Ningbo Sustainable Urbanization Project

closed

The development objective of the Ningbo Sustainable Urbanization Project for China is to improve the use of urban public space, improve urban mobility and reduce flood risk in selected counties in Ningbo Municipality. The project comprises four components. 1) The first component, urban Regeneration is to create a vibrant and safe urban environment byimproving the quality of public space following people-centered design strategies and expanding the coverage and upgrading the service level of urban utilities. This component will fund activities among others: upgrade of public space along main transport corridors and commercialstreets to improve attractiveness of the existing urban center; comprehensive regeneration oflagging urban settlements by providing modern utilities (water supply, drainage system, sewagetreatment and solid waste collection, lighting, and parking) and open spaces; and improvement ofroad safety for pedestrians and cyclists with better design of crossings and intersections andtraffic management efficiency using information and communication technology and electric devices. 2) The second component, urban transport is to strengthen urban mobility by completing the urban road network and improving the capacity, reliability, and service quality of the bus system. This component will fund activities including completion of the city road network; improvementof bus terminal and depots; rehabilitation and construction of bus stops and facilities; and upgrade and expansion of the bus fleet. 3) The third component, flood risk management is to reduce the vulnerability of the counties to the risks of floods. The selected structural and non-structural measures will help the county towns be better prepared and protect critical assets and vulnerable people from being affected by potential floods, and the measures, among others, will be (a) structural investments, including (i)renovation and upgrading of existing rain grits, inlets, outlets, and drainage pipes, (ii) restoration of natural storm water drainage systems, (iii) construction of pumping stations at critic allocations, and (iv) construction of low-impact-development (LID) demonstrations in suitablepublic areas; and (b) non-structural investments, including, as appropriate, (i) establishment ofpre-warning systems, (ii) preparation of emergency preparedness plans, (iii) study andadjustment of land-use plans, and (iv) introduction and improvement of the flood insurance system. 4) The fourth component, technical assistance and capacity building is to create more livable local communities bysupporting local governments in finding cost-effective solutions based on sound financing plans. This component will fund activities, such as, technical assistance to local governments inreviewing and, as appropriate, updating policies, codes, and capital investment plans to integratetransportation, housing, and economic development; technical support to counties to developinformation and tools for full-cycle management of infrastructure assets, including assetinventory, valuation, planning and budgeting, and to develop capital investment plans; technicalsupport to develop innovative financing mechanisms to improve public financing systems; andproject management and supervision, including strengthening the institutional capacity of the Project Management Office (PMO) and Project Implementation Units (PIUs), monitoring and evaluation (M&E) activities, training and study tours, and consulting services.