(1) In terms of renewal concepts, we implement a 'people-oriented' philosophy and focus on diversified renewal

A city is an organic, unified whole and an important part of the natural ecology, and should be viewed with a systematic and holistic approach. Both Shanghai and Hangzhou emphasize organic renewal. A major feature of Hangzhou's urban renewal is the introduction of the scientific outlook on development into urban renewal, guided by the value of "urban dual cultivation," and stressing the promotion of urban organic renewal. Shanghai also emphasizes organic renewal in urban renewal, pointing out that large cities are symbiotic groups of several "small cities." Future urban renewal should implement the "people-oriented" philosophy and emphasize organic urban renewal

First, "people-oriented" to build urban vitality and pursue sustainable, high-quality urban function enhancements. Ultimately, guided by people-oriented thinking, achieve the coordinated unity of social, economic, ecological, and cultural values.

Second, focus on the protection and inheritance of historical culture, highlighting the city's uniqueness and uniqueness through the protection of historical and cultural heritage, and safeguarding urban characteristics. Adopt methods such as repair, functional replacement, and revitalization of historical building resources to change traditional large-scale demolition and reconstruction, preserve the original community style and cultural characteristics of old neighborhoods, enrich urban cultural elements, and create high-quality urban public spaces.

Third, focus on diversifying urban renewal goals, focus on various spaces that directly affect the improvement of urban quality and comprehensive value, such as important urban landscape corridors and industrial functional zones, and emphasize the combination of "points," "lines," and "surfaces," formulating a comprehensive and multi-level strategic layout.

(2) Updating policies: Encourage floor area ratio incentives, combining "limited incentives" with "multiple measures."

Both Shanghai and Hangzhou emphasize land floor area ratio incentive policies in urban renewal. For example, Shanghai has explored the transfer of district floor area ratio, completed planning adjustments, studied the establishment of a mechanism for transferring historical landscape protection and development rights, and is further exploring cross-district transfers. Hangzhou has proposed using improved floor area ratio indicators to drive transformation: for general industrial land transfers, the agreed plot ratio is 1.2–2.4; for industrial land (standard factory buildings), 1.8–2.0; for innovative industrial land, 2.0–4.0. Planning innovative industrial land can increase the plot ratio based on regional transportation and municipal carrying capacity, and its functions can respond to changes in the development characteristics of innovative industries. In addition to floor area ratio incentives and transfer policies, tax reductions, investment credits, and urban renewal trust funds are also supplemented by fiscal and financial policies to combine planning and tax policies to jointly support urban renewal.

(3) In renewal planning, improve the urban renewal planning system and focus on refined renewal

The urban planning systems of Shanghai and Hangzhou have been established and mature, with urban renewal planning systems gradually becoming more refined. For example, Shanghai's more detailed urban planning system emphasizes that large cities are composed of several symbiotic groups of "small cities";

It emphasizes urban planning and construction based on refined governance, proposing that in the development process of urban renewal with stock as the trend, planning and construction must focus on the needs and content of daily urban management.

Under Hangzhou's "urban dual renovation" system, renewal has achieved full coverage at both spatial and typological levels, with updated content and types continuously improving and becoming more refined.

Therefore, future urban renewal in the Yangtze River Delta should further improve the urban renewal planning system, innovate planning and design concepts, focus on meeting multidimensional social needs through spatial strategies, establish an urban planning and design system oriented toward solving real urban problems, and achieve refined renewal.

(4) In terms of renewal methods, optimize urban renewal methods and focus on gradual renewal

From the perspective of urban renewal methods in the Yangtze River Delta, Shanghai's urban renewal approach is gradually tightening, shifting from the previous extensive "large-scale demolition and construction" development model to small-scale, gradual, and sustainable renovations, with more detailed renewal methods. Hangzhou's urban renewal mainly uses classified renewal, emphasizing a combination of macro-level guidance and micro-level measures. Therefore, future urban renewal methods should focus on balancing the "major renewal" and "micro-renewal" of demolition and reconstruction, optimizing urban renewal approaches, emphasizing low-impact and micro-governance, with a focus on "small scale, low impact, gradual approach, and adaptability." This is a distinctive renovation approach, enabling gradual updates.

(5) In governance models, promote multi-stakeholder governance mechanisms and emphasize the government's regulatory role

Urban renewal is not only a process of spatial restructuring but also a process of redistribution of interests. Whether urban renewal can be smoothly implemented requires all stakeholders to reach consensus on the goals and distribution of urban renewal.

A mechanism for diverse participation by government, market, and society should be established to enhance the participation capacity of rights holders, leverage their positive roles, and cultivate diverse social forces. Pay more attention to public participation and social governance, emphasize social diversity including planners, builders, operators, managers, and demanders, and build a social relationship of co-construction, co-governance, and sharing.

However, under the market-driven urban renewal system, there is a contradiction between short-term market-oriented efficiency and comprehensive urban renewal goals. Market entities tend to maximize benefits toward projects with high returns, while abandoning projects that are responsible, have long cycles, and lower profits, resulting in developers being selective and unprofitable and uninterested in low-profit projects. Therefore, in urban renewal, government entities need to assume a comprehensive service-oriented government role, The role of public interest representatives and defenders of vulnerable groups.

The government must play the role of the "night watchman," which is the basic task of the government as a provider of public services and a coordinator of diverse interests: to uphold the bottom line of its functions, ensure that the city's overall interests are not harmed, and strictly set requirements for the construction of public service facilities and infrastructure.

Therefore, urban renewal should establish an open system that operates horizontally and operates both top-down and bottom-up, following market rules, safeguarding public interests, and promoting the sustained and healthy development of urban renewal.