Taichung mayoral candidates propose urban and youth policies

Taichung mayoral candidates Chiang Chi-chen of the Kuomintang and Ho Hsin-chun of the Democratic Progressive Party have unveiled competing visions for urban governance and youth development.

Chiang Chi-chen proposed a ‘20-minute living circle’ blueprint designed to break administrative boundaries. His plan aims to organize the Taichung metropolitan area into five distinct zones—Mountain City, Coastal, Tun District, Urban, and High-Speed Rail Gateway—to ensure citizens can access medical, educational, and employment services within a 20-minute commute. To support this, he pledged to implement a high-frequency bus network and provide free bus services until the metro network is completed.

Ho Hsin-chun focused her platform on youth empowerment, advocating for the establishment of a dedicated Youth Bureau, noting that Taichung is currently the only major city in Taiwan without such a specialized unit. She also proposed creating an AI Innovation Talent Research Institute to provide support for employment, further education, and entrepreneurship to help young people establish themselves in the city.