A conference is held in Hangzhou on Nov 6 to discuss urban design and development, gathering more than 100 experts in the field. [Photo/zjol.com.cn]

A conference was held in Hangzhou on Nov 6 to discuss urban design and development, gathering more than 100 experts in the field.

The attendees were from 32 local academies of social sciences in the cities of Shanghai and Chongqing, among others.

They discussed issues such as how to build an internationally-oriented city and how to promote the high-quality development of cities.

Zhu Yuan, associate professor at the China Executive Leadership Academy Pudong, shared his insights into the topic. According to Zhu, how modern and international a city is should not be dependent on the height of its buildings or the width of its roads.

He believes a modern and international city should be one that puts people first, and that is environmentally friendly, vibrant and employs smart technologies.