China 2030: Building a Modern, Harmonious, and Creative High-Income Society

WORLD BANK,  BEIJING February 27, 2012 – China should complete its transition to a market economy — through enterprise, land, labor, and financial sector reforms — strengthen its private sector, open its markets to greater competition and innovation, and ensure equality of opportunity to help achieve its goal of a new structure for economic growth.

These are some of the key findings of a joint research report by a team from the World Bank and the Development Research Center of China’s State Council, which lays out the case for a new development strategy for China to rebalance the role of government and market, private sector and society, to reach the goal of a high income country by 2030.

七 Seven wishes from World Streets for China in the Year of the Snake

Gong Xi Fa Cai Transport in Cities: May the Year of the Snake be the year in which China no longer follows the old tired paths of the twentieth century, but shows the world by example of affordable and efficient ways to move into a new era of harmony and transportation with a human face.

Here are our seven wishes for efficiency, harmony and mobility in Chinese cities in this Year of the Snake.

Weekend musing: Nixon in China

While musing about China these days and particularly about how they are handling matters of transport, mobility and public space during this period of possible change of thinking at the highest policy levels there (See World Streets http://wp.me/psKUY-2Kb), I am listening once again, decades later, to the still surprising Nixon in China of John Adams. And wondering how my Chinese friends might react to this.

Rethinking Car Free Days in Taipei: Part II

Upon my return to Paris after a ten-day stint in Taiwan working with local colleagues in support of several on-going collaborative city projects there, and in particular in support of this year’s 10th anniversary Car Free Day program in Taipei City, I received the following letter from the Commissioner of  Transportation commenting on their follow-up and plans for the year ahead.  (Note:  For the first part of this report, click here.)  It is highly satisfying to see this steady expansion and achievement when it comes to innovation in support of more people-oriented initiatives and services. If you are looking for a good example from Asia, we suggest that you consider putting Taipei on your list.

Protected: Share/Transport Conference in China: 28/29 April – Strategy of presentation.

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Protected: Top 5 collaborative projects for China, 2011

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Hangzhou – The view from the saddle of a shared bike of China’s most liveable city

Rory McMullan reports from the streets of Hangzhou:
Chinese New Year is thought to be the biggest movement of people on earth as millions of people leave the cities to return home to celebrate the passing of the lunar new year with their families. With most people headed for their family home, this is the low season for hotels, so I decided to take the opportunity to visit one of the most famous tourist cities in China, Hangzhou, to test their public shared bicycle system which is by some accounts now the world’s largest.

Green Spring for China: Part II

Dear Eric,

Great brand, and great idea. I attach a very basic two page proposal and a rehash of the ppt, which is for the meeting with the city department head. It’s only a start, but getting late here now, so something to build on tomorrow.

All the best,

Rory

Let’s make a Green Spring for China in 2011!

Dear Rory,

Let me try to summarize in a few lines the main points I just mumbled through in that first-rate exchange we had brainstorming on an eventual joint demonstration project, starting with your proposed “You’re better off by bike “Ciclovía” project for Zhuhai maybe for March. By the numbers:

Car-sharing will ease Shanghai’s traffic problems

Article from http://motoring.asiaone.com/Motoring/News/Story/A1Story20110108-257076.html. Thanks to Rachel Botsman for the heads-up

Beijing to limit issuance of new car plates. Proposed strategy: Declare victory and move on.

The good news is that the Beijing authorities recognize that they are sitting on a time bomb and have shown themselves ready to deal with it. Their readiness to act is admirable and exemplary. As is their decision to look for an innovative way to get the job done. A Shanghai-level PISA A+ for their creative initiative.

The less good news is that this

China Project E-Newsletter Issue No.1, 2011

Air Quality, Energy, Transport, and Climate Change in China

CAI-Asia China Project E-Newsletter.  Issue No.1, 2011

Dispatch: Beijing to limit issuance of new car plates

To open up 2011 please find here the first in a planned new series of occasional China Streets Dispatches, to be taken from multiple sources with the goal of giving wider circulation within China and beyond to articles, emails and other outstanding contributions covering from different perspectives what the editors of C/S believe to be important matters concerning China’s streets and well-being which are worthy of both wider circulation and preservation. This first dispatch is from china.org.cn –  http://www.china.org.cn/china/2010-12/23/content_21604345.htm

The Beijing municipal government said Thursday it will limit 2011 issuance of new car license plates to 240,000 and implement harsh traffic control measures to ease the city’s traffic congestion. Many Chinese netizens called this the “toughest congestion-tackling measure in history”. From Friday, Beijing car buyers will have to draw lots before obtaining a car license plate, said Zhou Zhengyu, deputy secretary-general of the Beijing municipal government.

… Read More

via China Streets (Beta)

Brainstorm: Share Transport City Audits in China – 1

Preparing the way for the second World Share/Transport Forum in China – 2011

There are at least two preparatory projects that I would like us to discuss now — and then take a decision one way or another to advance as a priority to lay the groundwork for a truly successful 2011 China conference.

1. Share Transport City Audits

2. Green Transport City Audits

Why is this important — and why is it important now?

Beijing has become a city of the world

Subject: Leadership by example.

Dear Yan,

This is a particularly brilliant phrase you have chosen to stimulate those in BJ responsible for these decisions, and just the sort of thinking that we need to open the door to a great world-level transportation and mobility policy for Beijing. It will be very important that the city and national government understand that not only Beijing but the world needs new models of mobility — and I cannot think of any city in the world, or any country in the world, that is better prepared to move into a leadership position, if they can work out the policies and practices that will do the trick on their own streets.

Beijing new measures drafted to ease congestion

Dear Mingming Liu(and Su Song, Thank you for asking us. And it is of course extremely delicate to make these kinds of comments in public in this manner. You have been asked to rally us on this, which I understand. And since you need our best feedback today, one only has to pick up pen and do ones best. Which now follows in very quick and concise form, point by point as you have asked.

Beijing new measures drafted to ease congestion seeking for comments

From: Cornie Huizenga [mailto:cornie.huizenga@cai-asia.org]
Sent: Friday, 17 December, 2010 03:34

Dear All,

Attached a few graphs on cars in Beijing. The numbers are mindboggling: about 100,000 cars registered per month in November and December. I was in Columbia 2 weeks ago and with a population of 44 million persons they register about 250,000 per year. Also, for comparison Shanghai registers about 7,000 cars per month, which means about 90% less on annual basis than in Beijing.

It is my understanding that Beijing will try to limit the numbers of new cars sold, albeit, at a much less ambitious level than in Shanghai. Even if they manage to reduce the current levels with 50%, they would still add almost 5 times as many cars as in Shanghai or for Columbia. The second part of the strategy to reduce the use by combination of parking fees, possible congestion charges and plate restrictions is also doubtful. People are currently willing to put up with being locked in congestion on a routine basis. This includes plate restrictions already. The cost of parking and congestion charging is not likely to deter people from driving.

If you have been in Beijing recently and have travelled by public transport you will have noticed that it is cheap and overcrowded (especially the subway). At the same time distances are large and not always conducive to cycling or walking. This means that at present there is not enough of an alternative. Creating this alternative by expanding subway system is time consuming and expensive. I have my doubts about the sharing approach proposed by Eric, at best it is a niche which will reduce the pressure a little. I have not seen any real examples of where it has reduced traffic in a substantial manner.

In my view any successful strategy will have to include:

• control of number of vehicles being added to the fleet and subsequent use of the vehicle. Both needs to be driven by an objective analysis of what is feasible with existing available road space. Living in Shanghai and having visited Singapore frequently I am struck by the lack of complaints on the side of the population on the restriction in the number of new plates being issued. This means that the political viability is much larger than is generally being assumed by people living in places where these controls are not in place;
• On controlling the use of cars, it would make sense to increase the cost of fuel which is not being mentioned at the moment.
• there needs to be an aggressive expansion of public transport. For the time being this can only be done by increasing the capacity of the subway with additional rolling stock (if possible) and by taking BRT serious (making use of Bogota and Guangzhou experiences). For the long term you can add additional lines to subway. Beijing is still some way of the density in subway lines in for example Tokyo.
• In terms of the sharing concept it might be of interest to see what the impact would be of doubling of the taxi fleet.
• To promote cycling I wholeheartedly agree with Eric that the cycling infrastructure is much more important than the bike schemes. Create green flow express ways for cyclists as in Copenhagen and instruct traffic police to look out for the interests of cyclists. Dramatically increase the parking facilities for cyclists at malls, hospitals, offices and schools etc.
• Make walking attractive and do not treat pedestrians as second class citizens by traffic police.

Cornie

On Thu, Dec 16, 2010 at 5:14 PM, ALLEN Heather <heather.allen> wrote:

Thanks Eric for replying on this – as I cannot give the point of view from UITP without jumping through several hoops with our Asian office (J ) I would be happy to add some personal reflections. I have added these to Eric’s below.

Thanks for giving us this opportunity for input!

Heather

Heather Allen

Senior Manager, Sustainable Development

UITP

Tél + 32 2 661 31 90

UITP celebrates 125 years this year! (1885 – 2010) Next World Congress Dubai

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