Shanghai Initiates 32 People-Focused Projects for 2026

The Shanghai government launched this year's 32 public welfare projects across 10 categories on Friday, mainly focusing on improving people's livelihood and enhancing their sense of happiness and fulfillment.

The government first established an annual public welfare improvement project agenda in 1986 and has completed more than 1,100 projects to date.

This year, authorities collected 45,000 suggestions and opinions from residents through official websites, government departments, legislative bodies, political advisory bodies, and counselors, before finalizing the 32 projects.

The following is a list of the projects planned for 2026.

Senior care

• Add 200 community elderly-care service stations;
• Upgrade 50 senior canteens in residential communities;
• Revamp 2,000 nursing beds for people with cognitive impairments;
• Provide mid-to-high level training for 2,000 caregivers specializing in cognitive disorders;
• Launch 25 bus routes tailored to the needs of elderly residents;
• Build or upgrade 40 sports and wellness centers for the elderly.

Child-friendly initiatives

• Build 20 child-friendly parks;
• Organize 200 winter camps and 600 summer camps for primary school students;
• Add 1,500 nursery seats in kindergartens for toddlers.

Live and work

• Help 20,000 long-term jobless to be re-employed;
• Train an additional 60,000 skilled workers at senior level and above;
• Secure and provide more than 30,000 additional beds for urban builders and managers;
• Complete the construction of 50,000 "Beautiful Courtyards" in rural areas.

Convenience

• Install 300 new smart recycling bins;
• Upgrade and renovate 50 standardized food markets.

Health care

• Build 50 new community mental health clinics, 30 community nursing centers, and 20 standardized community outpatient operating rooms;
• Install an additional 6,000 automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in residential communities and key public places;
• Train 80,000 certified first-aid workers.

Wellness and fitness

• Build or renovate 180 public sports pitches, 500 public recreational fitness places, and 50 public fitness centers in the community or workplace.
• Build or renovate 40 pocket parks.

Barrier-free life

• Provide vocational skills training for 2,000 persons with disabilities;
• Carry out barrier-free renovations for 4,000 low-income households with physically-challenged members;
• Complete elderly-friendly upgrades to 100 bus stop.

Aesthetic literacy

• Upgrade or build 200 new family reading spaces;
• Open 1,750 night school locations for citizens and upgrade 150 open classes on cultural and artistic enrichment.

Public Safety

Install smart gas meters for 1 million households with pipeline natural gas;

Install IoT-based fire protection systems for 255 elderly-care institutions;

Complete the renovation of 100 kilometers of old water supply pipelines;

Install smart water meters for 20,000 households with elderly members in special need.

Harmonious communities

• Build and upgrade 222 subdistrict or township service platforms to protect residents against all sorts of scams;
• Develop and improve 4,500 coordinated dispute mediation stations;
• Carry out room renovations for 300 dysfunctioning families with minors lacking basic living space.