On November 22, the 2025 (9th) Beijing International Urban Design Forum was grandly opened at Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture (BUCEA). This year’s forum brought together academicians, masters, and renowned experts and scholars. During the event, the Beijing Institute of Urban Renewal was officially unveiled, the Union for Training Excellent Engineers in Housing and Urban-Rural Development and the BUCEA Academy of Engineering Excellence were formally established, and several new publications were released, including Beijing Historic Building Protection Guidelines and Maps: Dongcheng District & Xicheng District and Ten Lectures on Chinese Ancient Architecture .
Venue of the 2025 (9th) Beijing International Urban Design Forum
The forum is jointly organized by Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture (BUCEA), The Architectural Society of China, and the China Architectural Culture Center. It is co-hosted by the Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Future Urban Design, the Institute of Urban Design of The Architectural Society of China, the Belt and Road Architectural University International Consortium (BRAUIC), and the BUCEA Association for Science and Technology. This year’s event features a rich series of programs, including the opening ceremony, 10 keynote speeches, 2 parallel sessions, 12 thematic forums, and 3 salons, among others.
Venue of the 2025 (9th) Beijing International Urban Design Forum
The forum invited QIN Haixiang, Member of the Party Leadership Group and Vice Minister of the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development (MOHURD); MU Peng, Member of the Party Leadership Group and Deputy Mayor of the People’s Government of Beijing Municipality; LV Shiming, Member of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress and former Vice Chairman of the China Disabled Persons’ Federation; MA Guoxin, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) and National Master of Engineering Design and Geotechnique Investigation; CUI Kai, Academician of CAE, National Master of Engineering Design and Geotechnique Investigation, Chief Architect of China Architecture Design and Research Group, and Academician of BUCEA Academician Expert Workstation; WANG Jianguo, Academician of CAE, and Professor at the School of Architecture, Southeast University; ZHUANG Weimin, Academician of CAE, National Master of Engineering Design and Geotechnique Investigation, and Professor at Tsinghua University; and LI Shutao, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and President of Chang’an University, among other distinguished experts and scholars.
Also attending the forum were representatives from the Ministry of Education, MOHURD, the Survey Department of Sri Lanka, the General Office of the People’s Government of Beijing Municipality, the Beijing Municipal Education Commission, the Beijing Municipal Commission of Planning and Natural Resources, the Capital Planning and Construction Committee Office, the Beijing Municipal Commission of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, the Foreign Affairs Office of the People’s Government of Beijing Municipality, the Beijing Association for Science and Technology, Xicheng District, the Beijing Planning Exhibition Hall, the Key Laboratory of Historic and Cultural Heritage Monitoring, Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, China Silk Road Group Co., Ltd. (CSG), Jingtou Development Co., Ltd., as well as leaders from Tsinghua University, Tongji University, Tianjin University, Samarkand State University of Architecture and Construction (Uzbekistan), the International Educational Corporation (Kazakhstan), the Kazakh Leading Academy of Architecture and Civil Engineering (KazGASA), the University of Adelaide (Australia), the University of Florence (Italy), the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, the University of Moratuwa (Sri Lanka), the University of Auckland (New Zealand), and Chulalongkorn University (Thailand), along with representatives from research institutions, leading enterprises, and media outlets.
QIN Haixiang, Member of the Party Leadership Group and Vice Minister of MOHURD, delivering remarks
QIN Haixiang, Member of the Party Leadership Group and Vice Minister of MOHURD, noted in his remarks that he hopes participating experts and scholars will leverage their strong professional competence and dedicated work ethic to further enhance the quality of urban design and vigorously advance urban renewal initiatives.
MU Peng, Member of the Party Leadership Group and Deputy Mayor of the People’s Government of Beijing Municipality, stated that the theme of this year’s forum aligns closely with BUCEA’s academic pursuits and practical exploration in areas such as urban and rural planning, architectural design, and urban regeneration. He emphasized that the Beijing International Urban Design Forum has become a high-level platform for gathering global expertise and serving the development of the capital city.
WU Gang, Director-General of the Department of Degree Management and Postgraduate Education of the Ministry of Education, and Deputy Director of the Office of the State Council Academic Degrees Committee, delivering remarks
WU Gang, Director-General of the Department of Degree Management and Postgraduate Education of the Ministry of Education and Deputy Director of the Office of the State Council Academic Degrees Committee, noted that the official launch of the Union for Training Excellent Engineers in Housing and Urban-Rural Development initiated and led by BUCEA, marks an important exploration in advancing systemic reforms to the excellence engineer training model in China’s housing and urban-rural development sector.
ZHANG Dayu, President of Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, delivering remarks
ZHANG Dayu, President of BUCEA, emphasized that as a university jointly sponsored by MOHURD and the People’s Government of Beijing Municipality, BUCEA has always regarded serving China’s housing and urban-rural development as well as supporting the capital’s high-quality development as a core mission.
The forum was moderated by LI Junqi, Vice President of BUCEA.
2025 (9th) Beijing International Urban Design Forum
Union for Training Excellent Engineers in Housing and Urban-Rural Development Launched
On the same day, the Union for Training Excellent Engineers in Housing and Urban-Rural Development was officially inaugurated, alongside the establishment of the BUCEA Academy of Engineering Excellence. WU Gang, WANG Liqiu, ZHAO Weisheng, and ZHANG Dayu jointly unveiled the plaque for the Union for Training Excellent Engineers in Housing and Urban-Rural Development. Representatives of the first group of member institutions signed the cooperation agreement for the consortium. WU Jie and ZHANG Dayu jointly unveiled the plaque for the BUCEA Academy of Engineering Excellence.
Unveiling of the Union for Training Excellent Engineers in Housing and Urban-Rural Development
BUCEA has joined forces with leading universities, major enterprises, and authoritative professional associations in China’s housing and urban-rural development sector to jointly establish the Union for Training Excellent Engineers in Housing and Urban-Rural Development.
Signing ceremony of the Union for Training Excellent Engineers in Housing and Urban-Rural Development
Inauguration of the Academy of Engineering Excellence, BUCEA
Within the framework of the union, the Academy of Engineering Excellence at BUCEA was officially inaugurated. The Academy will integrate major initiatives such as urban renewal, green and low-carbon development, cultural heritage conservation, and rural revitalization into its training programs, establishing an innovative, project-driven talent cultivation system in close collaboration with industry partners.
2025 (9th) Beijing International Urban Design Forum
Beijing Institute of Urban Renewal Inaugurated
At the opening ceremony, the Beijing Institute of Urban Renewal was officially inaugurated. The Institute is jointly established by BUCEA and the Beijing Municipal Commission of Housing and Urban-Rural Development.
Inauguration of the Beijing Institute of Urban Renewal
BUCEA possesses strong academic foundations and research capabilities in urban design and built heritage conservation, green construction and building industrialization, ecological restoration and energy-resource utilization, smart cities and intelligent operations, as well as urban governance policies and institutional innovation. The university has established a comprehensive, full-chain disciplinary system covering planning, architecture, civil engineering, environmental studies, management, surveying and mapping, and artificial intelligence, along with multiple high-level research platforms, providing a solid foundation for the establishment and development of the Institute.
2025 (9th) Beijing International Urban Design Forum
Beijing Historic Building Protection Guidelines and Maps: Dongcheng District & Xicheng District
New Book Release
Release of Beijing Historic Building Protection Guidelines and Maps: Dongcheng District & Xicheng District
2025 (9th) Beijing International Urban Design Forum
Launch of Ten Lectures on Chinese Ancient Architecture
In commemoration of the 90th birthday of BUCEA Professor CAO Xun this year, his work Ten Lectures on Chinese Ancient Architecture was officially released at the forum.
Release of Ten Lectures on Chinese Ancient Architecture
2025 (9th) Beijing International Urban Design Forum
Joint Urban Renewal Exploration by Students from Nine Universities
As one of the signature activities of the forum, the 2025 BUCEA Urban Design Joint Workshop officially began on November 15.
Opening ceremony of the 2025 BUCEA Urban Design Joint Workshop
Design teams presenting their proposals during the workshop
Students and faculty from nine universities, including Tsinghua University, Southeast University, Tongji University, Tianjin University, South China University of Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Chongqing University, Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology, and BUCEA, participated in the workshop. The design outcomes were exhibited during the forum.
BUCEA President ZHANG Dayu taking photos with lead advisors
The workshop was guided by CUI Kai, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and Chief Architect of China Architecture Design and Research Group Co., Ltd.; ZHANG Jie, National Master of Engineering Design and Geotechnique Investigation and Distinguished Dean of BUCEA’s School of Architecture and Urban Planning; and HU Yue, National Master of Engineering Design and Geotechnique Investigation and professor at BUCEA’s School of Architecture and Urban Planning, who served as lead faculty advisors and assessment members for the design reviews.
Professor HU Yue, National Master of Engineering Design and Geotechnique Investigation and faculty at BUCEA’s School of Architecture and Urban Planning, hosting the forum
LI Xuehua, Vice President and Professor at Beijing Union University and Secretary-General of the Institute of Urban Design of The Architectural Society of China, hosting the forum
CAE Academician CUI Kai, Chief Architect of China Architecture Design and Research Group Co., Ltd., delivering a speech: “Architectural Experiments in Urban Green Renewal.”
CAE Academician WANG Jianguo, Professor at Southeast University School of Architecture, delivering a speech: “Urban Renewal: Theory, Intergenerational Evolution, and Practical Development.”
Professor Giorgio Verdiani, Director of the Architecture, Surveying, and Virtual Reality Laboratory, University of Florence, delivering a speech: “Digital Heritage and Digital Approaches in Built Patrimony: Case Studies, Methods, Strategies.”
LI Junqi, Vice President of BUCEA, Professor, and Director of the Ministry of Education’s Key Laboratory of Urban Rainwater System and Water Environment, delivering a speech: “Water-Oriented City: Necessary Preconditions and Systematic Responses for Urban Design in the Stock Era.”
The two-day forum brought together over 500 participants, including government officials, experts and scholars, and representatives from industry and enterprises.
CAE Academician ZHUANG Weimin, National Master of Engineering Design and Geotechnique Investigation and Professor at Tsinghua University, hosting the forum
ZHANG Jie, National Master of Engineering Design and Geotechnique Investigation and Distinguished Dean of BUCEA’s School of Architecture and Urban Planning, hosting the forum
SHI Xiaodong, Chief Planner of Beijing Municipal Commission of Planning and Natural Resources and Director of Beijing Municipal Institute of City Planning and Design, delivering a speech: “Leveraging Planning and Design Governance in Transformational Development.”
XU Quansheng, Beijing scholar and Chairman of Beijing Institute of Architectural Design Co., Ltd., delivering a speech: “Urban Renewal for Beijing as an International Consumption Center: Architectural Design and Technological Innovation at Zhonghai Daji Alley and Zhongguancun Art Park.”
ZHANG Yue, Professor at Tsinghua University School of Architecture and Vice Chair of the Institute of Urban Design of the Architectural Society of China, delivering a speech: “Reflections on Urban Design Education in the Context of Comprehensive Higher Education Reform.”
DENG Dong, Vice President of China Academy of Urban Planning & Design and Senior Urban Planner, delivering a speech: “Creating a Symbiotic City: From Yushu to Shiquan Street.”
Dr. Çiğdem Canbay Türkyılmaz, Rector of Samarkand State Architecture and Construction University, Uzbekistan, delivering an online speech: “Transnational Learning in Urban Design: The Silk Road of Ideas”
LIU Qing, Deputy Secretary-General of the AI Future City Industry Branch of the Chinese Society for Urban Studies and Director of CBC Urban Regeneration Research Institute, delivering a speech: “Exploration and Practice of Systematic Solutions for Urban Renewal.”
On November 23, the forum featured 12 thematic sessions and 3 salon events.
The Beijing International Urban Design Forum, initiated and hosted by BUCEA, has been successfully held for nine consecutive editions since 2016. It has gradually grown into the largest and most influential annual academic event in the field of urban design, as well as a globally recognized academic brand and think tank platform. This year, the forum was selected as part of Beijing’s Academic Brand Enhancement Initiative 2025.