Mobility as a Service (MaaS) represents a public transport-oriented ecosystem that integrates multimodal mobility resources to offer an on-demand, door-to-door mobility solution, which includes mobility inquiry, planning, reservation, and payment. MaaS does not only align with emerging trends in intelligent, personalized, and sustainable mobility, but also facilitates a dual transformation in urban governance. This transformation encompasses both an institutional dimension, which shifts from a supply-led to a demand-responsive model, and a value dimension, which transitions from a vehicle-centric to a human-centric focus. As one of the countries with the largest populations and the highest demand for mobility globally, China encounters complex mobility challenges characterized by persistent supply demand tensions, rapidly upgrading demand, and increasingly prominent governance bottlenecks. Thus, there is a pressing need for a dual-drive model that facilitates coordinated efforts from both the supply and demand sides to achieve precise resource allocation and dynamic responsiveness to demand. As a new-type supply-demand coordinator in mobility, MaaS restructures mobility logic with a focus on demand-side orientation, in contrast to traditional models that prioritize supply-side or managerial perspectives. By enabling integrated dynamic scheduling of multimodal mobility resources, MaaS propels the mobility system towards precise adaptation and dynamic equilibrium between supply and demand, and positioning itself as a salient pathway for addressing China’s mobility challenges. This paper conducts a systematic analysis of the multi-dimensional impacts of MaaS on urban systems, focusing on transportation services, built environment, and social justice. Given international experiences and the significant challenges faced in the development of MaaS in China, the paper offers insights into planning and governance implications. Specifically, it posits that the primary driver of MaaS success is market demand, which is fundamentally linked to the enhancement of intermodal mobility experiences that improve user adoption. However, in China, the fragmented development of various mobility modes has persisted, resulting in barriers to cross-modal coordination and a lack of dynamic interaction between supply and demand. This fragmentation leads to prolonged waiting times, inefficient transfers, and inconvenient payments, thereby severely compromising service quality. Consequently, it is imperative to establish unified regulations and standards that encompass the efficacy of MaaS platforms, data security, and emergency response protocols, with a particular emphasis on integrated multimodal mobility and seamless payment systems. Furthermore, advancements are necessary in guiding policies, business models, collaboration mechanisms and environment and facilities. In terms of guidance policies, it is essential to develop specialized strategic plans at the national level to delineate development objectives and implementation pathways. This should be accompanied by synergies in policy innovation to bolster local pilot initiatives. Local governments are encouraged to establishquantifiable targets and articulate clear roadmaps, which may include the integration of MaaS metrics into local performance evaluations and the incorporation of MaaS within territorial spatial planning frameworks. Moreover, the implementation of dual-track incentives is recommended, encompassing economic subsidies and public awareness campaigns. In the context of business models, the government-enterprise cooperation model in China faces challenges related to multi-stakeholder conflicts, low user engagement, and inadequate sustainability of commercial operations. It is recommended that efforts be made to prioritize the integration of multimodal information to facilitate unified mobility planning and payment systems. Moreover, the development of regionally tailored and user-tiered operational strategies is essential for diversifying service portfolios. Moreover, it is advisable to explore cross-sector linkages, such as those in real estate, tourism, and finance, as well as to monetize virtual assets, including data, carbon credits, and advertising. Speaking for collaboration mechanisms, it is recommended that a national governance coalition be established, drawing on the experiences of the European MaaS Alliance. This coalition should encompass various ministries and be complemented by local MaaS coordination offices. Furthermore, it is essential to develop multi-stakeholder collaboration mechanisms that clearly delineate responsibilities across all operational phases. Engaging non-governmental organizations, community groups, and volunteers is also significant. In the context of environment and facilities, it is imperative to improve the public transport network, especially the shared and slow mobility systems. This improvement should be implemented through a dual-track approach that incorporates both mandatory regulations and point-based incentive mechanisms. Furthermore, promoting mixed-use land development around mobility hubs is suggested. Additionally, underutilized rural stations could be reused as mobility hubs that include co-working spaces for digital nomads. It is also essential to enhance the availability of smart facilities, as well as to retrofit street furniture, to establish real-time urban traffic perception networks. This research seeks to provide guidance for the implementation of MaaS and to enhance the existing body of literature on the topic. Future studies could develop multiscale quantitative models to analyze the impacts of MaaS, while also evaluating the effectiveness of various operational models and policy instruments. In practical terms, efforts could be directed towards two primary pathways, the technologyenabled solutions, particularly the integration of autonomous vehicles, and the exploration of multiscale collaborative networks across urban clusters, interprovincial regions, and cross-border contexts.