To coordinate economic development in different regions, we need to further improving the planning of district function, guide the allocation of productive forces and factors scientifically. Therefore, a new economic pattern will take shape, which means the economy in urban and county areas will be enhanced together with distinguished functions and orientations.

Part 1. Defining Overall Regional Function Areas

The administrative region of the city will be divided into four function zones: the optimized zone, the keystone zone, the limited and the forbidden zone in accordance with the carrying capacity of resources, the carrying capacity of environment, the current economic situation and the potential of economic development. We shall improve relevant policies and standardize the order in exploiting the areas.
Optimized Developing Zone refers to areas where the resources have been intensively utilized and the environmental capacity is within striking distance of saturation. These districts, unsuitable for large-scale exploitation, include the downtown area, some parts of Zhenhai, Beilun, Yuyao and Cixi. They serve as the pivot function zone for most urban area and will assume the full tasks of centralization, radiation, innovations and services. The priority here will be given to optimizing structure, bettering economic returns and improving its functions. Consequently, we will strictly circumscribe the expansion of low-level industries, take initiative to change the economic growth mode and optimize the layout of urban areas and industries. Modern industries, high-tech industries and urban industries will be promoted primarily here to realize its core function in the metropolis and the area will be highly suitable for habitation and commerce as well.
Core Developing Zone refers to areas with relatively abundant carrying capacity of resources and high demand for economic advancement. They are suitable for relatively large-scale industrial development and urban construction. Some of these regions lie in the “13+1” provincial developing zones and spread along the shore, the bay or along expressways and others in the eastern new urban area, Yingzhou new urban area, Zhenhai new urban area, Jiangbei, Dongqian lake tourist resorts and so on. This developing zone is expected to function as special industrial cluster with international competitiveness in Yangtze river delta and also as the base of advanced manufacturing industries in Ningbo. To this end, we shall enhance the infrastructure and improve investment environment there, and actively follow the worldwide industry shift, and therefore strive for the establishment of the base of advanced manufacturing industry. Meanwhile, based on the prerequisite of environmental protection and better economic returns, we will devote more efforts to advance the development and guide the gathering of population and industries. Gradually, it will play a fundamental role in supporting the economic progress as well as the living of the entire population of the whole city.
Limited Developing Zone includes such places as forested terrain, areas of crossed rivers, farmland, coastal areas and so on, where the carrying capacity of resources are relatively meager and the economy is insufficiently promoted. It is defined as an ecological function zone, used for providing landscape care, conserving water and soil and regulating climate. While putting the protection of environment at the top list, we will develop the economy moderately in given spots and control the intensity and dimension of the development. Further more, we need to enforce strict industry entrance standard, adjust measures to local conditions and encourage ecology-friendly industry and tourism. We will also strengthen environment protection and modification in polluted areas. While rehabilitating and maintaining the ecosystem, we will also transfer part of the population to important and prior developing areas.

Forbidden developing zone is made up of water source sites and the land used for preserving the water, nature reserve, forest parks, wetlands, ecological corridor and so on. These places are considerably valuable in terms of eco-environment protection, historical and cultural protection. Mandatory protection will be reinforced according to the related laws and activities that may damage the eco-environment must be prohibited. While enhancing the safeguard of the forest eco-system and the diversity of biological communities we will prevent water source sites and areas conserving the water from polluted. At the same time, inning should be firmly constricted in coastal areas, the ecological wetlands should be further protected and the eco-system balance in sea area should be maintained.
Policy on regional development. We will implement different policies according to the specific function definition. Classified assessment, in optimized developing zone, we shall improve the assessment of the structural readjustment, resources consumption and the development of service industry. As for the core developing zone, comprehensive assessment on economic growth, quality and economic returns will be stressed. In the limited and forbidden developing zones, resources and environment will be emphasized while economic progress will not be our focus.
Fiscal policy.  More substantial financial support will be granted for the self- innovation and structural readjustment in optimized zones and core developing zones. Besides making more investment in the transfer of population and vocational training in limited developing zones, we will increase ecological compensation and transfer payments in forbidden developing zone.
Industrial policy.  We aim to lead the optimized developing zone to get rid of industries that use backward technology and have high consumption of energy and materials. We will also advance the structure upgrading. In core developing zone, construction of industrial infrastructure and the clusters of industry will be forwarded. While promoting characteristic industries in the limited and forbidden developing zones, we will also prevent environmental pollution.
Land policy We will circumscribe the provision of land for further residence construction in optimized developing zones and pay more attention to exploiting the full potential and regulate the utilization of the land. However, more land will be granted for the core developing zones where the efficiency of land exploitation will be improved. We will direct the land supply for the limited developing zone, and carry out strict policy to regulate and control the exploitation of land in forbidden developing zone.
Regions to be chiefly developed and protected during the “11th-five-year” period  We shall confirm series of functional regions that must be especially developed, protected and upgraded, on the basis of scientific division of function zones and in conformity with the requirement of function construction.

Part 2. Optimizing the Outlay of Regional Development

We will implement the strategy of “ Expanding the East, Connecting the North, Comprehensively Planning the South, Boosting the central area” according to the requisite of regional functional classification and the principle of giving play to comparative advantages and the overall regional development . Eventually, we shall achieve the space intensivism and harmonious development.

1. Clarifying the orientation for the construction in the South and the North

In the northern Yuhang and Cixi district, the prominence will be given to enhance the Hangzhou Bay new area and the northern Yuyao industrial zone. With the export-oriented processing zone in Cixi as a leader, we shall make a comprehensive plan so that we can integrate the resources, coordinate regional development, restructure and improve traditional industries such as plastics, molding and electronic appliances industry. In addition, we will also spare no efforts to forward modern logistics and boom the follow-up industry so as to accelerate the construction of the “economic circle surrounding the great bridge” and form an industrial center in the northern urban area in Ningbo.
As for the southern region, the Xiangshan harbor area is the crucial strategic space for the sustainable development in our city. Naturally, we should persistently protect it while utilize it so that it can exert the advantage in terms of ecological and marine resources. We should also intensively boost the entertaining industry, tourist industry, the modern fishing and international logistics industry here. Besides, with a significantly improved infrastructure there, the cleaning industry and the construction of ecological residential community should be properly forwarded in order to turn this region into an eco-economy harbor area and a base of modern marine industry as well.

2. Developing a strong city with marine economy

We will exploit marine resources appropriately relying on the advantages of port resources. While giving prominence to developing supporting industries involving costal industry, service industry, tourism and marine fishery, we should expand the comprehensive scale and promote the equality and efficiency to achieve comparative advantages. Efforts should be made to implement the strategy of prospering the marine economy through sci-technology, set up and improve the innovation system of marine technology. Much work will also be needed to cultivate more than ten marine corporations with high-technology and develop series of marine industries with high growing potentiality. We will set up an example of transferring from relatively strong city to highly strong city with marine economy in Zhejiang province. We need to intensify our efforts to protect marine resources and environment, carry out the managerial system of marine functional distribution and the utilization of marine space. Low-lying beach land, resources along beach land and islands without residence should be given rational conservation as well as appropriate exploitation. While strengthening the control of pollutants in the ocean, a prominent place will be given to handle pollution in important marine areas. We will work out comprehensive infrastructure development and further improve transportation network of connecting land with ocean.

3. Supporting and accelerate development in underdeveloped regions

We will concentrate on shortening the distance of life quality in different regions and insist on market-oriented operation with governmental promotion to speed up the development in underdeveloped areas such as old revolutionary areas, mountainous areas and islands. Those regions will be encouraged to develop ecological economy and their own industries with local characteristics. Much work will be needed to encourage local residents to go down the hill and immigrate to the islands, thus the transformation of redundant labor in countryside and the combination of self-accumulation and assistance from outside can be realized. Vigorous efforts will also be made to strengthen the support for financial transformation, develop vocational training programs, improve public service facilities and promote social security system.

4. Setting up an effective and lasting system for regional coordinated development

We will give full play to practice the fundamental function of market in the process of regional coordinated development, and give more support to the underdeveloped regions. Meanwhile, the financial transformation payment system should be set up and improved. While promoting the ecological compensative system, we will also provide more compensation to ecological functional regions in the south.
In addition, we will set up a coordinated mechanism to encourage the cooperation between mountainous regions and the sea and between the south and the north. Assistance to poverty and development in a hand-in-hand way between the relatively advanced region and the relative poor region will be facilitated. We will also mobilize all the social forces to offer help to underdeveloped regions in multiple ways.

Part 3. Accelerating the Process of Urbanization

In accordance with the strategic plan of creating an economic circle in Ningbo city made by provincial government, we will further improve the urban functions, promote town system, optimize the overall arrangement of space and speed up the urbanization process. By 2010, the rate of urbanization will reach more than 65% and a basic framework of a modern international port city will take shape.

1. promoting the function of urban center

We will expand the dimension of urban centers appropriately, optimize urban function, enrich urban connotation and enhance the urban quality. By 2010 the urban center is expected to reach an area of 267 square kilometers. The level of industries led by service sectors in Sanjiang areas will be enhanced and innovative and comprehensive service functions will be promoted. We will optimize and upgrade traditional service sectors and develop modern service sectors such as business exhibition, financial insurance, touring recreation and modern logistics. We will speed up the rebuilding of the old city, essentially complete the project of building villages in the cities, strengthen the protection of historical areas and promote the development of functional regions in those commercial districts along Heyi Road and Yinfeng Road. Prominence should be given to developing housing economy, upgrading urban service capability and cultural quality .The function of commercial districts and central regions in the historic cultural city will be promoted. The cultural Corridor in Sanjiang areas will be established and the development in Wantou Peninsula and western region of Jiangbei Area will be accelerated vigorously.
To meet the demand of creating “The Masterpiece of Century”, we need to facilitate the development of new cities in eastern areas on a large scale and work out a basic framework of developing commercial center and administrative center. We will intensify our efforts to form a landmark district showing the image of a modern international city. We will essentially complete the construction of core district with an area of 8.45 square kilometers by 2010 for the purpose of presenting a superb image of Ningbo city.
Important regional development in the new urban areas such as Yinzhou, Beilun, Zhenhai, tourism resort of Dongqian Lake and sci-technological garden will be advanced. We will also improve infrastructure, optimize the layout of industries and promote the clustering of residents as well as their adaptation to urban centers. The development of urban management information system will be expedited, and the urban management system will be balanced. We will also perform market-oriented operation mechanism, raise the awareness of serving people and comprehensively improve the level of modernization in urban management

2. Speeding up the development of secondary central city and central towns

The functions of city will be made clear and developing characteristics will be strengthened to promote the growing of secondary city. Great work will be needed to enhance the driving force of the secondary city, which will bring immediate benefits to county economy. We will encourage development in multiple and mixed ways with different competitiveness in the hope of building a medium-sized modern city with precise distribution, good infrastructure and distinctive features. Yuyao, Cixi will be developed on the basis of optimizing their overall arrangement and grow into northern centers of Ningbo City. Xiangshan, Ninghai and Fenghua will develop into modern medium-sized cities on a preliminary level.
Central towns perform as a connecting link in urbanization. We need to focus on cultivating 13 town centers, improving infrastructure, expanding the overall scale and advance distinct features in accordance with the requirement of comprehensive planning, infrastructure first and advancing steadily. Great efforts have to be made to develop socialist countryside, create suitable conditions to transfer abundant labor force in rural areas to the central towns and build small modern cities with distinct characteristics, advanced services and excellent management.

3. Strengthening infrastructure development of the city

Infrastructure network involving excellent transportation, communication, water provision, drainage, electricity and gas supply, pollution improvement, disaster prevention and control has to be enhanced according to the principle of going beyond the normal in an appropriate way. We will establish smooth and convenient transportation network in the city by developing railways and interval high-speed roads among different regions. These include South Road and North Road around the city along with the transportation system of four joint lines, six high speed roads and eighteen main roads. Additionally, railway No.1 is to be started and the passenger system with public transportation-orientation will be set up. As a result, the routine availability of public transportation will be up to 30%. The construction of parking lots for public transportation will speed up by creating 4000 harborages. We need to build a public transit system with the focus on construction of passenger traffic pivots and logistic centers. We will also upgrade various information transmission networks to fulfill the project of one network and seven systems. The infrastructure of information system, including telecommunication, China Mobile, China Unicom and China Netcom should be improved for the purpose of developing a digital, broadband and intelligent electronic information system. The power grid development in Ningbo will be accelerated in light of the opportunity of the national development for 30 power grids in major cities. The development of the natural gas ductwork in East China Sea will be carried out to facilitate the coordinated construction of natural gas ductwork, distribution stations and other related facilities dealing with gas. Great efforts are also needed to develop series of ducting systems and set up a group of sewage plants and garbage treatment facilities. The treatment rate of sewage is expected to reach more than 80% by 2010.