China News Service, Nanjing (Reporter: Zhu Xiaoying) Chinese and foreign mayors participated in the "World Mayors Dialogue" themed dialogue event at the Six Dynasties Museum in Nanjing on the 21st to discuss creating the future of waterfront cities with culture, green and wisdom.
Nanjing is the only city located in the Yangtze River Basin among the four ancient capitals of China. Sun Baijun, deputy mayor of Nanjing, said that when creating riverside spaces, Nanjing focuses on embedding cultural elements into ecological corridors and public spaces; as a manufacturing city known for its traditional industries, Nanjing has improved its greening level during transformation and upgrading and kinetic energy conversion; in the face of global challenges such as climate change, population agglomeration, and resource constraints, it has used smart means to improve development resilience and efficiency.
The Giza Province of Egypt is located in the southern corner of the Nile Delta in northern Egypt. Its Giza Pyramids and other heritage sites enjoy a high reputation in the world. Hend Muhammad Ahmed Abdul Halim, deputy governor of Giza Province, said that more than 50,000 residents live around the Giza Pyramids. "We pursue the preservation of historical identity while developing the city to achieve the harmonious coexistence of traditional and modern elements. For example, in the process of developing projects around the pyramid, resident factors are integrated into it; before improving infrastructure, the development plan is presented to local residents."
Dittfurt, known as Germany's "Chinese Town", is located in a river valley. "Our towns are interconnected with other parts of the world through rivers. If water resources are not protected, the city may face the problem of resource depletion." Bernd Maier, the mayor of the city, said that he is willing to share and learn from each other's innovative approaches to the Yangtze River protection with Nanjing.
Gan Tianlu, Chairman of the Malacca Historic District Working Committee in Malaysia, said that Malacca will not engage in large-scale demolition and construction, but will revitalize idle warehouses, winding rivers, and ancient arcades; create art galleries, tourism products, and cultural markets so that citizens and tourists can touch the pulse of history and feel the living culture along the riverside and old streets.
The "Nanjing Consensus on the Development of River Cities" was also read out and released at the event, advocating the construction of a community of river cities that share weal and woe, and building a place along the river with ecological resilience, economic vitality, cultural charm and people's well-being that complement each other.
