The first batch of Global Best Practices for Urban Regeneration was released at the 13th World Urban Forum in Azerbaijan. The Tongji River Renovation Project in Xianhe Town, Dongying Port Economic Development Zone, has been selected. Jointly initiated by UN-Habitat and Shanghai University, the award enjoys high authority across the global urban regeneration field.

The history of Xianhe Town - a small town in Dongying City, China - stretches back 40 years. Back in the 1980s, Xianhe Town engaged Tongji University to work out its urban plan, establishing a sound scientific framework for the town’s spatial layout. In 2024, Dongying Port Economic Development Zone partnered with the university again to draw up and carry out Xianhe Town's urban regeneration plan, making targeted breakthroughs in the old town's development bottlenecks. As a core initiative of this urban regeneration drive, the Tongji River renovation has systematically improved flood control and drainage capacity. It also focuses on water quality improvement and ecological habitat restoration, transforming the old waterway into an ecological corridor with strong self-purification capacity.

Stretching from south to north, Tongji River features themed landscapes distributed along its course. These scenic sections complement each other while boasting unique charms, blending nature with humanity and integrating ecology with leisure. It has evolved into an urban scenic area combining drainage, ecology, culture and landscape. Furthermore, it serves as a brand-new ecological economic belt and urban development axis.