently, the number of parks across the city has reached 1,320. Additionally, Shenzhen has fully used small pieces of green land to build small gardens and 100 community gardens.

Greenways, cycling network

Cyclists ride in celebration of the opening of the city's new cycling path, which connects Xiwan Mangrove Park in Bao'an to the Shenzhen River Greenway in Futian District, on Dec. 28, 2024. Photos courtesy of the event organizer 

Shenzhen constructed 308 kilometers of greenways, including 208 kilometers of hiking trails and 100 kilometers of urban greenways. Additionally, the city developed 40 featured walking trails. The total length of outdoor trails has surpassed 3,600 kilometers. Among these, the longest hiking trail in Shenzhen — the Kunpeng Trail — begins at Bao'an Phoenix Mountain and ends at Dapeng Qiniang Mountain, spanning approximately 200 kilometers.

The trail features mountains, forests, lakes, streams, and coastlines, attracting over a million Shenzhen residents as well as domestic and international tourists for hiking. The Kunpeng Trail was recognized as one of the top 10 national hiking and outdoor sports destinations in 2024, making it the only hiking destination in Guangdong Province to receive this honor.

The city plans to construct a citywide cycling network spanning 1,000 kilometers, as outlined in the Shenzhen Leisure Cycling Paths Special Plan (2025-2035). A 50-kilometer coastal cycling path, which connects the Gushu Wharf in Xiwan Mangrove Park to the Shenzhen River Greenway in Futian District, was completed.

Garbage classification

The recycling rate of domestic waste in Shenzhen has reached 49.1%, and the rate of kitchen waste classification has remained steadily above 25%. Currently, a total of 273 venues support the recycling of delivery containers. Five hundred and eighty local shops have joined the plastic reduction campaign.

Shenzhen has also successfully transferred the carbon emission reduction of 1,232 tons generated by the city's campus milk box recycling carbon offset project. This project serves as an incentive mechanism that encourages environmentally-friendly practices in daily life.

Public toilets

A visitor walks into a public toilet in a park in Futian. Photos from WeChat account "深圳发布”

To advance the public toilet revolution, Shenzhen built or renovated 100 public toilets last year. Over 60% of the city's public toilets are fully accessible.

AI applications

A Phoenix Wings drone flies above Shenzhen Talent Park in Nanshan District in this May 22, 2024 photo. Xinhua

Shenzhen has been continuously expanding the application of artificial intelligence in urban management scenarios, including drone patrols, intelligent mowing, unmanned sightseeing vehicles, and smart showers in parks. Over 230 sanitation robots have been deployed on streets.

An application featuring AI and video functions covered more than 20,000 waste disposal sites, nearly 800 transfer stations, over 2,800 waste transport vehicles, and more than 100 waste treatment facilities.

Shenzhen hosted the country's first domestic artificial intelligence sanitation robot competition, which attracted seven sanitation robot companies from other regions to settle in Shenzhen.

Dark sky community

The Shenzhen Astronomical Observatory in Xichong. File photo

The Xichong International Dark Sky Community has been listed as one of the top 10 recommended destinations for the most beautiful starry skies in the country. To protect the dark community, the city issued related rules and organized a series of cultural and tourism activities, attracting many tourists to admire night scenes in the community.

To invigorate the city’s nighttime vitality, the city’s spectacular light festival, Glow Shenzhen 2024, features 76 groups of 209 light installations at 30 public spaces, shopping malls, and tourist destinations.

Park services

Visitors browse and buy snacks from colorful vendor stalls at the bustling 2024 Shenzhen Talent Carnival on Nov. 3, 2024. Lin Songtao

To meet the diverse needs of park visitors, Shenzhen added 25 book bars in parks, 20 camping sites, over 100 sports and cultural facilities, and over 100 self-service coffee machines. More than 1,500 cultural activities were held in the city's parks.

It is worth noting that the second park coffee festival lasted for 17 days, setting a record for the longest duration of similar events in the country. The festival attracted 85 coffee brands and about 1 million visitors.

Low-altitude economy

Shenzhen has been actively promoting the integration of the low-altitude economy with urban management. In areas such as park management, greening maintenance, and public works and environmental services, the city has introduced new applications related to the low-altitude economy.

The city has implemented 11 drone delivery routes in parks, established drone patrols at 29 sites, and conducted drone disinfection for plant protection at 11 sites.