Inside Xiong'an: China’s Blueprint for the Digital Park City

The city’s development follows the principle of planting trees before building structures. Central to this is the Millennium Forest initiative, which has expanded green coverage from 11% to 35.1% in just nine years. With 483,000 mu of new forest added, the urban landscape now adheres to a strict spatial standard: a park within 300 meters, a greenbelt within one kilometer, and a forest within three kilometers of any resident. This environmental restraint creates a park-city model where nature is integrated into daily life rather than relegated to the outskirts.

Beneath this green surface lies an intricate digital architecture. Xiong'an operates on a foundation of 40 billion data points, creating a virtual twin for every physical element. From steel beams to individual control valves, the infrastructure is connected to a central computing system. This cloud-based management enables autonomous buses to navigate traffic and AI-driven sensors to optimize urban maintenance, such as sanitation crews responding to waste disposal needs within 10 minutes.

Beyond technical efficiency, the urban design prioritizes local accessibility. The city has established a 15-minute living circle, providing 105 schools and kindergartens, 80 elder care facilities, and 43 community centers. By offering high-quality public services, Xiong'an aims to attract residents and relieve Beijing of non-capital functions. As it grows, the city positions itself as a long-term legacy of urban planning, moving away from the industrial sprawl of the past toward a model of sustainable, data-informed living.