Shifting from comprehensive construction to quality improvement and upgrading, Shanghai has built 570,000 beautiful rural courtyards

On November 13, 2026, The Paper reporter learned from the Shanghai Agricultural Committee that the latest data shows that a total of 570,000 beautiful rural courtyards have been built in Shanghai, which has basically achieved full coverage of areas that meet the construction conditions at this stage. In the 2026 municipal government's list of practical projects for the private sector, the target task of building beautiful rural courtyards for 50,000 households was clearly stated. As of the end of October, 51,757 households had actually been completed, exceeding the annual task ahead of schedule.

The construction of beautiful rural courtyards has been included in the Shanghai Municipal Government’s practical projects for the people for three consecutive years starting from 2024. It is also one of the four key tasks of the current round (2026-2028) of the Municipal Party Committee’s Popular Project.

The relevant person in charge of the Village and Town Construction Department of the Municipal Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee said that the exploration starting from the construction of beautiful courtyards is multi-dimensional. Currently, relevant departments are conducting research on the "Specifications for the Construction, Management and Maintenance of Beautiful Rural Courtyards" to formulate basic standards, technical points and evaluation indicators for the construction, management and maintenance of beautiful courtyards during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, which will be incorporated into integrated rural management and protection, focusing on courtyard layout, landscape creation, facility maintenance, crop cultivation, courtyard income increase and other aspects, and formulate guiding principles by category.

"We evaluate the construction of beautiful courtyards through on-site visits, discussions and exchanges, etc., further sum up experience and practices, face difficulties and challenges, and use the rural high-quality living space improvement project (Municipal Party Committee People's Support Project) as a guide to promote the transformation of beautiful courtyards from 'all-area construction' to 'quality improvement'." The relevant person in charge said.

At present, various agricultural districts are promoting the construction of beautiful courtyards according to local conditions, forming remarkable and characteristic experience, providing useful exploration and practice for the economic extension of urban courtyards in megacities, the improvement of the value of rural space, and the integration into new issues of urban and rural governance. In the next step, the construction of beautiful courtyards in Shanghai will further explore the functional value of undertaking urban consumption, satisfying emotional needs, and activating urban and rural resources on the basis of optimizing and improving the rural living environment.