The development of sustainable transport – the case of China

• Introduction

  We learned about the current state of sustainable transportation development in a few of the most well-known cities in the world from Alan Wann’s lesson.
  Now the question is, what does “sustainable transportation” actually mean? Examples of sustainable transportation methods include walking, bicycling, transit-oriented development, environmentally friendly cars, vehicle sharing, and creating and preserving urban transportation systems through space preservation, energy efficiency, and the promotion of healthy lifestyles. [1]. Other examples of sustainable transportation methods include biking, walking, and carpooling.

• The Value of Promoting Environmentally Responsive Transportation Methods

  As the socioeconomic status of the human population rises, more of the planet’s resources are being used by humans. A definition of sustainable development that takes into account the carrying capacity of the ecosystems and resource base that are supporting the development would be a strategy that maintains and enhances quality of life for both the current and following generations. [2] To put it another way, sustainable development refers to methods for maximising the use of the planet’s finite natural resources.
  20–25 percent of the world’s total energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions are caused by the transportation infrastructure. This has a sizable impact on the environment. We could lessen our negative effects on the environment and society while also reducing congestion if we made a concerted effort to develop environmentally friendly modes of transportation. As part of their larger initiatives to build cities that are more vibrant, livable, and environmentally friendly, societies have been successful in making their transportation networks more sustainable. [3]

• The state of China’s efforts to create green transportation systems at the moment

  The three main types of cities that exist in the modern world are walking cities, transit cities, and car cities. For the most part, cities have met their requirements for circulation primarily through walking. Europe was dominated by the walking city until the year 1850. [4]
  In recent years, the major Chinese cities have seen a boom in the sharing economy. This category includes sharing services for automobiles, bicycles, and other types of vehicles. Sharing bicycles has grown in popularity as an eco-friendly mode of transportation in China. We can achieve carbon neutrality throughout the life cycle of Meituan bicycles, for instance, leading to a net reduction of more than half a tonne of carbon. As a result, bike sharing substantially contributes to the decrease in carbon emissions and the advancement of sustainable development.
  Furthermore, urban rail transportation has developed into the main form of public transportation in cities, serving as both the main engine of urban development in China’s major and middle-sized cities as well as the undisputed leader in urbanisation in the entire world.

• How to develop environmentally friendly modes of transportation

  The three-leaf diagram illustrates that finding solutions that integrate all three facets of sustainability into a single cohesive whole is necessary to developing sustainable transportation. There must be a balance between strategies to help the planet as a whole, end poverty and inequality between and within countries, and enhance education, health, and economic growth. This includes strategies to deal with climate emergencies, biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation. These tactics must complement one another.

• 

• Figure 1.1[2] Searching for sustainable development

• Sustainable transport development should prioritise advancing the development of green and low-carbon modes of transportation, bolstering green infrastructure, promoting new energy, intelligent, digital, and lightweight transport equipment, and encouraging and directing green travel in order to make transportation more environmentally friendly and travel more low-carbon. Conserving energy and reducing CO2 emissions are crucial actions that must be taken during the process of intelligently developing urban rail transportation in order to guarantee the industry’s sustainable and healthy growth. These ever-improving technologies have the potential to lower urban rail transportation’s overall life cycle costs while also preserving energy and cutting emissions.

Reference：

[1] Ministry of Housing, 2021, The ten characteristics, in National Design Guide, pp.9-49.

[2] Barton, H., Grant, M and Guise, R., (2021) Shaping Neighbourhoods, 3^rd Edition, Routledge

[3]Promoting Safe Walking and Cycling to Improve Public Health: Lessons from The Netherlands and Germany (PDF). American Journal of Public Health, Vol. 93. [2008-08-30].

[4] Bobisse, R., & Andrea Pavia, A. (2019). Automatic for the City: Designing for People In the Age of The Driverless Car (1st ed.). RIBA Publishing. https://doi-org.libproxy.ncl.ac.uk/10.4324/9780429347849