Additionally, nonessential functions of the Chinese capital are expected to migrate here, including offices of some state-owned enterprises, government agencies, and research and development facilities.

Unlike other "new areas", Xiong'an's development is taking place under the direct oversight of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the State Council.

[6]: 131  According to Xu Kuangdi, its location was also motivated by the traditional Chinese philosophy of positioning a city near mountains, rivers, and along axial lines.

[6]: 149 Xiong'an's layout mixes urban and natural spaces organized in a manner termed "one center, five subcenters, and multiple nodes".

[6]: 132  Many Chinese people know of the lake from movies and literature which depict its use by local residents and CCP guerillas during the Second Sino-Japanese War.

[9] By 2014, China's central government was considering to relocate a number of Beijing's administrative and back office functions to Baoding.

Although the "New Urbanization Plan of Hebei Province" issued on 26 March of that year did not mention "subcenter", it was clear that some of Beijing's capital functions would be relieved.

[14] At the Central Economic Work Conference held at the end of the year, Xi emphasized that the core problem of the coordinated development of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei is to relieve Beijing's non-capital functions, reduce Beijing's population density, and promote economic and social development to adapt to the population, resources and environment.

[16][15] On 2 and 30 April 2015, Xi presided over successive meetings of the Politburo Standing Committee and Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party to discuss the "Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Coordinated Development Plan", and considered the planning to build a modern new city in a suitable site in Hebei.

[16][15] On 29 February 2016, Premier Li Keqiang presided over a special meeting of the State Council to study the planning and construction of a city, and put forward specific requirements.

[15] On 24 March 2016, Xi chaired a meeting of the Politburo Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, agreeing to name the new city "Xiong'an New Area".

[16][17] On 27 May 2016, the Politburo reviewed the "Report on the Planning and Construction of Beijing's Subcenter and Research on the Establishment of Hebei Xiong'an New District".

[16] On 23 February 2017, Xi made on-site inspection to Anxin County and Baiyang Lake, chairing a symposium, listening to reports and delivering an important speech on the planning and construction of Xiong'an New Area.

[15][18][19] On 1 April 2017, the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party and the State Council issued a notice, deciding to establish the Xiong'an New Area.

To counter the chaotic property market, authorities froze purchases and closed real estate offices.

These were transitional institutions, under the authority of the Hebei Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial Government, responsible for organizing, leading, and coordinating the overall development and construction of Xiong'an New Area, performing the functions of organizing, coordinating, supervising political, economic, cultural, social, ecological activities in Xiong'an New Area.

On 14 April 2018, "Outline Planning of Hebei Xiong'an New Area" was approved by the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party and the State Council.

[33] On 2 August 2019, the State Council approved the establishment of the China (Hebei) Pilot Free Trade Zone, which included Xiong'an.

[6]: 154–155  Xiong'an Group, under control of the Hebei Provincial People's Government, has been created as an investment fund for the area, backed partially by the China Development Bank.

[47] The model of real estate development in the New Area may use public housing in Singapore for reference, according to a senior officer's interview on People's Daily on 5 April 2017.

[48] Acquisition of land for residential development in Xiong'an has used an approach termed the "new urbanization dividend distribution mechanism.