From October 13th to 15th, 2023, Land Rights and Spatial Governance - the 7th Joint Forum on Land Use Policy by SSCI Journal was held at Zijingang Campus, Zhejiang University, in the Yuanzheng·Qizhen Hotel. The conference was co-hosted by Zhejiang University, Cities, Habitat International, Land Use Policy, and the Editorial Department of China Land Science. The event was organized by SPA-ZJU, the Journal of Urban Management, the Institute of Land Science and Property Management ZJU, the Land Academy for National Development ZJU, China Institute of Urbanization ZJU, the Urbanization and Spatial Governance Research Center ZJU, and the Real Estate Research Center (CRES) ZJU. Notably, the conference received substantial support from various entities, including the Academic and Development Guidance Committee of The Chinese Research Institute of Construction Management (CRIOCM), the Youth Work Committee of the China Land Science Society (CLSS), the Land Resources Research Professional Committee of the China Society of Natural Resources (CSNR), the Urban Transformation and Innovation Research Professional Committee of the Chinese Society for Urban Studies (CSUS), the Urban Sustainable Construction and Management Professional Committee of the China Society of Urban Economy (CSUE), the Zhejiang Land Science Society, the Urban Comprehensive Development Professional Committee of the National Spatial Planning Society of Zhejiang Province (NSPSZ), and the Urban Housing and Real Estate Professional Committee of the Science and Technology Committee of the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development.
The conference commenced with registration on October 13th, centering on the theme “Land Rights and Spatial Governance”. Drawing an audience of over 100 guests and representatives from the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, Hong Kong (China), and mainland China, the event attracted experts and scholars from more than 70 domestic and foreign universities and research institutions. Notable attendees included representatives from the University of Cambridge, the University of Liverpool, the University of Florida, the University of Maryland, the Queensland University of Technology, the University of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Peking University, Tsinghua University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Nanjing University, Southeast University, Beijing Normal University, Xiamen University, Sichuan University, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, Zhejiang University, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Moreover, the conference saw the active participation of editors and editorial board members from academic journals such as Cities, Habitat International, Land Use Policy, and China Land Science, as well as publishers from Elsevier (Beijing) publishing institution.
The Group Photo
The conference’s opening ceremony took place on the morning of October 14th. Initially, Prof. Xu Baomin, Vice Dean of the Academy of Humanities and Social Sciences (ZJU), extended a warm welcome to all guests and representatives on behalf of the host. He also provided an overview of the humanities and social sciences disciplines at ZJU, focusing on the development of the land resources management major.
Subsequently, Prof. Long Hualou, the chairman of the conference and a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences UK, delivered an opening speech on behalf of the organizers. He reflected on the accomplishments of the previous six conferences and further elaborated on the theme of this conference. He expressed eagerness for the forthcoming discussions among the guests and attending representatives and expressed gratitude to the conference’s organizing and supporting units.
Finally, Dr. Wang Qingri, the executive editor of China Land Science, delivered a congratulatory speech, emphasizing the theme’s significance in drawing joint attention from domestic and international journals to land policy issues. He also extended best wishes for the successful completion of all conference agendas. Prof. Wu Yuzhe, the executive chairman of the conference and the director of the Academic Committee of SPA - ZJU, presided over the opening ceremony.
The Opening Ceremony
The conference featured three keynote speeches, held on the mornings of October 14th and 15th, delivered by distinguished experts from domestic and international institutions. The speakers included: prof. Fei Chen, the lead of the Urban Form and Social Space research group at the University of Liverpool; Prof. Chengri Ding, the founding director for the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy’s China Program at the University of Maryland; Prof. Lingqian Hu, the Chair of the Urban and Regional Planning Department at the University of Florida; Prof. Helen XH Bao from the Department of Land Economy at the University of Cambridge in the UK; Prof. Bo Xia from the School of Architecture and Built Environment at the Queensland University of Technology; Prof. Huang Xianjin, the Director of the Library at Nanjing University; Prof. Li Dezhi, Vice Dean of the School of Civil Engineering at Southeast University; Prof. Zhang Weiwen, Vice Dean of the School of Public Affairs at Zhejiang University; and Prof. Yao Lingzhen, Vice President of Shanghai University of Finance and Economics.
These experts delivered keynote speeches on a range of topics, including the reform of natural resource property rights, coordinated governance of territorial space, strategies for local government cooperation in regional integration, challenges in urban development policies, urban spatial structure and transportation relationships, integrating social values into urban street space governance, construction of housing security systems, governance of naturally formed retirement communities, green and low-carbon development in county towns, and reform strategies for rural homestead development rights.
The sessions were characterized by comprehensive and in-depth exchanges, with active participation and enthusiastic discussions among the attending representatives. Each session was chaired by one of the three co-chairs of the conference: Prof. Zhao Pengjun from Peking University, Prof. Hui Chi-man from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and Prof. Long Hualou from Guangxi University.
The Keynote Speakers and the Host
The Interactive On-site the Meetings
The conference received over 60 papers, which were presented and discussed in eight parallel sessions on the afternoon of October 14th. The topics covered a wide range, including land policy and China’s modernization, spatial governance, natural resource property rights and management, rural land use transformation, green transformation, territorial space regulation, urban housing and human settlements, and urban-rural integration development and factor markets.
Several experts delivered keynote speeches at different parallel sessions, including: Prof. Bao Haijun, Dean of the School of Spatial Planning and Design at Hangzhou City University, Prof. Yao Shurong, Director of the Department of Economics at Sichuan University, Prof. Zhao Xiaofan from the Management School at Shenyang Normal University, Prof. Liu Shuangliang, Deputy Director of the Editorial Department of the Journal of Tianjin University of Commerce, Prof. Li Qiang, Executive Director of the Center for Spatial Planning and Governance at Beijing University of Technology, Prof. Zhou Xiaoping from the School of Government at Beijing Normal University, Prof. Wu Yongjiao from Wenzhou University, and Researcher Xu Zhongguo from the Law School at Ningbo University. Other attending representatives also reported on the latest research progress and innovative achievements in related fields.
The Different Parallel Sessions
On the morning of October 15th, a roundtable forum entitled “Research and Publishing” was held. The forum was attended by several distinguished individuals, including: Prof. Xu Zhiwen, editor-in-chief of Habitat International, Prof. Zhao Pengjun, editor-in-chief of Cities, Prof. Long Hualou, editorial board member of Land Use Policy, Prof. Yao Lingzhen from Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, Prof. Tan Rong from Zhejiang University, and Dr. Teng Hange, publisher of Elsevier (Beijing).
During the forum, the guests discussed and exchanged their experiences and insights on academic research, publishing academic papers and works, and interacted with delegates attending the forum. This exchange of ideas and experiences serves as an important inspiration for academic workers, especially young scholars, to improve their research abilities and produce higher-level academic achievements. The forum was hosted by Associate Director Xiao Wu, a researcher at the Institute of Land Science and Property Management ZJU.
The Research and Publishing Roundtable
Following the roundtable forum, the conference proceeded to the closing ceremony, which was addressed by Prof. Wu Yuzhe, the executive chairman of the conference and a professor from ZJU. In his address, he reviewed the nine keynote speeches and eight parallel sessions, expressing affirmation and appreciation for the achievements of the conference. He pointed out that the participating guests and representatives have further clarified the role of land rights and spatial governance in the transformation of land resource management discipline. This, in turn, will greatly promote academic research in the field of land science and land policies, taking it to new and higher levels. Under the theme of “Community”, he emphasized that the Joint Forum on Land Use Policy by SSCI Journal is a scholarly community for everyone. Lastly, he expressed heartfelt thanks to all the attending guests, representatives, and the organizing committee, and announced the successful conclusion of the 7th Joint Forum on Land Use Policy by SSCI Journal.
