In 2011, Qingdao set up the development goal of “taking the lead in scientific development, making a leap towards blue economy and constructing a liveable and happy modern international city”. In December 2013, Qingdao government declared that it would comprehensively deepen the reform to build Qingdao into a prosperous, thriving, harmonious, civilized, beautiful and honest city governed by law, and create decisive fruits in the reform of major fields and crucial links by 2020 among the forefront of the comprehensive reform in China. Presently, Qingdao has accelerated to implement its urban development strategy of “balancing the development of all regions, jointly development the three urban areas, radiating along the axis, being supported by ecological belt, and developing mutually-supported groups".

With regard to “balancing the development of all regions”, it is to further promote the balance of development in rural and urban areas as well as in land and maritime sectors. Reinforce the concept of a greater Qingdao by realizing the coordination of the six urban districts firstly to expand the space for the development of the city and promote Qingdao to develop in mutually-supported groups. Balance the development plan of infrastructure, industrial structure, social causes, public services and management mechanisms to accelerate the development of northern Qingdao and narrow down the gap between southern and northern parts of the city. Protection on core maritime resources is our focus, and protection and utilization of water basin, maritime space and mountains into the overall planning of development is integrated. Three bay-centered areas, namely central, east and west bay areas, are to be built on the basis of the bay clusters of Jiaozhou Bay, Aoshan Bay and Lingshan Bay to realize the integrative development of land and maritime sectors and make their respective advantages complimentary.

As far as “jointly developing the three urban areas” is concerned, a core urban area of the greater Qingdao is to be constituted with three mutually dependant urban centers sitting on the east coast, west coast, and north coast of the city respectively with complementary functions and distinctive features. On the East Coast, Qingdao is renowned for its history and culture. The renewal quality shall be paced up with the principle of connotative development. As to the urban area on the west coast, the priority is to reinforce the advantages of Qianwan Port, State-level Bonded Port and State-level Economic and Technical Development Zone to lead in the development and expansion of marine economy industries, which will, therefore, guide and drive the upgrade and transformation of the industries in Qingdao. For the urban centre on the north coast, the focus is to integrate its surrounding regions and determine its urban scale, development intensity and sequence to build itself into a science-based, and eco-oriented urban area.

As for “radiation along the axis”, the meaning is to build the ecological center axis of Qingdao on the basis of Jiaozhou Bay and Dagu River and construct the ecological backbone of the urban area of the greater Qingdao by renovating the river basins and planning the ecological recovery along Dagu River and the construction of urban centers as a whole. Reconstruct the function frames of the city on the basis of the construction of composite traffic system to be reconstructed. Multi-centered city-clusters along the traffic system with a focus on the rail system is planned to drive the whole city to develop in echelon and in balance by the idea of radiation along the axis. A marine economy belt will be constructed to connect Korea and Japan and serves northeast Asia on the merits of the ports and shipping industry in Qingdao.

Concerning “being supported by ecological belt”, it is to avoid the unordered expansion of city construction and pace up the building of ecological security pattern for the sustainable development of Qingdao with the ecological screen composed of mountains, bays, rivers, wetlands, beaches, forest belts, field lands and various natural reserve areas. By highlighting the theme of “A Green City with Blue Ocean”, Qingdao will accelerate the construction of its eco-system to turn itself into an ecological garden city and improve its ecological culture in urban and suburban areas. Moreover, energy conservation and emission reduction will be further boosted to promote the low-carbon development of the city. Comprehensive improvement on the environment will be continuously implemented to recover the ecological environment of Jiaozhou Bay.

With “developing mutually-supported groups”, a number of functional complementary town clusters shall be established with a foothold of the whole Qingdao city, the ecological center axis, and the comprehensive development belt of the city. The town-cluster system that is framed with the core urban area and the surrounding clusters and complemented with key towns and regular towns is to be completed. A featured, balanced, efficient and closely associated layout of the city will be arranged with a stress on hierarchical and differentiated development as per pre-designed cluster scale and functions.