On the morning of November 1, the 2024 World Cities Day China Observance and the Symposium on Construction and Scientific and Technological Development of Yangtze River Delta of the 2024 SDG Cities Global Conference, sponsored by the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, was held at Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Center. Chu Min, Secretary of the Party Committee, SUCC, was invited to deliver a keynote speech at the conference and introduce the main achievements of the 2024 research report on small and medium-sized cities in the Yangtze River Delta.

Chu pointed out in the report Enhancing Urban Ecological Vitality and Promoting Sustainable Development of Cities that ecological vitality is the basis and background for improving urban vitality. The city's ecological vitality has increasingly become a key indicator to measure the high-quality development of cities. The research group built the ecological vitality index model through a chain-driven mechanism of ecological endowment, ecological pressure, ecological response, and ecological benefits. Studies show that small and medium-sized cities in the Yangtze River Delta have a good overall ecological endowment, with ecological pressure within their bearing capacity. They perform well in ecological response and need to further stimulate ecological benefits. According to the regional comparison of the mean scores of the ecological vitality index, small and medium-sized cities in Jiangsu and Zhejiang have excellent ecological endowments. Meanwhile, non-central urban areas of Shanghai exhibit relatively high ecological pressure but outstanding response performance. Small and medium-sized cities in Zhejiang and Anhui show great ecological benefits. Given the problems existing in the ecological vitality of small and medium-sized cities in the Yangtze River Delta, he proposed solutions such as "ecological pressure reduction, response acceleration, and benefit transformation". Chu's speech captured the attention of the attendees and was reported by China Youth Daily, Shanghai Observer News, and other press.

This year marks the fifth anniversary of the proposal to build a "people-centered city" and the tenth anniversary of World Cities Day. SUCC has actively participated in the activities of World Cities Day, such as the salon titled "Developing New Quality Productive Forces and Promoting High-quality Development of Green Housing", one of the series activities under the Shanghai International City and Architecture Expo 2024, the 2024 World Cities Day China Observance in Shanghai and the Symposium on Construction and Scientific and Technological Development of Yangtze River Delta of the 2024 SDG Cities Global Conference, as well as the Shanghai International City and Architecture Expo 2024. By doing so, it has been actively asserting its voice and showcasing its accomplishments.