Summary

Changsha is redefining urban development through data-driven governance and industrial innovation. As the capital of Hunan Province, the city established the Municipal Data Resource Bureau and Unified Cloud for Government Services to coordinate digital transformation, integrating 520 systems across 78 departments. Central to this vision is the Malanshan Video and Creative Industry Park, China’s first video-centred digital cultural hub, linking content production, data processing, and computing power within a unified industrial ecosystem. Covering 15 square kilometres, the park hosts more than 3,000 enterprises, generates over CNY 87.3 billion in annual revenue, and supports 100,000 jobs. It serves as a model for combining AI, blockchain, and cloud platforms with cultural creativity, fostering new industries such as digital heritage, virtual reality, and AI-generated media. Supported by public copyright platforms and industrial funds, Malanshan has created a closed-loop data ecosystem for content governance, innovation, and cross-sector collaboration. By connecting smart city infrastructure with industrial upgrading, Changsha has positioned itself as a leader in inclusive, technology-enabled urban development. The initiative promotes entrepreneurship, creative employment, and sustainable growth, offering a replicable pathway for integrating industrial parks into smart city frameworks aligned with the New Urban Agenda.

Background and Objective

Changsha, the capital of Hunan Province, is reshaping its urban development model through smart city construction and digital governance. As a major industrial and cultural centre in central China, the city has long been known for its strengths in engineering machinery, automotive manufacturing, and new materials. However, rapid urbanization has created pressures on spatial planning, transportation, and public services, while traditional industries have faced challenges in digital upgrading, supply chain coordination, and talent alignment. To address these issues, Changsha established the Municipal Data Resource Bureau in 2019 to coordinate its smart city and data governance strategies, integrating 520 systems across 78 departments through the Unified Cloud for Government Services. The initiative aims to strengthen digital infrastructure, accelerate industrial upgrading, and enhance data-driven governance. It seeks to build a citywide framework that integrates data, computing power, and innovation platforms to support smart mobility, intelligent manufacturing, and creative industries. A key focus is to transform Malanshan Video and Creative Industry Park into a national model of digital industrialization, promoting collaboration among government, enterprises, and entrepreneurs while fostering sustainable employment and innovation.

Actions and Implementation

Malanshan Park has evolved into China’s first video-centred digital creative industry hub. Covering 15 square kilometres, it integrates the full chain of content production, data processing, computing power, and distribution. Supported by platforms such as a video supercomputing centre, rendering base, and 5G + 8K live-streaming infrastructure, the park serves as a pilot for integrating cultural content with AI, blockchain, and cloud computing. Public data governance platforms like “China V Chain” manage copyright registration, protection, and trading, creating a transparent system for the digital content economy. Collaboration among major enterprises, including Mango TV and Huawei, ensures that innovation in audio-visual production, data annotation, and AI model training benefits both creative and manufacturing sectors.

Outcomes and Impacts

By 2023, Malanshan Park hosted more than 3,000 enterprises, generated CNY 87.3 billion in revenue, and provided over 100,000 jobs. The park’s ecosystem of content creation and algorithmic innovation has expanded into new industries such as digital heritage, virtual reality, and AI-generated media. Its closed-loop data ecosystem, combining copyright protection and model training, has made Changsha a national leader in data element governance. Beyond economic benefits, the park has become a key driver of cultural vitality and smart industrial transformation.

Sustainability and Scalability

The initiative’s sustainability stems from its integration of institutional frameworks, financial instruments, and open data ecosystems. With dedicated industrial guidance funds and innovation competitions, Changsha supports continuous entrepreneurship and technological renewal. The city’s unified data architecture and experience in platform governance make its model highly replicable for other cities seeking to merge industrial upgrading with smart governance.

Gender and Social Inclusivity

The project promotes inclusive participation through open digital platforms and talent incubation systems. Training programmes, university partnerships, and start-up support schemes ensure opportunities for young professionals, women, and underrepresented groups in the creative and technology sectors. Its people-centred approach emphasizes accessibility and equity across digital services and employment pathways.

Innovative Initiative

Changsha’s approach is innovative in linking industrial parks with urban public services through shared data platforms and smart infrastructure. Malanshan Park’s model demonstrates how digital governance, AI, and creative industries can jointly drive urban renewal and industrial modernization. The integration of “content–data–computing power–distribution” establishes a replicable pathway for smart industrial transformation.

Resources devoted to delivery

The initiative is supported by coordinated public investment and private sector partnerships. Government funding mechanisms, including the CNY 500 million Industrial Guidance Fund and the CNY 100 million Maju Plan, finance infrastructure and start-up incubation. Collaboration with enterprises such as Huawei and Mango TV provides technological expertise and industrial resources, while municipal departments ensure regulatory and institutional support.

Conclusion

Changsha’s smart city development demonstrates how urban digital transformation can be harnessed to accelerate industrial upgrading and economic diversification. Through Malanshan Park, the city has successfully merged cultural creativity with technological innovation, creating a sustainable model for data-driven development. The initiative advances inclusivity, institutional efficiency, and innovation, offering a replicable framework for cities pursuing smart and people-oriented urban growth.