Delegation of the European Union to China and Mongolia
Cooperation Section
EU-China Research and Innovation Partnership
New pathways for sustainable urban development in China’s medium-sized cities (MEDIUM)
Background
Over the past thirty years, China has recorded remarkable economic performance through steady integration with the global economy. This change has been inextricably linked with intense urbanization. In 1979, 18 percent of Chinese lived in cities, but this had surged to 54 percent by 2013, while the official number of cities (shi) increased from 193 to 9000. However, the virtuous circle of urbanization-economic growth has also created severe environmental problems. In 2010, China became the largest global energy consumer, and, with coal accounting for 69 percent of its consumption, is also the biggest energy-related CO2 emitter in the world (US Energy Information Administration 2014). As a response to ecological issues, the Chinese central government established a set of environment protection standards at national and local levels — amounting to over 800 standards by the end of 2005. The 11th five-year plan (2005-2010) also introduced for the first time a target ratio (20% by 2010) aimed at reducing energy consumption per unit GDP.
In this regard, local governments have been encouraged to develop ‘eco-cities’ or ‘low carbon cities’ as a means to achieve energy-saving and emissions-cutting (Wu 2012). By the end of 2010, China accounted for 230 eco-city projects proposed, or partly or fully implemented (Chien 2013:177), with 80 percent of prefecture-level cities having at least one project (China Society for Urban Studies 2012). Some of these schemes have been successful, such as those carried out through bilateral collaboration with prominent foreign design and architecture firms (Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-city and the Sino-German Yangzhou’s Eco-city park). While scholars promote the concept of the eco-city as a viable solution to the problem of achieving urban sustainability (Guo, 2004; Li, 2014), empirical research on ongoing projects has revealed several shortcomings. Some authors have underlined a lack of local government support in terms of regulations and technologies, as well as an insufficient concern for local needs (Poo and Neo 2010, Ying and Xian 2012). Others (Chien, 2013, Poo and Neo 2013) stress the factthat most eco-city projects take place in the outskirts of cities, which does not improve the situation of existing built-up areas and may even cause further consumption of energy resources.
Project Overall Objectives
01.Advance the knowledge base on sustainable development in Chinese cities with particular reference to medium-sized cities
02.Turn medium-sized cities into innovation and well-being poles through the fertilization of ideas by stakeholders
03.Increase the penetration of European companies in China
Specific Objectives
SO1. Increase the researchers’ mobility in order to strengthen Sino-European academic networks.
Estimated Project Results
R1 –European doctoral and postdoctoral students trained as specialists of China’s urban issues
R2 -Foster collaborative approaches in urban management
R3. Identify business opportunities for EU firms
Main Project Activities
WP1. Project management and overall coordination (CNRS)
Task 1.1 : Contractual and financial management
Task 1.2 : Monitoring the individual mobility schemes and work plan
Task 1.3 : Preparation of the scientific events in China
Task 1.4. Organization of the closing conference in Europe
Task 1.5. Dissemination
Task 1.6. Multivariate analysis determining the ‘profiles’ of the selected cities.
WP2. Coordination of MEDIUM’s action in China (HZNU)
Task 2.1. Coordination of the individual mobility schemes in China
Task 2.2. Implementation of the scientific events in China
Task 2.3. Implementation of the stakeholders’ workshops
Task 2.4. Dissemination work in China
WP3. Organization of stakeholders’ meetings (S4S)
Task 3.1. Literature review and preparatory interviews
Task 3.2. Training sessions on collaborative method and recruitment of facilitators
Task 3.3. Workshop preparation
Task 3.4. Workshop reporting
Task 3.5. Synthesis of workshop results, exchange of experience
WP4. Dissemination & Communication activities (UNIVE)
Task 4.1. Design and maintenance of the project website and social media communication channels
Task 4.2. Augment MEDIUM’s visibility through ICT tools and social networks
Task 4.3. Monitoring and participation in online and offline discussions relevant to themes of the project – including attending and organizing conferences, congresses and workshops.
Task 4.4. Making project reports accessible through popular online repositories of documents like Slideshare and Scribd (for documents) or podcast collection (e.g on Spokenwords.com).
Task 4.5. Designing the project identity guidelines
Updated time of fiche: May 2015
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