Urban Entrepreneurialism and Sustainable Development: A Comparative Analysis of Chinese Eco-Developments

Linjun Xie, Ali Cheshmehzangi, May Tan-Mullins, Andrew Flynn, Tim Heath

Research output: Journal PublicationArticlepeer-review

26 Citations (Scopus)
50 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

In recent years, state entrepreneurialism and the notion of (urban) sustainability have become ever more closely intertwined in China and there has been a proliferation of eco-/low-carbon and other similar sustainability-themed urban initiatives that have helped local states to achieve a favorable position in city competitions. Nevertheless, existing studies do not explain why Chinese sustainability projects are planned/implemented with divergent emphases and different development trajectories. Through three Chinese flagship projects, the real-estate-centric Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City (SSTEC), the environmental-construction-led Chongming Eco-Islands (CEIs), and the industrial development-focused Shenzhen International Low-Carbon City (ILCC), we argue that the formulation and implementation of urban sustainable developments are subject to local particularities and different extra-local political-economic contexts. We highlight how both vertical administrative governance and horizontal coordination between territorial jurisdictions underlie the Chinese entrepreneurial planning system, which results in different types of urban entrepreneurships: (1) scalable startup urban entrepreneurship (SSTEC); (2) asset-replacement urban entrepreneurship (CEIs); and (3) urban expansion entrepreneurship (ILCC). This study also reveals that all three cases experience a development paradox as they strive to reconcile mutually competing economic and environmental imperatives.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)3-26
Number of pages24
JournalJournal of Urban Technology
Volume27
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2 Jan 2020

Keywords

  • Urban sustainable development
  • eco-city
  • low-carbon city
  • state entrepreneurialism
  • urban planning

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Urban Studies

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Urban Entrepreneurialism and Sustainable Development: A Comparative Analysis of Chinese Eco-Developments'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this