The Lin-gang Special Area Administration – which runs the Lin-gang Special Area in East China's Shanghai – issued the nation's first real estate registration certificate for an urban road on May 9.

This innovation separates land certificates from construction planning permits in government projects. The permit was applied for by a State-owned asset receiver designated by the Lin-gang Special Area Administration.

The road project – being developed by Shanghai Lin-gang Special Area Development and Construction Co Ltd in the central part of Lin-gang's advanced manufacturing zone – includes road construction, drainage, lighting, traffic engineering, monitoring and landscaping.

Land ownership is crucial in municipal road construction. Traditionally, the construction unit held the land rights, complicating future developments requiring the landowner's consent.

"If the project owner and construction unit are both Shanghai Lin-gang Special Area Development and Construction Co Ltd, future developments on this land would need their consent, complicating resource allocation and planning," explained a Lin-gang Special Area Administration officer.

With this new approach, the Lin-gang Special Area Administration designated the Shanghai Urban Construction and Transportation Affairs Center, or UCTAC, as the land supply entity during the allocation phase. UCTAC then handled the land-related procedures.

"The real estate certificate is issued to UCTAC, while the construction planning permit goes to Shanghai Lin-gang Special Area Development and Construction Co Ltd," the officer added.

This change gives the designated unit UCTAC land ownership. This is said to allow for more flexible planning and land use control – enhancing resource allocation efficiency and positively impacting construction projects in the Lin-gang Special Area.