Abstract:
Carrying out urban renewal in county towns is an inevitable path to advance urbanization and achieve modernization in China. At present, the progress of urban renewal in county towns remains relatively slow, while economically underdeveloped county towns encounter issues such as inefficient management implementation, neglect of historical context, and compromised spatial quality. This paper introduces urban design into county town urban renewal, focusing on the disparities between county towns and cities in terms of natural and cultural elements, modes of production and lifestyle, construction evolution, planning and construction management, and planning technology requirements. Five specific strategies are proposed: activation of blue-green infrastructure, extraction of urban genes and anchoring of urban structure and features, cultivation of cultural scenes and optimization of functional layouts, simplification of compilation levels and ensuring operability of design outcomes, and accompanying the construction process. These strategies offer insights into enhancing the efficiency, scientific rigor, and rationality of county town urban renewal efforts.