One Million Tianjiners Move Out of Shabby DwellingsZhu Xuexi, a 69-year-old retiree in north China's Tianjin Municipality, lived in a tiny 60 sq. m two-bedroom apartment for about three decades.Like Zhu, another 1.1 million Tianjiners have moved out of their old houses that had no central heating or bathrooms. The city government has pulled down 8.36 million sq.m. old houses for building new dwelling areas in the last six years. Statistics show that living space per capita in the city has risen from 9.6 sq.m in 1993 to 13 sq.m. Building houses in downtown areas has meant that large industrial plants have had to relocate elsewhere, reducing pollution in urban areas. Building houses has changed the face of the city. Statistics show that in the last six years, 10 new bridges have been built and 29 roads have been widened. Greenery per capita has also increased from 2.6 sq.m to 4.87 sq.m. |
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