Five universities in Beijing will take the lead in carrying out the central government's push to open-up gated communities to ease urban ills including traffic congestion¹, local media reported.

据媒体报道，北京五所高校将带头响应中央政府开放“封闭式街区”的号召，以缓解交通堵塞等城市疾病。

The five prestigious² universities -- Renmin University of China, University of Science Technology Beijing, Beijing Institute of Technology, China University of Political Science and Law, and Beijing University of Aeronautics³ and Astronautics -- have begun piloting the effort.

包括中国人民大学、北京科技大学、北京理工大学、中国政法大学和北京航空航天大学在内的五所知名高校已经开始了试点工作。

All located in the capital's Haidian District, the universities have already repainted road lines to optimize⁴ the transport network, according to the report. Efforts include eliminating dead-end roads, making transit⁵ easier for through traffic and improving connections around the universities.

报道称，位于北京海淀区的这五所高校已经重新粉刷了道路标志线，以优化路网结构。五所高校纷纷打通各类“断头路”，提高道路通达性，并加强与周边高校的联系。

The Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council, or the cabinet, issued a guideline for the city's development on Feb. 21 requiring roads in new residential⁶ developments to be open to the public, becoming part of the urban traffic system. It also said older communities should gradually connect their internal roads to public streets.

2月21日，中共中央国务院发布了《关于进一步加强城市规划建设管理工作的若干意见》，提出要在新建住宅推广街区制，使其道路成为城市交通体系的一部分。另外，老旧社区应该逐渐开放，实现内部道路公共化。

The policy became controversial because knocking down walls and opening gates might violate the country's property laws.

该政策发布之后引起了一番争议，因为“拆墙”和开放社区可能会违反财产法。

The Ministry⁷ of Housing and Urban-Rural Development later said the government would not take a one-size-fits-all approach to opening up gated communities to integrate them with the public road system. The ministry stressed that the legal rights of residents will be protected.

北京住房和城乡建设部随后表示，政府不会采取“一刀切”的方法开放封闭式社区，也不会直接将其融入公共道路体系。该部门强调将会保护居民的合法权益。