Based on the urban renewal initiatives adopted by the 15th Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, this paper proposes public art as a strategy to intervene in the practice of urban renewal initiatives, including its organizational form, funding composition, implementation measures and implications. The main research elements are as follows: the historical origins of the “urban beautification” and “urban renewal” movements. The role of public art in urban renewal is explained at three levels: public art activates urban space, public art legislation promotes urban regeneration policies, and public art is consistent with urban regeneration as a manifestation of “publicness”. Through three examples of public art interventions in urban renewal, public art is analyzed from multiple perspectives as a practical strategy for urban renewal. It is suggested that the intervention of public art in renewal is of great significance in the formation of regional cultural growth and a “new ecological” approach to urban renewal.