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

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.

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.