Suzhou receives Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize
0 Comment(s)
Print
E-mail Xinhua, June 3, 2014
China's eastern city of Suzhou received the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize at a ceremony on Monday for its sound planning principles and good urban management.
 |
|
An aerial view of Suzhou. [File photo] |
The Orange County Water District (OCWD), which manages a groundwater basin in Orange County, California, the United States, received the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize at the same ceremony for its pioneering work in groundwater management and water reclamation using advanced water reuse technologies.
Kishore Mahbubani, dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and chairman of the nominating committee for the prize, said that Suzhou has overcome difficulties through several stages of transformation to achieve remarkable economic prosperity, and preservation of its celebrated cultural and historic heritage concurrently, despite numerous challenges amid the rapid industrialization and urbanization processes in China.
Suzhou was selected from among 36 cities, he added.
"Suzhou's leaders took a holistic approach and sought to achieve the triple goals of economic and social progress as well as the preservation of its significant historical heritage," he said.
Suzhou mayor Zhou Naixiang received the prize at the ceremony, saying that his government will continue to draw on the experience of other cities.
"As a manager and service provider of the city, I am at once honored and humbled. We will continue to draw on the experience of other cities," he said.
Zhou said at a forum session in the afternoon that Suzhou had been successful due to its sound urban planning and the government leaders' respect for the masterplan. The city of Suzhou now comprises the ancient city of Suzhou, the Sino-Singapore Industrial Park and a high-tech development park that co-exist with each other.
Suzhou also did very well in communicating with the residents in planning and construction on infrastructural projects such as incineration plants, with online platforms to communicate with the mayor and hotlines to receive complaints, he said.
Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)