The training program Peking University Training Program on Urban Planning and Municipal Finance, jointly organised by the School of Urban and Environmental Sciences and the Peking University–Lincoln Institute Center for Urban Development and Land Policy, was successfully held from June 17 to 21, 2024.
This curriculum is adapted from the Fundamentals of Municipal Finance Credential co-developed by the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago and the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, with localised adjustments tailored to China’s municipal fiscal institutions and policies. It aims to deliver systematic theoretical and practical training on municipal finance for urban planning practitioners across China. Participants of this cohort were drawn from local urban planning and design institutes, universities, international organisations and industry consulting agencies.
Professor He Canfei, Dean of the School of Urban and Environmental Sciences, and Jin Xin, Deputy Party Secretary of the School, delivered opening addresses. The faculty lineup included Professor He Yang from the Central University of Finance and Economics, Professor Zhao Zhirong from Zhejiang University, Professor Jiang Yunyun from Peking University, Associate Professor Yan Yan from Capital University of Economics and Business, Dr. Wang Jinshuo from the University of Hong Kong, Liu Zhi, Director of the PKU-Lincoln Center, and Liu Wei, Senior Policy Research Fellow of the PKU-Lincoln Center.
The course covered a full spectrum of thematic modules: urban economy, municipal finance and planning; China’s fiscal system and municipal finance; analytical frameworks for infrastructure investment and financing; capital budgeting and debt financing management; cost-benefit analysis for urban construction projects; land financing and policy tools for land value capture with classic case studies; and municipal fiscal health evaluation. Integrating theory with real-world practice, the program introduced international experience and analysed domestic case studies to equip participants with a clear understanding of fiscal challenges arising in urban planning and viable solutions to address them.
In addition, a decision-making game simulation exercise was arranged. Divided into groups, participants took on a hypothetical large-scale public investment project in a major city, applying the knowledge acquired throughout the training together with their professional experience to make rational planning decisions via interactive game simulation.
Jin Xin, Deputy Party Secretary of the School of Urban and Environmental Sciences, delivers the welcome speech
Professor He Canfei, Dean of the School of Urban and Environmental Sciences, delivers an address
Liu Zhi, Director of the PKU-Lincoln Center, delivers a lecture
Dr. Wang Jinshuo from the University of Hong Kong explains the simulation rules
Professor He Yang from the Central University of Finance and Economics gives a lecture
Professor Zhao Zhirong from Zhejiang University delivers a lecture
Professor Jiang Yunyun from Peking University gives a lecture
Liu Wei, Research Fellow of the PKU-Lincoln Center, delivers a lecture
Associate Professor Yan Yan from Capital University of Economics and Business gives a lecture
Participants present their outcomes from the scenario simulation exercise
Group photo of all participants and faculty
