Tianjin is set to spearhead new urban renewal projects, with plans to upgrade around 180 old communities in urban and suburban areas, Mayor Zhang Gong announced during the local "two sessions" on Tuesday.

Tianjin has placed significant emphasis on urban renewal, transforming old communities into vibrant ones driven by the growth of technological and cultural sectors. Recent successes in this field include the launch of the Tiankai Higher Education Innovation Park.

This year, the urban renewal campaign will maintain its momentum, Zhang said.

The Tiankai Higher Education Innovation Park, renovated from unsold buildings, is expected to attract leading companies in sectors such as brain-computer interfaces and pharmaceuticals. It will also receive strong support from renowned institutions, including Tianjin University and Nankai University.

Tianjin's achievements were recognized as a national model by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development last year, encouraging wider promotion across the country.

Additionally, Tianjin is preserving historical cultural relics and leveraging industrial heritage sites to foster modern cultural and technological innovation.

"For instance, a series of low-carbon, high-tech logistics facilities have been added, including the newly opened Square Industrial Park in Hedong district in December, which was renovated from the old Tianjin Materials Factory," said Chen Wenlong, general manager of Hedong District Urban Renewal Industrial and Operation Co.

Chen expects more than 300 companies to move into the new Square Industrial Park, generating a combined revenue of 1 billion yuan ($136.4 million) this year.

Xu Dexiang, a member of the Tianjin Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and Party chief and general manager of Tianjin Unicom, said, "The company will boost its technological innovation and leading services, including the enhancement of 5G facilities to facilitate urban renewal."

Tianjin Unicom plans to accelerate the application of upgraded 5G technologies and build a 10-gigabit optical network infrastructure system in the city.

Focusing on key areas such as energy, power, equipment manufacturing and petrochemical ports within the industrial internet, the company will increase investment in technological innovation, with 5G factories as a focal point, Xu added.

Gao Shulan, a deputy of the city's people's congress and a professor at the School of Public Finance and Administration at the Tianjin University of Finance and Economics, emphasized the importance of preserving the city's historical legacy during urban renewal.

"Tianjin has inherited a rich legacy encompassing commerce, industry, financial services, overseas culture and revolutionary heritage," she said. "It is imperative to uphold the continuity of this historical heritage in the renewal process."

yangcheng@chinadaily.com.cn