Based on comparison with the features of England's urban-rural
development, this paper believes that the important ways to avoid excessive shrinkage
of towns and villages include diversifying their economic and social structure,
and enhancing the communication of urban-rural factors. While to grasp the rare
opportunities for towns and villages, their spatial governance system should be built
up with corresponding growth management mechanism, so as to prevent simple
duplication of the urban methodology, imposing too much spatial control on towns
and villages, resulting in even more population shrinkage. Combined with the
reference to the local planning system of England, this paper proposes a new growth
management mechanism to spatial planning. On the aspect of institution and policy,
it shall optimize the planning system structure in towns and villages, establish “common
but differentiated” spatial growth constraint responsibilities between urban and rural,
and innovate the land ownership system, etc. As to the aspect of planning tools, several
new approaches, such as “potential development area”, “development protection area”,
“low-efficiency warning area” could be created for rational protection and stimulation
of growth opportunities. Thus, with the developing of ecological civilization and the
adhering to bottom-line principles, rural vitalization and common prosperity can be
truly and effectively realized.