Construction of a Spatial Planning system at city-level: Case study of “integration of multi-planning” in Yulin City, China

The construction of a spatial planning system has been identified as one of the top national agenda items in China. Several pilot cities have been put in place to experiment on “Integration of Multi-Planning” (IOMP) and explore the integration mechanism of different planning to provide practical support for spatial planning system reform. After outlining existing planning series and their relations in China, this article systematically expounds on the spatial planning disputes among Chinese departments, shows the dilemma of mismatch in planning, and, under the guidance of synergy theory, builds the spatial planning system of “unified planning” to develop common interests within the area, using Yulin City in Shaanxi Province as an example. Findings are drawn from reviewing government policies, analyzing socioeconomic and land use data, and discussing intrinsic issues before propositions are designed.