Green Urbanization

Over the past 30 years, China has embarked on a fast track to urbanization. Data shows that the country’s rate of urbanization reached 58.5 percent at the end of 2017, up 1.17 percent year-on-year. The urbanization rate is expected to hit 60 percent in 2020 and over one billion people will live in cities by 2030. Chinese cities, however, are increasingly polluted and congested, and it is no longer easy for major cities to attract high-tech enterprises and top talent. According to the World Resources Institute, the health impacts of China’s air pollution cost more than 10 percent of GDP. It is high time to give priority to a development model which features attractive, vibrant and convenient public spaces and public transportation in order to maintain the sustainable development of Chinese cities.