Urban Sustainability – serie

Since 2014, and the start of the New-type Urbanization Plan (NUP), we see a turning point in the sustainability agenda of China. One of the main indicators is greening cities and the built environments, which will be covered holistically in this edited book. From the perspective of green infrastructure, in particular, the book approaches key areas of ‘forest city development’, ‘sponge city program’, ‘green roofing’, ‘nature-based solutions’, ‘urban farming’, ‘eco-city development’, etc. This is the first time that such important areas of research come together under the perspective of green Infrastructure. The results would be beneficial to policymakers, practitioners, and researchers in China and across the globe. The comprehensive set of findings from this book will benefit other countries, as we aim to highlight some of the best practices of the current age.The main aim of the book is to put together an excellent group of scholars and practitioners from the field, focusing on the topic of ‘Green Infrastructure in Chinese Cities’. In doing so, we aim to cover some of the key ‘best practices’ for sustainable urbanism. Divided into four parts, the book covers four key areas of (1) Policy Interventions, (2) Planning Innovation, (3) Design Solutions, and (4) Technical Integration. In doing so, we cover an array of best practices related to green infrastructures of various types and their impacts on cities and communities in China.We expect the book to be a valuable resource for researchers in the areas of sustainability, urbanism, urban planning, urban geography, urban design, geographical sciences, environmental sciences, landscape architecture, and urban ecology. The book covers essential factors such as policy, regulations, and programs (in Part 1), planning paradigms and their impacts on urban development (in Part 2), integrated design solutions that suggest sustainable urbanization progression (in Part 3), and technical knowledge that would be utilized for the future development of green infrastructure practices in China and beyond. Lastly, this edited book aims to provide a collaborative opportunity for experts and researchers of the field, who could contribute to the future pathways of sustainable urbanization of China. Lessons extracted from these contributions could be utilized for other contexts, which will benefit a wider group of stakeholders.

Since 2014, and the start of the New-type Urbanization Plan (NUP), we see a turning point in the sustainability agenda of China. One of the main indicators is greening cities and the built environments, which will be covered holistically in this edited book. From the perspective of green infrastructure, in particular, the book approaches key areas of ‘forest city development’, ‘sponge city program’, ‘green roofing’, ‘nature-based solutions’, ‘urban farming’, ‘eco-city development’, etc. This is the first time that such important areas of research come together under the perspective of green Infrastructure. The results would be beneficial to policymakers, practitioners, and researchers in China and across the globe. The comprehensive set of findings from this book will benefit other countries, as we aim to highlight some of the best practices of the current age.The main aim of the book is to put together an excellent group of scholars and practitioners from the field, focusing on the topic of ‘Green Infrastructure in Chinese Cities’. In doing so, we aim to cover some of the key ‘best practices’ for sustainable urbanism. Divided into four parts, the book covers four key areas of (1) Policy Interventions, (2) Planning Innovation, (3) Design Solutions, and (4) Technical Integration. In doing so, we cover an array of best practices related to green infrastructures of various types and their impacts on cities and communities in China.We expect the book to be a valuable resource for researchers in the areas of sustainability, urbanism, urban planning, urban geography, urban design, geographical sciences, environmental sciences, landscape architecture, and urban ecology. The book covers essential factors such as policy, regulations, and programs (in Part 1), planning paradigms and their impacts on urban development (in Part 2), integrated design solutions that suggest sustainable urbanization progression (in Part 3), and technical knowledge that would be utilized for the future development of green infrastructure practices in China and beyond. Lastly, this edited book aims to provide a collaborative opportunity for experts and researchers of the field, who could contribute to the future pathways of sustainable urbanization of China. Lessons extracted from these contributions could be utilized for other contexts, which will benefit a wider group of stakeholders.

The second part presents strategies for the prevention and control of traffic congestion under urban land redevelopment, proposing a two-stage evaluation system of traffic congestion pre-inspection and traffic impact analysis in the planning and implementation stages of land redevelopment.

This book focuses on the relationship between urban land redevelopment and traffic systems and discusses the related research. Consisting of three main parts, the first analyzes the interaction between land redevelopment and traffic congestion as well as the mechanisms and causes of traffic congestion. The second part presents strategies for the prevention and control of traffic congestion under urban land redevelopment, proposing a two-stage evaluation system of traffic congestion pre-inspection and traffic impact analysis in the planning and implementation stages of land redevelopment. Lastly, the third section includes an application case analysis of the proposed traffic congestion management strategy.

This book provides an institutional interpretation of state-facilitated gentrification in Chengdu, an emerging central city of China.

This book provides an institutional interpretation of state-facilitated gentrification in Chengdu, an emerging central city of China.

This book is the first attempt to explore the use and application of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and related smart technologies in cities and for the sole purpose of reaching positive peace.

This book is the first attempt to explore the use and application of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and related smart technologies in cities and for the sole purpose of reaching positive peace.

This book chiefly focuses on urban traffic, an area supported by massive amounts of data. Sharing valuable insights into how big data can be applied to urban traffic, it offers a valuable asset for information technicians, traffic engineers and traffic data analysts alike.

This book chiefly focuses on urban traffic, an area supported by massive amounts of data. Sharing valuable insights into how big data can be applied to urban traffic, it offers a valuable asset for information technicians, traffic engineers and traffic data analysts alike.

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. In a short time, China’s city clusters have helped boost regional economic development, infrastructure development, trade and business, and better urban–rural integration.

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.

Urbanization in the Middle East is entering a new phase of global importance. As climate change pressures intensify and environmental limits become more visible, cities built under conditions of heat, water scarcity, and rapid transformation have become increasingly critical to debates on urban sustainability and resilience. Urbanization Rethought: On Planning and Resilience in Saudi Arabia offers a critical examination of urban development in one of the world’s fastest-transforming desert regions. Moving beyond planning models derived from temperate and resource-rich contexts, the book explores how aridity, extreme heat, water scarcity, and megaproject-led development reshape the governance and practice of urbanization. Drawing on conceptual analysis and empirical cases from across Saudi Arabian cities, the book examines key dimensions of contemporary urban transformation, including the urbanization–environment nexus, climate change adaptation, green infrastructure, megaproject planning, and the evolving role of urban governance in building resilience futures. Rather than treating planning as a purely technical exercise, the book positions it as a mediating practice between development ambition and ecological limits. The book presents Saudi Arabia as an analytically generative context, and contributes to broader debates on urban resilience, sustainable development, and planning in climate-stressed regions. The insights developed here transcend the Gulf region to cities worldwide confronting urbanization under conditions of environmental constraint and uncertainty. This book is of interest to scholars, planners, policymakers, and students working on urban planning, climate resilience, urbanization, and sustainable development.

This book aims to explore and promote greening strategies to enhance urban resilience and health. It is based on the results of the “Greenwork” project funded by the Italian Ministry of Universities. This book provides an overview of current measures, tools, and innovative approaches to greening the built environment, addressing challenges such as climate change, urbanization, and environmental health.The content is divided into three main sections: 1. Greening Strategies for Climate Risk Management: This section covers nature-based solutions (NBS) for urban resilience against natural and human-made hazards, multi-hazard investigations, and the impact of green solutions on urban well-being and eco-anxiety. 2. Interventions at the Urban Scale: This section focuses on urban green spaces, recreational areas, pocket gardens, the role of greenery in historic centers, and the effects of urban microclimate on health. 3. Interventions at the Building Scale: This section discusses green roofs, green facades, pocket gardens, and the influence of indoor greenery on microclimate and user well-being.

This book offers a critical rethinking of digital urban transformation through a planning centered lens. It moves beyond technocentric views to examine how intelligent technologies shape governance, decision-making, and sustainability outcomes. The book explores key areas including housing, mobility, water management, environmental resilience, and digital civic engagement, showing that technology is deeply embedded in institutional and social contexts. It highlights how data driven systems introduce new opportunities for coordination while raising challenges related to ethics, bias, and accountability. By linking digital innovation to planning theory and governance, this book provides a clear framework for understanding how cities can achieve more inclusive and resilient futures.

Coined and thoroughly introduced here in the book, this new concept is based on people-centric and data-informed processes to enhance our cities and communities for their future, and not for imagining future cities. not later, but now – not for the future cities, but for the future of our cities and communities.

This book is the follow-up research and practical achievement of the national science and technology support project “Research on the planning standards of villages, townships and rural communities” and “Research on the planning technology of rural settlements” in the eleventh five-year plan.

On this basis, it explores the living spaces and new forms of living spaces of different groups, and expands the scope of traditional urban living space research, especially highlighting the impact of the development of new technologies and the emergence of new living concepts on urban living space.

Through interdisciplinary research and case-based analysis, the book offers valuable practical guidance for architects, urban designers, and researchers seeking to create human-centered environments that foster well-being and enhance the quality of lived spaces through thoughtful design.

This book emphasizes sustainable water use through circular economy innovations, addressing the urgent need for efficient water management in various sectors. This approach integrates principles of reducing, reusing, and recycling water resources, fostering resilience against climate change and resource depletion.  The Conceptual Water Efficiency Framework (CWEF) promotes circular water use in industries by implementing closed-water loops and digital tools, enhancing sustainability in sectors like chemicals and meat production (Karkou et al., 2024). The Water Circular Economy Index (WCEI) quantitatively assesses water management across 132 countries, identifying critical areas for improvement in sustainable practices (Peydayesh & Mezzenga, 2024). The Water in Circular Economy and Resilience (WICER) Framework outlines actions to deliver resilient water services while preserving natural systems, particularly in developing countries (Delgado et al., 2024). This book investigates how water sustainability and circular economy can solve the world’s water problems. It offers a global approach that bridges environmental science, economics, policy, and technological advancement to provide practical recommendations for water consumption sustainability. The book provides practical advice, case studies, and future plans for researchers, policymakers, practitioners, and future plans for researchers, policymakers, practitioners and students. It would be an appropriate book to add to the discussion of water sustainability. With real-world issues, creative solutions, and a vision for the future, the book aims to empower policymakers and stakeholders to achieve a sustainable and water-secure world.

This book aims to elucidate the operational mechanisms of transfer of land development right within a public ownership system, which not only offers a distinctive and dynamic case study on TDR program to advance institutional diversity in transitional economies, but also serves as a valuable reference for addressing urban-rural development disparities worldwide.