In 1997, Zhongshan was under the survey of the United Nations Center for Settlements and finally won the "Habitat Scroll of Honor Award".

Trying to achieve the goal of "a city suitable for living and business", the locals of Zhongshan have worked hard to improve the planning and construction of the city. When carrying out the National Tenth Five-Year Plan, 5.94 billion Yuan has been spent on the construction of infrastructure in the city. Ever since 2004, the city planning has been made clear and effective. The Wuguishan Ecological Conservation Zone has been established with relevant measures to protect it. The natural gas has also begun to find adequate application, improving the quality of air significantly. The treatment of garbage has been run properly. In order to effectively treat the sewage in urban and suburban areas and improve the quality of water, factories have been set up and projects have been launched. The supply of water is also safeguarded and the piping system has been improved. The greening project has been undertaken, with the greening rate of 39.4% in the urban center. The improvement of traffic and transportation is on the agenda. And the "Smooth Traffic Project" has been the limelight.