With the integration of the Hong Kong, Macao and Pearl River Delta being driven forward by the soon-to-be completed Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, the development of Zhuhai is expected to gain speed.

Like most cities in China, Zhuhai is keen on economic development, but not at any cost.

And one of its key goals is to become an international livable city in the next six years.

As mayor of Zhuhai, He Ningka explains that means one that boasts a safe and harmonious ecology, low-carbon public facilities, urban functions that are on par with international standards, the efficient utilization of space, and a pleasant environment that offers a good quality of life.

"The city government will fortify the guiding role of planning, increase the budget for an eco-friendly public transport system, make urban functions smart, integrate urban and rural development, and develop different zones scientifically," He said.

Zhuhai has already obtained dozens of weighty honors for outstanding performance in eco-protection.

And it received another award to add to its list this year, as it was named China's Most Livable City by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

The city was included in the list of this year's "top 10 Chinese cities with strong sense of happiness" by the United Nations Development Programme and "Oriental Outlook" magazine of Xinhua News Agency, co-sponsors of the China International Urban Development Forum held in Beijing in late October.

Previously Zhuhai scored the highest out of 185 Chinese cities in the overall rating on the China Urban Sustainability Index 2013 drawn up by the consulting firm McKinsey.

The Index was released in April. The rating indicators include air quality, water supply coverage and water usage efficiency and disposable income levels.

"Zhuhai has always prioritized ecological civilization in its economic and social development," noted Liu Changming, an academician at the institute of geographic sciences and natural resources research at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

"Its forward-looking development strategy is in line with the future development pattern the new leadership is advocating."

In fact, the city aims to be a role model for the nation's future development.

As one of China's five special economic zones, the local government has set the targets of becoming "a new type of special zone with an eco-civilization and an exemplary city for scientific development."

Yuan Chiping, an economics professor at the Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, is confident that Zhuhai will play a dynamic role in the integration of Hong Kong, Macao and the Pearl River Delta.

He based his upbeat analysis on Zhuhai's improving traffic infrastructure, burgeoning business opportunities as well as bettering environment for living.

This will provide an additional boost for the city, he added, as it will make the city more attractive to the high-quality human resources in Hong Kong and Macao.

zhanlisheng@chinadaily.com.cn