Hefei, the capital of Anhui Province, China, is a major city in the Yangtze River Delta region and a national transport hub. In recent years, the city has achieved remarkable progress in scientific and technological innovation and industrial development. As it advances toward its 2035 strategy, Hefei, a key hub for national strategic emerging industries, is tasked with shaping the future urban development mod?el and spearheading regional collaborative innovation. A review of Hefei’s urban evolution reveals how it has transformed from a traditional industrial city into a key node in China’s national science center network.
      Against this backdrop, this special issue, Hefei 2035: Reflections on Building a Science-Innovative and Livable City, focuses on key topics and practical cases in urban development. The issue aims to provide a research foundation and knowledge framework for the complex topic of “technology and the city” by integrating theory, methods, governance, and policy from different disciplines. Notably, most of the articles in this issue are contributed by faculty members, researchers, and alumni teams from the College of Architecture & Art at He?fei University of Technology. The faculty, students, and alumni of the College are deeply engaged in practical work that serves the local area and gives back to society. They have also forged an integrated system of teaching, research, and practice. They not only focus on fundamental theories and innovative methods, but also actively participate in actual planning and design projects, converting knowledge into productivity and making ongoing contributions to urban development and research. In this way, they support Hefei in exploring urban development pathways that feature both regional characteristics and national significance.
      Guided by national policy frameworks such as the “People’s City” initiative, the “dual carbon” strategy, and the “Beautiful China” vision, Hefei continues to develop a forward-looking, systematic, and adaptive urban development model. We hope that this special issue will serve as a valuable reference for researchers, planners, and decision makers in relevant fields, providing them with theoret?ical and methodological support for constructing innovative and livable cities across broader regions and contexts. This will further facilitate the moderniza?tion of China’s urban governance system and governance capacity. [Detail] ...