Tongzhou district in Beijing will not see large scale urban construction despite its projected status as a subsidiary administrative center, says Beijing's urban planning authority.

Tongzhou will take on its new role primarily to share part of downtown Beijing's administrative burden, according to Huang Yan and Wang Fei, respectively director and vice director of the Beijing Municipal Commission of Urban Planning. However, Tongzhou will not become heavily populated like the city's current downtown area.

"We are bearing two primary concepts in mind regarding the Tongzhou plan," says Wang. "One, no massive construction. Two, Tongzhou is relatively independent from downtown Beijing. The two will neither connect directly nor develop collectively."

Huang says Beijing will have two choices to improve Tongzhou's traffic system: either maintain a balance between residential and commercial buildings, or continue building a rapid transportation system.

Tongzhou's new status has attracted considerable real estate interest, which could be problematic if unregulated, according to Huang. The central government has clear requirements for the boundaries and sequence of real estate development. Construction for residential and industrial buildings, and infrastructure, must proceed simultaneously, says Huang.