Towards Low Carbon Cities in China : Urban Form and Greenhouse Gas Emissions

This book explores the relationship between urban form and Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions based on new empirical evidence from four Chinese cities. It reports on the outcomes of a four year, multidisciplinary research project. It includes the conceptual and methodological framework that guided this inquiry, a discussion concerning characteristics of GHG emissions in China, the relevant policies on emissions control, and the associated economic and environmental challenges that China faces in doing this, four distinctive case studies that explored GHG emissions and possible solutions for its reduction at three environmental scales - cross-metropolitan, intra-city and at the neighbourhood level – as well as comparisons of relationships between these scales, an analysis of residents’ attitudes towards GHG emissions reduction, a discussion of policy implications based on the findings of the research, and identification of priority areas for further research.

This book explores the relationship between urban form and greenhouse gas emissions in China, providing new insights for policy, urban planning and management.

Drawing on the results of a four-year multidisciplinary research project, the book examines how factors such as urban households’ access to services and jobs, land use mixes and provision of public transport impact on greenhouse gas emissions. The authors analyse data from a wide range of sources including 4677 sample households from four major Chinese cities – Beijing, Shanghai, Wuhan and Xi’an – with diverse locations, urban spatial structures and population sizes. The book explores residents’ attitudes to reducing GHG emissions and advances knowledge relating to three environmental scales – cross-metropolitan, intra-city and neighbourhood level. It also contributes to debates on low carbon policy by revealing the relevance of urban planning parameters at both the macro and micro levels.

The book will be of interest to scholars in the areas of urban planning, urban management, environmental sustainability and resource utilisation, as well as urban policy makers and planners who are working toward developing low carbon, sustainable cities of the future.