Background

Nowadays, as the world responds globally to climate change, it is undergoing a tremendous transformation of both economic and social development. Since the beginning of the 21st century, a new global wave of creating eco-cities has been established, and urban development has since embarked on a brand new path.

According to the "National Urban System Plan (2006-2020)" Forecast, China is in the midst of rapid urban development with the level of urbanization possibly reaching 47% by 2010 and 56-58% by 2020. As we have seen from recent experience, China is facing serious challenges in terms of its resources and ecological environment. Firstly, a shortage of natural resources has become an urbanization bottleneck. Secondly, the challenge of ecological environment has affected the quality of life for both urban and rural residents. Thirdly, extensive urban development has posed a serious threat to the country’s energy and food security.

In China, the healthy development of urbanization and sustainable development of cities will become important tasks for economic and social development in the future and major topics for urgent study by governments at all levels.

Today, China’s eco-city development model is still in its preliminary stage and thus, a gap exists between the theoretical study and practical application. The study of eco-cities in China mainly focuses on discussion of its connotation, planning, design principles and methodology, with little attention given to an eco-city index system to compare different approaches and results. Such a scientific index system to evaluate relative eco-city development is needed by both central and local decision-makers and the public to better understand and monitor the latest urban ecological developments models and promote eco-city construction and social development with a view into the future.

Objectives

In cooperation with United Technologies Corporation, this five-year program will structure the framework of such an index system for eco-city evaluation, combining qualitative and quantitative analysis to evaluate actual eco-city construction and development in China and promote best practices for cities and urban planners to emulate.

• Aims at promoting successful and progressive eco-city planning, construction, management, and the spread of eco-technology so as to improve the “green” competitiveness of cities.
• Carries out eco-city evaluations at different levels and different scales, incorporating ecological factors and through case studies of eco-city planning and construction with various measures of space and local features; introduces and promotes the best practice to comprehensively improve the level of eco-city planning, construction and management so as to guide the sustainable development of cities in China.
• Encourage city governments to implement green and ecological policies that are helpful for sustainable development of cities through index system evaluation.
• Select and promote good demonstrations of exemplary cities and their eco-city successes by drawing public attention to encourage and push exchange of experiences and communication between different cities.
• Improve public awareness of the eco-city development concept, and spread and popularize the eco-city development concept amongst the whole society.