A. Purpose and Significance

Under the guidance of the national innovation-driven development strategy and the Digital China strategy, the vast number of planning workers should innovate extensively, embrace the trend of the times, develop cutting-edge planning theories and methods, integrate new-generation information technologies such as the internet, big data, and artificial intelligence, further explore the cognitive laws of national territory space and urban development, and to study the implementation and monitoring network system of territorial spatial planning. Efforts should be made to enhance the strategic, scientific, authoritative, coordinated, and operational aspects of national territory spatial planning, so as to promote the modernization of national territory and urban governance and support sustainable economic and social development.
Planning decision support refers to the process of using comprehensive and intelligent methods to accurately perceive the relevant elements of urban operations, scientifically recognize the development laws of complex urban systems, analyze and evaluate the factors related to urban issues, and conduct comprehensive evaluation and simulation prediction of planning schemes in order to select the optimal solution from multiple options to achieve the goal of scientific accuracy and efficient handling of complex problems in national territory spatial planning and urban governance. Planning Decision Support Model Design Contest (Chengyuan Cup) aims to encourage scholars from home and abroad to carry out innovative practices of planning decision support model technology from the perspective of actual application in national territory spatial planning and urban governance. By using multidimensional data resources and interdisciplinary technical methods, the competition seeks to promote the deep integration of theoretical methods and practical applications of planning decision support in terms of theoretical methods, technical support, and result presentation, improve the comprehensive strength of China's quantitative research on national territory spatial planning, and contribute talents and wisdom to this field. From 2017 to 2023, Chengyuan Cup has been successfully held for seven sessions, receiving extensive attention from all walks of life. It has provided new ideas for the scientific planning of national territory and urban governance, and continuously promoted the theoretical and methodological level of quantitative research and practical application in China's planning field.From March to July 2024, Beijing Chengyuan Digital Technology Co., Ltd., the World Urban Planning Education Network, and Homedale Urban Planning & Architects Co. LTD. of BICP will continue to organize and hold the eighth Planning Decision Support Model Design Contest (Chengyuan Cup) to promote academic exchanges and innovative exploration in quantitative planning research.

 B. Contents and Requirements

       In order to improve the scientificity of planning, implement new development concepts, adhere to the people-centered principle, promote high-quality development, optimize the territory pattern, make overall consideration of ecological, agricultural and urban space, strengthen regional coordination, the development of urban agglomeration and metropolitan area, and improve the level of urban governance. Two themes are set: "National Territorial Governance towards Ecological Civilization" and "Urban Governance towards High-Quality Development". In order to facilitate the contestants to conceive their topic selection and expert evaluation, 10 topics are set under the two themes. Please choose one of the 10 topics of the two themes set by the competition to participate in the competition.Contestants should also add 1-3 technical keywords. It is suggested to choose from the key words given in the competition instructions. If there is no matching item, Contestants can also choose their own technical keywords.

1.   National Territorial Governance towards Ecological Civilization

       Territory is the space carrier of ecological civilization construction. Information and intelligent methods have a huge application space in the design and construction of territory development pattern. Contestants should focus on digital driven territory pattern construction, and explore the application of new technologies in this field. Related topics are as follows:

(1) Coordinated development of urban agglomeration and metropolitan area: Aiming at the key problems in the process of coordinated development of urban agglomeration and metropolitan area, such as optimal allocation of resources, ecological coordination, industrial level transition, the development of new quality productivity forces, "three structures and one network" layout, contestants need to put forward the regional collaborative decision support model of land space between urban agglomeration and metropolitan area. Research interests include but are not limited to: the boundaries of urban agglomerations and metropolitan areas determining, the hinterland scope of core cities analyzing, urban agglomeration and metropolitan area planning, urban network and space of flow, regional industrial collaboration and industrial cluster network, Industrial Technology linkage and innovation network, regional collaborative intelligent governance, etc. 2024 marks the tenth year since the Coordinated Development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region was elevated to a national strategic level. This competition encourages participants to conduct research on the challenges and opportunities faced in the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. Teams participating in this topic and conducting research within the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area are eligible to apply for access to both Smart Steps's mobile signaling data and Baidu Map Insight's data.
(2) Development and Protection of Land Space for Green, Low-Carbon Ecological Growth: Based on the concept of coordinated development of multi-factor land space, quantitative analysis, evaluation, and simulation of key issues faced in the development, protection, and utilization of national land space. From the perspective of a community of life for man and nature in land space, improving the ecological systems involved in land space governance. Developing quantitative decision-making models based on the goal of "peak carbon emissions and carbon neutrality" to study its implementation pathways and related issues. Research directions include but are not limited to: analysis and optimization of land space patterns, evaluation of suitability for land development and assessment of resource and environmental carrying capacity, coordinated planning of land and sea space, land space rectification and restoration, integrated protection of arable land, assessment of ecological status and asset value, conservation and enhancement of natural ecological space, biodiversity protection in land development processes, pathways for achieving "peak carbon emissions and carbon neutrality", evaluation of carbon sequestration and emission reduction effectiveness in land space, ecological infrastructure, etc.
(3) China Spatial Planning Observation Network Construction: The "National Territorial Spatial Planning Outline (2021-2035)" and the "Overall Layout Plan for Digital China Construction" explicitly require the establishment of the China Spatial Planning Observation Network (CSPON). In the context of smart land spatial planning and monitoring evaluation alerts, proposing relevant monitoring and analysis models. Research directions include but are not limited to the transmission and monitoring of land spatial planning control elements, cross-level assessment of land spatial planning implementation performance, the Territorial Information Model (TIM), digital twin cities, dynamic perception and real-time monitoring of planning, land spatial planning performance evaluation, dynamic adjustment, and optimization of planning, etc.
(4) Urban rural integration and Rural Revitalization: Facing the key problems in the implementation of Rural Revitalization Strategy and the High-Quality Development Project for Hundreds of Counties, Thousands of Towns, and Ten Thousand Villages, aiming at the penetration of digital technology, Internet and big data into rural areas in the new era, contestants need to study the quantitative decision support model to guide urban-rural integration and Rural Revitalization and development. Research interests include but are not limited to: the reconstruction of urban-rural spatial integration, the "urban villages" renovation, the positioning and development strategy of small towns, the path and mode of rural revitalization, the protection and improvement of countryside features, and the exploration of the development mode of e-commerce village, "Taobao village" and "Cyberstar Village" in the Internet era.
(5) Urbanization Development and Spatial Development Governance Strategies: The development of cities follows inherent evolution rules, and planning interventions should be based on a correct understanding and compliance with these rules. Participating teams can use theories and methods from evolutionary geography to study the spatial evolution rules under new development patterns, analyze and evaluate the development strategies and governance strategies of cities, and provide quantitative model guidance for the spatial development of cities. Research directions include but are not limited to urban growth evolution dynamics and mechanisms of urban development changes, expansion patterns and structure simulation of urban spatial development, evolution of single-center/multi-center urban structure and its mechanisms, spatial structure of urban clusters and associated network evolution, implementation of pathways for reduced development of cities, development of new city planning and implementation pathways, identification of physical territories in urban areas, delineation of urban development boundaries, identification and quantitative analysis of new spatial forms under the influence of new technologies, etc.
This is a special support topic, and teams participating in this topic can apply for continuous access to mobile signaling data from Smart Steps for multiple years.

2.   Urban Governance towards High-quality Development

       With the modernization of national governance system, the importance of comprehensive urban governance has gradually increased. Contestants need to think about how to use a variety of new technologies to strengthen and improve the people-centered governance system. Related topics are as follows:

(6) Urban physical examination and planning implementation evaluation: Contestants need to innovate urban physical examination, urban real-time examination system and planning implementation evaluation methods, study relevant models, explore the application methods of big data, and find problems in the process of urban development; Develop models for diagnosis and treatment of urban diseases exposed by physical examination, such as disordered operation, housing shortage, energy shortage and so on. Research interests include but are not limited to: personalized urban examination and urban real-time examination technology, urban space monitoring, planning and implementation supervision and control, etc.
(7) Safe and resilient city and infrastructure configuration: Contestants need to analyze and evaluate city's response and adaptability to various uncertain factors such as disasters and events, and propose and analyze relevant strategies to improve urban safety and resilience with the help of decision support model. Research interests include but are not limited to: healthy city research; Urban risk assessment; Safety toughness evaluation, prediction and Simulation of urban planning and layout; Urban infrastructure system; Analysis of urban disaster bearing body, disaster causing factors and disaster pregnant environment; Urban rainwater and flood management and sponge city, etc.
(8) Urban renewal and smart cities designing: It aims to address problems such as poor urban environmental quality, lack of diversity, and inadequate protection of historical and cultural heritage. The research will develop decision support models to identify weaknesses and propose solutions for urban renewal, street refurbishment, park development, and healthy city building. The research direction includes but is not limited to digital city design, improvement of street space friendliness, enhancement of park and green space recreational services, green infrastructure, urban leisure and tourism, guidance of residents' healthy lifestyle, preservation of the historical context, and construction of historical and landscape patterns.
(9) Optimization of urban spatiotemporal behavior and community life circle: In response to problems such as lack of urban public services, low efficiency of public services, and weakened sense of happiness among residents, focusing on the construction of complete communities, 15-minute community life circle construction, and all-age-friendly city construction, research will be conducted on decision support models based on urban mobility space to improve the efficiency of urban public services. Research directions include but are not limited to optimization of urban public service facilities, all-age-friendly city construction, population behavior analysis and facility layout guidance of community life circles, urban spatiotemporal planning, urban consumption system and business district optimization, and construction of digital life circles in the context of online and offline integration. This topic is sponsored specially by Baidu Map Insight, teams registered for this topic can apply to access Baidu Map Insight's data, including foot traffic, points of interest (POI), etc. merged into 100m grid level. (10) Smart Transportation and Modern Logistics Development: Transportation plays a fundamental, leading, strategic, and pillar role in the national and social-economic development and is the backbone of regional development and the operating network of cities. Against the backdrop of building a "transportation power," participating teams should conduct research in the following directions: the interactive mechanism between transportation and regional socio-economic development, including the spatiotemporal convergence effect, factor attraction effect, spatial correlation system reconstruction effect, and the network layout of transportation infrastructure under the context of new energy; the relationship between transportation and the organization of internal urban space and the impact on resident activities, including research on the generation of traffic congestion and commuting time, prediction of road congestion risk and road safety risk, the interaction between transportation and land use, optimization of the integrated public transportation system, TOD development strategy, and the construction of rail transit centers and integrated stations. Focusing on the mutual dependence relationship between modern logistics systems and cities, optimizing the allocation of logistics service resources, logistics management and informatization, and the application of Internet of Things (IOT) technology.

3.   Technical Key Words Bank

       Contestants should show the research methods, specific application algorithms and other technical features of their works by 1-3 key words. The following key words are for reference. If there is no match in the following key words, Contestants can choose their own technical key words.


Urban system simulation, spatiotemporal behavior analysis, multilevel regression, structural equation model (SEM), discrete choice model, spatial autocorrelation, machine learning(ML), neural network, graph algorithm, social network analysis(SNA), space syntax, accessibility analysis, physical environment model, agent model, operational research model, game model, dynamic evolution model, etc.


 C. Data Application

In order to encourage the contestants to use big data to improve their application in the fields of urban quantitative research and terriroty planning, this competition, together with Baidu Map Insight and Smart Steps, provides big data resources of many cities in China. All participating teams may apply for big data resources. Teams registered for topic 1, topic 5, and topic 9 may also apply for additional data.

Teams that need big data support can refer to big data resources and instructions (attachment 1-1, 1-2, 1-3), and must complete the registration, indicate the data source of the application in the registration system (Teams participating in the "Coordinated Development of Urban Agglomeration and Metropolitan Area" topic can only choose between Smart Steps or Baidu Map Insight for data.), and complete the big data application (attachment 1), which will be sent to the organizing committee's email chengyuancup@city-if.com before April 6. Participating teams applying for open topics and special topics should submit the big data application form. Due to the limited number of places, we will make a comprehensive evaluation on the proposed projects of the participating teams according to the "big data application" and determine the authority. We will reply before April 20, 2024), and open the corresponding data resources to the participating teams who meet the application requirements.

Data resources provided are only for the use of this project, and shall not be disclosed in any way or used for other purposes without authorization. Otherwise, contestants shall bear relevant legal liabilities.

If a participating team fails to submit their results without valid reasons, despite having received support from data resources, the organizing committee will restrict the team and its members from participating in future Chengyuan Cup competitions. After the deadline for registration, the organizing committee will conduct an eligibility verification process for participating teams.

 D. Software Application

To encourage participants to use cutting-edge analysis tools and software, the competition has teamed up with Geoscene to provide temporary licenses for the use of GeoScene software during the competition. All teams may apply to use Geoscene.

All participating teams have the opportunity to obtain temporary software licenses. Teams that require software licenses should refer to the "GeoScene Software Resource Description" (Appendix 2-1) and complete the "GeoScene Software Usage License Application Form" (Appendix 2) by email to chengyuancup@city-if.com, with the email subject format as "The 8th Chengyuan Cup - Software Application - Registration Number", by April 6, 2024 (including this day).

There is no limit on the number of licenses. To ensure the orderly use of software resources, the organizing committee will comprehensively evaluate the topics proposed by participating teams in the "GeoScene Software Usage License Application Form" to determine the opening permissions.

The validity period from the date of issuance until Apr. 6th. The organizing committee will reply before April 20th, 2024 and provide corresponding licenses (valid until Jul. 6th) to teams that meet the application requirements.

 E. Process and Awards 

1. Schedule 

Registration: Mar. 20th – May 5th
Data and Software application: Mar. 20th – Apr. 6th
(respond before Apr.20th)
Submitting works: Before Jun. 5th
Reviewing: Jun 6th – Jul. 6th
(oral examination: Jul. 6th)

Announcing results: Jul. 6th – Jul. 12th

2. Rules

Plagiarism is strictly prohibited in this competition! Participants are required to cooperate with the organizer in promoting their works and publishing the collection. The submitted works must not be subject to any copyright disputes.

  Participating:Members of a team shall include no more than 10 participants and no more than 3 mentors. Participants can be any members in research institutes, higher education institutions, or planning management/compilation organizations home and abroad. Authentic and effective personal information need to be submitted when signing up.
  Requirements:The reviewing will be conducted in two steps as initial and final. In the initial review, a research report and a presentation slide are required (template as shown in attachment 3 and 4, in Chinese), which should be clear, logical and fluent. The contents should cover research problems, research methods, data specifications, model algorithms, practical cases and summary. This contest will have 19 winners entering the final review. For insurance of fair and objective judging by experts on the shortlisted works, we require finalists to provide exampling data, associated codes or application programs in the later step.
  Scoring Rules:

Items Score
Formal
Evaluation
Report 1. References: the references supporting the topic are properly cited, fully reflect the recent research in China and abroad, and the format is correct.
2. Content organization: the theoretical method, technical route, model design, data, system tools and practical cases of the model are clearly explained and the content is complete.
3. Writing: the research report has rigorous logic, standardized text, beautiful and clear charts, data and charts in the report are marked their sources.
30
PPT 1. Quality of PPT: the style and layout are beautiful and clear.
2. Content of PPT: the PPT is detailed and appropriate, and the main contents of the model are deeply refined and sorted out in the PPT.
15
Data
and
Code
Without special circumstances, the original data and code involved in the model are provided for review (this item is not considered in the preliminary evaluation stage). 5
Content
Evaluation
Innovation
of
Model
1. Concept: advanced design concept and sufficient theoretical basis, which can integrate the most advanced planning and model design ideas.
2. Method: advanced model design method and reasonable technical route, which can provide innovative technical methods for city quantitative research.
3. Algorithm: the algorithm of model design is advanced and the theory of algorithm is mature, Algorithms can guarantee the efficient operation of the model.
4. Data: Be able to combine traditional data with big data to analyze complex problems and provide a new perspective for urban observation.
25
System
Tools
1. Operability: the operation process of system tools is designed reasonably, the model parameter configuration is flexible, the interface is friendly, the use is convenient and scalable.
2. Visual expression: the visual effect of model analysis has new ideas and can truly, objectively and stereoscopically express the results of model analysis.
10
Practicability 1. Rationality of the topic: Be able to put forward and explore the key and difficult problems of urban and rural planning and social development based on quantitative research technical methods.
2. Practicability of the project: the project have practical value and popularization and application value for spatial planning and urban construction and management.
15

3. Awards

      Special Prize for 2 winner    ¥20000
      First Prize for 5 winners    ¥10000
      Second Prize for 12 winners  ¥5000

      All award-winning teams have the opportunity to carry out scientific research cooperation with the planning big data joint innovation laboratory of Beijing municipal Institute of city planning and design, including undertaking laboratory open topics and jointly carrying out research with the laboratory.

      The organizing committee will evaluate the quality and relevance of the winning works, and recommend outstanding submissions to partner journals:
Transactions in Urban Data, Science and Technology,
IEEE Intelligent Transportation Systems Magazine,
Beijing Planning Review Magazine.
Alternatively, recommendations may be made for partner academic conferences:
International Conference on Logistics, Informatics and Service Sciences (LISS),
International Conference on Industrial Economics System and Industrial Security Engineering (IEIS).

 F. Template download 

       Attachment 1: Template of “Application Form for Big Data” (in Chinese)

       Attachment 1-1: Instructions of Baidu Map Insight data (in Chinese)

       Attachment 1-2: Instructions of Smart Steps data (in Chinese)

       Attachment 1-3: Data dictionary of Smart Steps DaaS data platform (in Chinese)

       Attachment 2: Template of “Application Form for Software” (in Chinese)

       Attachment 2-1: Instructions of GeoScene (in Chinese)

       Attachment 3: Template of research report (in Chinese)

       Attachment 4: Template of slides (in Chinese)