Beijing will set four urban growth boundaries (UGBs) while 70 percent of its administrative districts will become ecological protection areas in order to control unplanned city expansion and aid the environment, according to the local Urban Planning commission.

Through such measures, the capital will be divided into an ecological protection zone, a buffer zone and a centralized construction zone, an insider noted.

Ecological protection zones would focus on ecosystem conservation, while buffer zones allow controlled construction, and centralized construction zones strictly follow current planning guidelines to prevent an urban sprawl.

After setting UGBs, areas inside could be used for closely grouped urban construction, while those outside cannot be used for large-scale construction, except for necessary transportation infrastructure.

Drawing a red line around ecological protection areas is intended to stop further deterioration of the natural environment, it was added.