Wang Feifei, Director of the Smart City Research Institute, Beijing Tsinghua Tongheng Urban Planning & Design Institute
The low-altitude economy has emerged as a new frontier in the development of strategic emerging industries, becoming a focal area of competition among major global economic powers. Developing the low-altitude economy is not only a vital strategic industry for national development but also a key measure to enhance core competitiveness. The 2025 Government Work Report explicitly proposed to “cultivate and strengthen emerging and future-oriented industries... promote the safe and healthy development of commercial spaceflight, the low-altitude economy, and other emerging industries,” signaling that the low-altitude economy has entered a new phase.
Low-altitude airspace, as a crucial component of natural resources, can now be quantified with the gradual opening up of low-altitude airspace and the advancement of AI technology. The expansion of urban space will break away from the traditional flat-development model, propelling cities to grow vertically within a fixed plane space. This will help overcome the constraints of saturated land resources and natural elements, emerging as a new driving force for development.
Drawing on extensive practice and experience, we have proposed a “three-dimensional, four-chain, five-in-one” strategy for implementing the low-altitude economy from an urban perspective, systematically addressing the questions of where to fly, who will fly, and how to fly.
First is the “three-dimensional pattern setting: determining where to fly.” In the vertical dimension, the low-altitude airspace is stratified for utilization. In the horizontal plane, facility integration and regional coordination are enhanced. In the digital realm, airspace resources are digitally modeled.
Second is the “four-chain ecosystem aggregation: identifying who will fly.” The capital chain, infrastructure chain, scenario chain, and technology chain are interlinked. The capital chain provides full-cycle financial empowerment. The infrastructure chain forms a network of hardware facilities. The scenario chain breaks through commercial application barriers. The technology chain offers innovative support for technological equipment. Ultimately, a diversified stakeholder-coordinated ecosystem is constructed.
Simultaneously, the “five-in-one foundation strengthening: ensuring how to fly well” is also essential. This involves consolidating the foundation in five key areas: service, management, safety, greenness, and intelligence. On the service front, the certification, insurance, and training systems are perfected. On the management side, airspace reform and safety early warning are advanced. On the safety front, prevention and emergency response are ensured. On the green front, the application of new energy and ecological assessment are strengthened. On the intelligence front, AI-based scheduling and digital certification are relied upon to ensure the low-altitude economy transitions from “demonstration” to “sustainability.”
To realize the low-altitude economy, it is recommended to systematically advance it through the “3-4-5” model. That is, through the “three-dimensional space (airspace-ground-digital),” the direction of development is clarified. The “four-chain linkage (capital-infrastructure-scenario-technology)” activates the ecological kinetic energy. The “five-in-one guarantee (safety-green-intelligent-service-standard)” solidifies the development baseline. All three elements are indispensable.
Published on August 21, 2025