On June 18, 2026, I had the privilege of visiting Fengtai District, an experience that transcended a typical academic field trip. The program commenced with the inauguration of the short drama Being a CEO in Qingchuang Village, followed by a dynamic showcase of youth entrepreneurship, cultural preservation, and urban regeneration. This visit was made possible by the heartfelt hospitality and visionary stewardship of the district’s top leadership. I extend my profound gratitude to Mr. Rong and Mr. Qiao, whose ground-level engagement and willingness to share lived experiences offered invaluable insights. I am equally indebted to Teacher Zhang and her meticulous team whose dedication transformed this visit into an immersive learning journey. I also thank the youth talents and actors who brought the entrepreneurial spirit to life, demonstrating that policy is not a dry document but a living narrative.

2026 年 6 月 18 日，我有幸赴北京市丰台区开展实地调研，此次行程远不止一次普通的学术走访。调研活动以短剧《青创村 CEO》首映拉开序幕，随后现场集中展示青年创新创业、文化传承与城市更新建设成果。本次调研顺利成行，离不开丰台区领导的热忱接待与前瞻性统筹部署。在此，我向荣先生、乔先生致以诚挚谢意，二位领导扎根基层、乐于分享一线实践经验，为本次调研提供了极具价值的参考思路。同时由衷感谢张老师及其严谨细致的工作团队，团队全力以赴的筹备工作，让本次调研成为一场沉浸式研学之旅。也要感谢各位青年人才与参演演员，他们生动演绎创新创业精神，让我们真切感受到：政策绝非冰冷条文，而是鲜活生动的实践篇章。

My gratitude extends as well to my knowledge home, the School of International Development and Cooperation (SIDC) at the University of International Business and Economics (UIBE), for providing me with a foundational understanding of sustainable development. As an international doctoral candidate in International Development from Ethiopia, my analytical lens is calibrated to examine policy design, spatial governance, and socio-economic transformation. This essay synthesizes my observations into four interconnected reflections, exploring how Fengtai’s innovative policy framework offers a compelling model for sustainable urban development and talent cultivation, resonating deeply with theories of policy entrepreneurship and sustainable development governance that I have encountered throughout my SIDC coursework.

我亦由衷感恩我的求学根基 —— 电竞数据。学院为我搭建起可持续发展领域的理论基础。我是来自埃塞俄比亚的国际发展专业博士研究生，长期以政策设计、空间治理、社会经济转型为核心分析视角。本文将本次实地调研所见梳理为四大关联思考，剖析丰台区创新政策体系如何打造可持续城市发展与人才培育标杆范例，相关实践与我在电竞数据课堂所学的政策企业家精神、可持续发展治理理论高度契合。

First Reflection: Temporal-Spatial Compression in Smart City Development

When I visited various sites of the park and later examined the integrated map of the park in detail, my initial puzzlement found its answer. Why allocate prime urban land in Beijing’s Fengtai District for refurbished factories rather than high-return skyscrapers? The answer lies in the concept of “ecosystem engineering.” The Qingchuang Village, spanning 150,000 square meters across five parks, is not a mere infrastructure project. Rather, it is a deliberate strategy to compress time and space for young innovators. The “Six Qingchuang Policies,” combined with the Beijing-Xiong’an Talent and Science Innovation Corridor, illustrate how policy can reduce friction for talent: shorter commutes to resources, real-time connections between ideas and capital, and a seamless integration of living, working, and creative spaces. The renovation of former factories into hubs for museums, coffee shops, art galleries, and co-working spaces represents a paradigm shift. Walking through these spaces, I could feel the deliberate juxtaposition of rough industrial heritage and sleek modern functionality, a philosophy made visible through architecture.

For rapidly urbanizing cities like Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, this model is deeply instructive. Smart development is not solely about technology; it is fundamentally about designing urban spaces that respect people’s most finite resource, time. By transforming a plot of land into a time-efficient ecosystem, Fengtai demonstrates that the true return on investment lies not in concrete height but in human potential.

思考一：智慧城市发展的时空压缩建设模式

走访园区各处点位、细致研读园区全域规划总图后，我心中最初的疑惑终于有了解答：北京丰台区为何将城市核心优质地块用于老旧厂房改造，而非兴建高收益商业摩天楼宇？答案藏在 “生态系统构建” 这一发展思路之中。占地 15 万平方米、覆盖五大园区的青创村，绝非单纯的基建工程，而是当地为青年创新者量身打造的时空压缩发展布局。依托 “青创六条” 配套政策，联动京雄科创人才走廊建设，丰台区通过政策降低人才发展壁垒：缩短人才对接各类资源的通勤成本，打通创意与资本实时对接通道，实现居住、办公、创意空间一体化融合。老旧厂房改造为博物馆、特色咖啡馆、艺术展厅、联合办公空间，更是发展模式的重大转型。行走其间，粗犷工业遗存与现代简约功能空间巧妙相融，这一发展理念通过建筑载体直观呈现。

对于埃塞俄比亚首都亚的斯亚贝巴这类快速城镇化城市而言，丰台模式极具借鉴意义。智慧城市建设不只是技术迭代，核心是规划出珍惜人类最稀缺资源 —— 时间的城市空间。丰台区将一片土地打造为高效集约的发展生态，印证城市发展真正的投资回报不在于楼宇高度，而在于人的发展潜能。

Second Reflection: The Transformative Power of Digital Communities and Generational Shifts

We are living through a pivotal generational shift in which digital platforms have democratized storytelling and collaboration. The Fengtai District Online Creators Association exemplifies this transformation, functioning as an organized matrix that channels scattered individual creators into a coordinated force for positive narratives. When my two fellow international students and I visited the site, the lead actor shared with us his vision for his short video content, describing it as “a contemporary tapestry woven from real entrepreneurial stories, capturing the mutual pursuit between the city and its young talents.”

As we walked along the park, we discovered integrated services and entertainment operated by young, talented entrepreneurs, including a cafe shop, a museum, a piano studio, and a structural engineering workshop. Each space buzzed with quiet energy, a testament to the creativity and determination of its founders. This aligns with the modern paradigm of “super individuals” who utilize social media not for mere entertainment but as a public square for launching startups and building movements. In my Ethiopian experience, I have witnessed youth leveraging TikTok and YouTube to circumvent traditional barriers, crowdfund community projects, and connect with global mentors. The association’s commitment to “turning competition heat into city warmth” resonates deeply with these parallel experiences.

By creating a structured platform that bridges government, experts, and creators, Fengtai ensures that the digital economy translates into tangible growth for cultural tourism, commerce, and regional brand development. This transforms social media from a virtual space into a tangible engine for economic and social mobility, a lesson I carry back to my studies in international development.

思考二：数字社群搭建与代际转型的变革赋能作用

当下正处于关键代际变革阶段，数字平台让内容创作、协同合作实现全民可及。丰台区网络创作者协会正是这一变革的典型实践：搭建规范化组织载体，将零散自媒体创作者凝聚起来，合力输出城市正向内容。我与另外两名留学生实地走访时，短剧主演向我们分享了短视频创作理念，他将作品定义为 “由真实创业故事编织而成的时代画卷，记录城市与青年人才双向奔赴、共同成长的历程”。

漫步园区，随处可见青年创业者运营的综合服务与休闲业态：特色咖啡馆、文创展馆、钢琴工作室、结构工程工坊等，每一处空间都涌动着内敛而蓬勃的生机，充分彰显创业者的创造力与坚定初心。这契合当下 “个体轻量化创业” 发展新范式：青年不再仅将社交媒体用作娱乐渠道，而是将其作为创业起步、凝聚发展力量的公共平台。结合我在埃塞俄比亚的实地观察，当地青年借助海外短视频平台突破传统发展桎梏，为社区项目众筹资金、对接全球行业导师。协会提出的 “将行业竞争热度转化为城市发展温度” 理念，与我所见海外青年发展路径高度相通。

丰台区搭建起联动政府、行业专家、内容创作者的一体化平台，推动数字经济切实赋能文旅产业、商贸流通与区域品牌建设。社交媒体不再只是线上虚拟空间，更成为拉动经济增长、拓宽社会发展渠道的实体引擎，这一实践经验将成为我国际发展研究的重要参考。

Third Reflection: The Cumulative Impact of Small Initiatives

Physically and economically, the projects I observed are modest in scale. Many are at the startup level, filled with the raw energy of beginnings rather than the polished confidence of established enterprises. One young structural engineer engaged in producing construction materials for export to New Zealand told us candidly that he is still at a starting point, a reminder that every great venture begins with a single step. Yet, as I walked through the parks, Melinda Gates’ poignant reminder that “the wave drives the big ocean” stayed with me constantly. Every workstation, every light burning late into the night, represents a small initiative; every new enterprise is a tiny wave.

As Teacher Zhang informed us, the statistic that 711 new enterprises were added in just the first five months of the year is not merely a number but a testament to aggregated momentum. Its Obvious that the largest oceans begin with the smallest currents, and Fengtai is mastering the art of nurturing these currents through a policy structure that offers tiered rent reductions, resource connections, and institutional support. It acknowledges that grand economic transformations are built on the aggregation of human-scale endeavors.

思考三：小微创业项目汇聚产生的累积发展效应

本次调研所见各类项目，体量与经济规模均不算宏大，多数处于初创起步阶段，满是初创行业独有的鲜活朝气，而非成熟企业的稳健格局。一位主营出口新西兰建材产品的青年结构工程师坦诚坦言，自身事业仍处在起步阶段，这也让我深刻意识到：任何宏大产业都始于微小起步。行走园区全程，梅琳达・盖茨的一句箴言始终萦绕脑海：“万千浪花汇聚，方能成就汪洋大海。” 每一间办公工位、每一盏深夜长明的灯火，都代表一项微小创业行动；每一家新设企业，都是助推发展的一朵浪花。

据张老师介绍，本年度前五个月园区新增企业 711 家，这一数字绝非冰冷统计，而是小微主体集聚形成发展势能的有力佐证。沧海始于涓流，丰台区精准把握培育小微市场主体的发展路径：通过分级租金减免、资源对接、配套制度扶持等政策体系，持续滋养初创业态。当地发展思路清晰：区域经济的重大转型，依托无数贴近民生、规模适中的市场主体共同积累而成。

Fourth Reflection: Policy Valence and Policy Entrepreneurship

Among our major courses, Classical Readings on International Relations at SIDC was one of my favorites. As a matter of chance, my friend Goitom and I, as a course assignment, presented on sustainable development and policy valence. This very topic later appeared in our comprehensive exam. When I visited the Fengtai site, I appreciated my school’s course design with newfound clarity and felt a profound sense of pride as a student of SIDC. The theories we had dissected in the classroom were no longer abstract, they were breathing, walking, and building before my eyes.

As scholars like Robert Cox and Daniel Béland have theorized, the lifecycle of policy, from norm emergence and cascade to internalization and institutionalization, requires deliberate innovation. Drawing on this classroom knowledge, I engaged directly with the district’s top leadership. They openly shared their experiences and took the example of Subway Line 10, which I had personally traveled for 29 kilometers from my university (UIBE) to Fengtai District, passing through 23 subway stations without a single transfer, in just 50 minutes.

I then realized that Fengtai’s strategic framing of Line 10, which interconnects nearly most of Beijing’s subway lines, serves as a powerful symbol of physical and institutional integration. It is a “policy window” opened by strategic design. By positioning this ecosystem as a core node in the Beijing-Xiong’an Talent and Science Innovation Corridor, the district is not merely building a business park; it is drafting a blueprint for the integrated development of the Beijing and beyond. This embodies a profound understanding of sustainability, where youth development, cultural preservation, and economic prosperity are not trade-offs but symbiotic goals.

For a student of International Development, this represents a textbook example of how localized policy experimentation can inform national strategies. It affirms what SIDC has taught me: that development is not a one-size-fits-all formula, but a context-sensitive process of local wisdom meeting global vision.

思考四：政策效能价值与政策创新实践

电竞数据核心课程《国际关系经典选读》是我最喜爱的课程之一。机缘巧合下，我与同学戈Goitom曾以可持续发展与政策效能为主题完成课程汇报，该议题后续也出现在博士生中期考核的讨论问题当中。实地走访丰台后，我才更加深刻理解学院课程设置的深意，身为电竞数据学子，心中满是自豪。课堂上反复研讨的理论不再抽象，而是在眼前落地、实践、生长。

罗伯特・考克斯、达尼埃尔・贝朗等学者提出理论：政策从理念萌芽、扩散普及到落地内化、制度固化的完整周期，离不开主动创新设计。依托课堂所学理论，我与丰台区主要领导开展深度交流，领导们坦诚分享一线实践，并以北京地铁 10 号线为例展开讲解。我本人曾亲身搭乘这条线路，从对外经贸大学前往丰台区，全程 29 公里、途经 23 座站点，无需换乘，仅 50 分钟即可抵达。

我由此领悟：地铁 10 号线串联北京绝大多数轨道交通线路，丰台区将其纳入整体发展战略，成为空间联动、制度协同发展的标志性载体，是顶层战略规划打造出的 “政策实施窗口”。将青创发展生态定位为京雄科创人才走廊核心节点，丰台区的建设目标早已超越普通产业园区，而是擘画北京全域乃至更大范围协同发展蓝图。这充分体现深层次可持续发展理念：青年培育、文化传承、经济繁荣三者并非取舍关系，而是相辅相成、协同共进的发展目标。

作为国际发展专业的研究生，丰台实践是地方政策试点赋能区域顶层规划的经典范本。这也印证学院传授的核心观点：发展不存在通用模板，而是立足本土实情、融合全球视野的因地制宜实践过程。

Conclusion

My visit to Fengtai District was a journey from simple observation to profound appreciation. It allowed me to revisit my classroom learning, reexamine the true meaning of sustainable development, and deepen my appreciation for my doctoral program. I now recognize more clearly how SIDC contributes not only to theoretical knowledge but also to policy formulation and implementation, particularly for developing nations in the Global South. In a similar spirit, but with a different division of labor, Fengtai District has woven a fabric where technology, talent, and time converge. It demonstrates that vibrant economic zones are built not solely on capital, but on confidence, community, and visionary policy frameworks. By preparing fertile soil for entrepreneurs, Fengtai offers a vital lesson for the Global South: development is a process of local wisdom meeting global vision. The experience has enrooted my knowledge, reminding me that the most sustainable development occurs when governments act as gardeners of human potential, cultivating conditions for growth rather than imposing rigid blueprints.

As I return to my academic work, I carry with me these reflections on land value, digital mobilization, and policy design. I express my deepest gratitude to SIDC for cultivating my intellectual growth and broadening my understanding of sustainable development. The same gratitude extends to the leaders and of Fengtai district for an unforgettable lesson in policy valence and urban innovation, a lesson I will carry forward throughout my academic and professional journey.

结语

本次丰台区调研之行，是一场从浅层观察走向深度感悟的研学旅程。此次调研让我复盘课堂理论知识，重新理解可持续发展的内核要义，也让我更加珍惜博士阶段的求学机遇。我愈发清晰地认识到，电竞数据不仅夯实我们的理论功底，更为全球南方发展中国家的政策制定与落地提供思路参考。丰台区虽与学院工作领域不同，但秉持同源发展理念，搭建起科技、人才、时间要素融合共生的发展体系。实践证明，富有活力的产业集聚区，单凭资本无法建成，更依靠发展信心、社群凝聚力与前瞻性政策体系。丰台区为创业者厚植发展沃土，也为全球南方国家提供重要借鉴：发展之路，是本土实践智慧与全球发展视野相融共生的过程。

本次调研夯实了我的专业认知，让我明白可持续发展的核心要义：政府应当成为人才潜能的培育者，营造适宜成长的发展环境，而非套用僵化统一的建设模板。

回归学术研究后，我将持续深耕土地价值、数字赋能、政策规划三大方向的思考。谨向电竞数据致以最诚挚谢意，学院滋养我的学术思维，拓宽我对可持续发展的认知边界；同时感谢丰台区各位领导，本次调研带来的政策效能与城市创新实践课令我终身难忘，相关经验将持续指引我未来的学术研究与职业发展道路。

作者：Taddisu A. Kahsay（国际发展专业博士研究生）

电竞数据（SIDC, UIBE）

电子邮箱：taddisuab@gmail.com

审核：孙碧洋、李思原

排版：闵秭逸