China’s City Cluster Development in the Race to Carbon Neutrality

The scope of this book is to map China’s city clusters and their individual directions for the national-level strategies in line with the 2060 carbon neutrality plan. Since China announced the carbon neutrality plan in autumn 2020, no study has looked at the role of city clusters in achieving this long-term plan. Hence, this study is believed to be the first attempt to explore this important topic from the city cluster perspective. It explores the challenges, opportunities, and directions of all 19 city clusters, allowing readers to have a clear picture of China’s historical and ongoing progress, as well as the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. In a short time, China’s city clusters have helped boost regional economic development, infrastructure development, trade and business, and better urban–rural integration. With enhanced coordination of connection and transport networks in and between the city clusters, we see a growing number of initiatives beyond just the initial economic strategies. The dual approach of top-down policies and infrastructure systems and bottom-up governance and investments has helped China consider urban–rural development strategies and regional sustainable development. These factors are essential to be explored from the city cluster perspective and in line with China’s sustainable development and carbon neutrality directions. Hence, the book covers these points holistically, ensuring that regional planning and development are favored in the face of uneven urbanization trends.

We anticipate this book to be a valuable resource for local governments and authorities, urban planners and practitioners, developers, and urban researchers. While the focus is on China’s city clusters, we believe there are similar examples elsewhere. Hence, lessons learnt from this book could apply to other countries, regions, and subregions. Lastly, the book aims to put regional sustainable development at the heart of longer-term strategies and plans,such as the case of China’s carbon neutrality plan.

China’s sustainable development status and carbon neutrality plan.- The significance of a long-term plan: Reflecting on the position of China’s City Clusters.- Case study Chapters of City Clusters.- China’s City Clusters and Carbon Neutrality Plan: Conclusions and Future Directions.

Ali CHESHMEHZANGI is an urbanist and urban designer by profession and by heart. He studies cities and city transitions, sustainable urbanism, and integrated urban design strategies. Ali is Head of the Department of Architecture and Built Environment and co-Director of Urban Innovation Lab, and Professor of Architecture and Urban Design at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China. He is research associate of the Network for Education and Research on Peace and Sustainability (NERPS), Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan. He is an urbanist and urban designer by profession and by heart. Ali is globally known for his research on urban sustainability.

So far, Ali has published +160 journal papers and 12 other books. His books are titled ‘Smart-Eco Cities in China: Trends and City Profiles 2016’ (2016), ‘Designing Cooler Cities’ (2017), the award-winning ‘Eco-development in China’ (2018), ‘Sustainable Urban Development in the Age of Climate Change’ (2019), ‘Identity of Cities and City of Identities’ (2020), the double award-winning ‘The City in Need’ (2020), ‘Urban Memory in City Transitions’ (2021), ‘Sustainable Urbanism in China’ (2021), ‘China’s Sustainability Transitions’ (2021), ‘Urban Health, Sustainability, and Peace in the Day the World Stopped’ (2021), ‘Green Infrastructure in Chinese Cities’ (2022), and ‘ICT, Cities, and Reaching Positive Peace’ (2022). He is the Editor-in-Chief of the Springer’s Urban Sustainability Book Series, launched in February 2022.

Tian TANG is an independent researcher focused on analysing China’s urban and regional transitions and urban sustainability research. Tian works with AVA Consultancy Group and Liang Ltd., with significant research operations and consultancy work in Sichuan, Shanghai, Guangdong, Hainan, Hunan, and Chongqing, China. Tian is experienced with fieldwork activities in China and currently focuses on analyzing ICT-mediated platforms for smart-resilient strategies. With extensive collaborations with both industry and institutes, Tian has developed a profile in urban sustainability research. The work includes several case study research work as an independent research associate member, focused on the context of Chinese urban clusters, cities, and regions. Tian has 60+ reports, papers, and conference/workshop presentations.