The Beijing municipal government announced that it plans to build several "new style" satellite towns on the capital's outskirts in order to address its overpopulation concerns.
The satellite towns will be designed to be as self-contained as possible, featuring residential and commercial developments for approximately 500,000 residents each.
Officials at the Beijing Municipal Committee for Development and Reform said that the goal of the satellite towns was twofold: to relieve pressure on Beijing proper — and to attract farmers from the countryside into an urban environment.