The New Taipei City mayoral race has turned to urban renewal, with Democratic Progressive Party candidate Su Chiao-hui and rival Lee Shih-chuan each questioning the other's approach. For residents of ageing buildings hoping to speed up reconstruction, and for developers, this is good news, as it means urban renewal has been pushed to the centre of the policy agenda.

• Su Chiao-hui proposes establishing an "Urban Renewal Bureau" if elected, giving urban renewal cases stuck between various departments a single point of contact.
• Lee Shih-chuan, by contrast, has proposed an "Urban Renewal Promotion Committee" convened by the mayor in person, and questions whether adding another bureau would increase the administrative burden.
• Su Chiao-hui countered that Taipei City is likewise governed by the Kuomintang, and if this approach worked it could have been done long ago.
• She said what causes developers the most pain is having cases shuttled between departments with no one coordinating, leaving them to navigate the process on their own.
• Another focus is renewing entire blocks centred on major railway stations, while preserving local character and historical memory.

Outlook: The pace of urban renewal and the administrative structure behind it will become the main points of contention in the New Taipei City mayoral race, with both sides expected to put forward more concrete incentive proposals.