Multi-level policy experimentation and institutional change: digital transformation of the spatial planning system in China

Mingmin (Emily) Pan and Mee Kam Ng

Planning Practice & Research, 2026, vol. 41, issue 4, 728-747

Abstract: This paper examines the mechanisms of institutional change in China’s planning system, focusing on the digital transformation of spatial planning. The findings show that multi-level policy experimentation effectively steers political compliance and action, problem perception and institutional solutions, aligning them to create a window of opportunity for national institutional transformation. Using Shenzhen as a case, the paper illustrates how local governments with the willingness and capacity can capitalise on this national opportunity to advance early-stage digital transformation of the spatial planning system. The findings provide a nuanced and situated understanding of planning reform in a multi-level governance context.

Date: 2026
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DOI: 10.1080/02697459.2026.2649275

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