Anyone planning a trip to Shanghai this year will be interested to know that the city has unveiled its plans to battle an escalating air pollution crisis, an important first step considering the World Health Organization recently named air pollution the world’s single biggest environmental health threat.
The Shanghai Environmental Protection Bureau’s plan includes curbing the number of private cars in the city, creating more parks, and working with factories to cut emissions, according to China Business News.
China’s most populous city—home to 23 million people—plans to transform almost 10 square miles of area into forest, with plans for four square miles of parks and green spaces to be built before the end of the year. According to China Business News, in 2015, Shanghai’s government managed to convert almost 25 square miles of the city into forest and green space. According to Shanghaiist, the city will also collaborate with other governments in the Yangtze Delta region to combat pollution.
While air quality is not great in Shanghai, it’s not as bad as it is in Beijing, where pollution is so intense that helpful citizens have started to trace landmarks in the smog so tourists can spot them through the haze.
