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This paper introduces the concept, status and problems of China's environmental management system at the rural-urban interface. The problems of environmental management are closely related to rapid urbanisation and the traditional rural-urban dual management system. Integrating rural and urban environmental concerns into environmental policy and management remains a challenge at the rural-urban interface because of the institutional mismatch between urban environmental policies and rural environmental issues. From the current management status, management goals, related laws and major measures the problems in terms of management process are (1) lack of clear identification of environmental issues; (2) lack of clearly defined responsibilities; (3) inappropriate policies and regulation systems; (4) ineffective implementation of environmental policies and regulations; and (5) lack of supervision in environmental management. The existing environmental management pattern leads to a lack of environmental awareness in residents and environmental quality deterioration in the rural-urban interface. This paper suggests a new environmental management pattern constituting government-led environmental management committees and environmental organisations of public participation for the rural-urban interface in China. This pattern is aimed at facilitating reform of the current rural-urban interface environmental management and promoting integrated development in China's urban and rural areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urbanization has created a significant gap between the Three Northeast Provinces (TNP) and the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) since China’s reform and opening-up. In this study, we explain this problem by employing an urban expansion index, spatial hierarchical clustering, the Zipf-PLE model, fractal theory, and time-series analysis. Statistical data on the built-up area, population, and gross domestic product were downloaded from the National Bureau of Statistics of China. The results revealed the following. (1) During the stage of the planned economy, as a result of the significant government investment in development, the urban built-up areas in the TNP and the YRD reached 1867 and 757 km2, respectively, in 1984. (2) During the stage of the socialist market economy, the urban built-up area of the YRD experienced rapid growth over the 30 years from 1984 to 2014 with a rate of increase of 668.8%, which was higher than that of the TNP (139.9%). In 2014, the urban built-up areas of the TNP and the YRD were 4479 and 5820 km2, respectively. (3) Locational advantages had significant effects on urban development after China’s economic reform. The coastal cities of the YRD had higher rates of increase of the built-up areas. By contrast, the border cities of the TNP had lower rates of increase. Finally, this paper finds that the socialist market economy exhibited more efficiency in promoting urban expansion and economic development. The results are significant for generating balanced and sustainable regional development strategies in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most cities or leagues in Inner Mongolia are the result of resource-based industrialization processes and animal husbandry development, leading to a heterogeneous composition and configuration of urban areas seldom guided by proper urban ecological landscape regulation policies. In this paper, we chose Xilingol as a case study, and put forward novel ecological landscape regulation approaches based on ecosystem services (ES) for achieving sustainable development in it. An urban ES simulation model and an urban classification model were used to assess the change of ES and to guide the future urban ecological landscape regulation. The results showed a rapid land use change in different subsystems of Xilingol from 2008 to 2013, providing relative values of each type of land per unit in three subsystems (core urban area, suburb and rural), and detected the change of ES in three subsystems and the change of ES per capita in the whole administrative urban area. We suggest that (a) long-term, stable, and ecosystem-services-based land use policies and urban ecological landscape regulation approaches are needed; and (b) highlight an urban ecological landscape regulation approach covering economic, social and natural dimensions for achieving sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Resource-based cities (RBC) have made momentous contributions to urbanization in China. However, as natural resources are exhausted, RBC are facing an enormous challenge. In this paper we put forward a resource-based city sustainability index (RCSI) and a resource-based city coordination index (RCCI), including environmental, social, and economic dimensions, adopted three weight scenarios, and selected 13 cities for study. The results: (a) help locate the problems by analyzing both dimensions and indicators; (b) simulate the trends of how RBC emerged, grew, declined, and regenerated; (c) categorize RBC into four types by integrating RCSI and RCCI; (d) give policy makers a holistic and comprehensive perspective in the future urban regulation and management; and (e) highlight a road to sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's rapid urbanization and its success in developing the Internet of Things (IoT) will decide its future development direction. The construction of sustainable cities is crucial to China because China has such a large population. The Xiamen Long-term Urban Ecosystem Observation and Research Station (Xiamen LUEORS) was started in 2006, together with the research related to the Environmental Internet of Things (EIoT) for Xiamen LUEORS. This paper explains the purpose, general framework, and main features of EIoT, and outlines the results of performing EIoT experiments in some areas, including a ‘town village’, a peculiar phenomenon of China's urbanization. It also discusses the development trends of IoT and proposes the concept of ZeroSpace Interconnection of Things (ZeroIoT, or ZeroSIT). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid growth in land use has caused problems such as waste of natural resources, geological disasters and damage to heritage through the social, economic and environmental impacts of urban sprawl. In this paper, a new model and index system of urban ecological risk assessment (ERA) based on geographic information system (GIS) was built. To identify and classify urban ecological risk factors, three crucial parameters are described: land use features, spatial distance between receptors and risk sources and developed area. World Cultural Heritage conservation areas serve as key receptors, while expansion of land use for construction results in massive urbanisation as a risk source. To analyse the relationships between the receptors and risk sources, a spatial interaction model (SIM), spatial analysis with GIS and geostatistical methods were used. The results show that urban sprawl land threatens Lijiang's land-use patterns. The Lashihai wetland and Wenbi reservoir are at highest risk, while Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is only slightly affected. This research provides further and more comprehensive technical support for identifying potential ecological risk and guaranteeing ecological security in zoning and achieving sustainable development of Lijiang City. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid economic development has led to urban sprawl and threatens river systems. In this paper, we used geographic information system (GIS) techniques to examine the effects of urbanisation on the water resources of the Yanggong River watershed in Lijiang City, and analysed the temporal changes in river systems and their impacts on watershed ecosystem functions. The total length of the river systems in the Yanggong River watershed decreased from 786.9 km in 1995 to 674.2 km in 2009 and is predicted to continue to decrease by 35.5 km in the next 11 years according to various data sources. The decrease in river system density started in the Old Town of Lijiang and gradually spread to the surrounding areas. Our analysis shows that urbanisation is failing to take into account the impacts on river systems and their functions, which could cause a reduction in the size of the river systems and degradation of watershed ecosystem functions in the Yanggong River watershed of Lijiang City. It is suggested that protecting the natural river network and making full use of the advantages of the distinctive terrain in the Yanggong River watershed could contribute to the sustainability of urban development in Lijiang City. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

World cultural and natural heritage sites are an important part of the wealth of humankind, but their protection is threatened by rapid urbanisation. In this paper, we assessed urbanisation-related pressures on the Old Town of Lijiang, using an integrated method based on the analytic network process (ANP). In addition to the data from the governmental census, we also employed satellite images, ecosystem services and sewage treatment data. The results of quantitative assessment of 16 indicators demonstrated that the pressure on the Old Town of Lijiang from 1978 to 2009 has increased with urbanisation and economic development, with the highest pressure occurring in 2009 and the lowest in 1978. The pressure more than doubled between 2000 and 2009, and there was an exponential relationship between urbanisation rate and pressure, suggesting that a small increase in urbanisation rate can trigger a large increase in urbanisation-related pressure. It was found that increases in population and tourism are the most crucial of the pressure indicators. The findings have significant implications for promoting the protection of the Old Town of Lijiang and other world heritage sites under similar pressures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainability assessment is an essential requirement for constructing sustainable cities. In this paper, we develop a comprehensive method to assess the sustainability level of development of cities (SLDC) in China, and use data from the China City Statistical Yearbook to calculate assessment indicators for Lijiang City between 2003 and 2008. Ten indicators covering residents' welfare, urbanisation and environment were selected. The results showed that Lijiang's SLDC experienced a ‘slow decline’ stage followed by a ‘rapid improvement’ stage, and the sustainability of Lijiang's development has been steadily enhanced during the second phase. This assessment indicator system could readily be applied to assess the SLDC of other Chinese cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, urbanisation has become an inevitable worldwide trend, especially in China, which is experiencing rapid urbanisation. Understanding the relationship between city size and resource consumption is necessary to achieve a transition to sustainable development. This paper took a typical rapidly urbanising city, Xiamen, as a case study to analyse relationships between resource consumption and city size in the course of rapid urbanisation. The best-fit curve estimation models were chosen for analysis. The average, derivative and elasticity functions were then solved and plotted. The results revealed different modes for resource use with city-scale growth. An availability, accessibility and scale framework was proposed for analysis, and the implications for sustainable urbanisation are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In general, wildlife is facing increasing threats from rapid urbanisation in China. Ecological safety for wildlife requires an ecosystem that provides the conditions necessary for sustaining life. In this paper, two major breeding habitats and ten typical foraging habitats of egrets living in the urban environment were selected to assess the extent to which the needs of egrets can be satisfied and maintained. Ecological suitability and impacts from humans are the two major factors affecting egret ecological safety. An ecological indicator system was adopted to assess the ecological suitability of areas. Different land-use types were used to represent different degrees of human impact on the egret habitats, by employing a geographic information system. The results show that the two breeding habitats are at a safe level, while the ten foraging habitats are on the whole marginally safe. Full attention should be given to the conservation of wildlife foraging habitats in Xiamen Island. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy consumption increases with urbanisation. This paper developed evaluation indicators and calculations for energy consumption changes, and advances a new indicator, Energy Consumption Unit Geometric Average (ECUGA) elasticity coefficient and its calculation. The ECUGA elasticity coefficient can explore energy consumption changes and make comparisons among countries at different urbanisation stages. The general trend of energy consumption changes is summarised at different urbanisation stages based on values for 45 countries. For China, the ECUGA elasticity coefficient first increases and then decreases, with the peak of urbanisation at 40% to 50%. China's ECUGA elasticity coefficient for 1978-2005 and 2010-2050 differed from the general trend, with a decrease until urbanisation reached 40%, followed by a rapid increase at 40% to 50%, and then a decrease from 50% to 80%. Although the increase and decrease of China's ECUGA elasticity coefficient is faster than in other countries, the values are always lower than the average for these countries at corresponding urbanisation stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]