On October 25 in Hangzhou, a press conference was held to discuss the city’s community embedded service facilities initiative. Xu Zhen, a member of the Hangzhou Development and Reform Commission’s leading party group and deputy director, shared insights on the ambitious plans for these community service projects.
“This year, we have launched the first batch of 46 pilot projects for embedded service facilities across urban communities, with all of them already underway. By the end of the year, we aim to complete 30 of these projects,” Xu stated. “Looking ahead, we plan to initiate over 54 new pilot projects next year, with the goal of fulfilling our target within two years. By 2026, we hope to have a total of more than 100 completed pilot projects.”
Xu explained that these embedded service facilities are designed to provide a variety of functional amenities and services within community spaces. These services include elder care, community meal assistance, housekeeping, health services, sports and fitness programs, cultural leisure activities, and children’s recreation.
In an effort to become a national pilot city, Hangzhou introduced the “Implementation Plan for Community Embedded Service Facility Construction” back in March of this year. The results are already becoming evident across various sectors.
The integration of elder care into the community embedded service facility construction is a significant move to strengthen home and community-based elderly services. Currently, Hangzhou boasts over 2,900 community elder care centers that provide a range of services including day care, full-time care, and meal assistance. Additionally, more than 2,200 meal assistance points have been established, collectively serving over 18 million people through the “All City Connected” smart meal service.
Another challenge that has been noted is the lack of facilities for infant and toddler care, coupled with a reliance on grandparental support and limited awareness of scientific parenting concepts. In response, Hangzhou has pioneered the “Infant and Toddler Growth Station,” a community embedded service designed to enrich the growth environment for young children and their caregivers. This station offers comprehensive services such as parenting skill guidance, parent-child game engagement, health management, and temporary childcare.
“As of now, we have established 735 Infant and Toddler Growth Stations, and we are implementing local standards for their management and service,” stated Cui Weiwu, deputy director of the Hangzhou Health Commission.
Since the Hangzhou Asian Games, the enthusiasm for fitness among residents has been on the rise. Over the last two years, the city has developed 5,420 embedded sports venues, covering an area of 1.832 million square meters, effectively addressing the public’s concerns about accessible places to exercise.
For instance, the Wanguo Interchange in the Linping District, once merely a green space, has been transformed into a multifunctional sports facility that accommodates football, basketball, volleyball, badminton, table tennis, and gateball.
Qiu Xianzhong, a second-level inspector at the Hangzhou Sports Bureau, highlighted the next steps: “We will encourage and guide capable government agencies and enterprises to open up their facilities for public use. We aim to establish new embedded sports facilities in well-positioned areas and enhance management efficiency through smart technology like fitness traffic sensors and unmanned equipment. Furthermore, we are committed to hosting various fitness events and activities for the community, such as the People’s Sports Meeting, ‘Village BA’ tournaments, and promoting national sports in neighborhoods.”
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