Environmental city-regionalism in China: War against air pollution in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region

The state remains central in contemporary environmental politics and policies, although environmental governance increasingly involves neoliberal and non-state mechanisms. Environmental management in China holds features of an ‘environmental state’ and has been undergoing continuous restructuring, manifested by a recent city-regionalism turn. Informed by the theories of eco-state restructuring (ESR) and eco-scalar fix, this paper investigates air pollution management in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region by tracing the practices of environmental and territorial governance over the past decades. Through the analysis of parameters of the eco-state, this paper conceptualises the air pollution governance in China into three phases, namely pollutants emission control (the 1990s2005), campaign-style regional governance (2006-2012) and city regionalism in air quality governance (2013 onwards). We find that the central state plays proactive but different roles in each phase, characterised by state strategic selectivity, adjustments of state apparatus, deployment of a set of policy instruments, and enhanced state capacities for monitoring, control, and legitimation. In this context, the city-regional level has become the key scale at which environmental regulations are targeted and the economic and environmental realms are being (re)formed. This state-led eco-scalar fix process to cope with urgent environmental issues explains the underlying rationality of building up the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region as a new national strategic project

Spatio-Temporal Changes in Vegetation in the Last Two Decades (2001–2020) in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei Region

In terrestrial ecosystems, vegetation is sensitive to climate change and human activities. Its spatial-temporal changes also affect the ecological and social environment. In this paper, we considered the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region to study the spatio-temporal vegetation patterns. The detailed analysis of a moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) data were carried out through the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform. Our results show a slow and tortuous upward trend in the average leaf area index (LAI) in the study region for the periods 2001–2020. Specifically, Beijing had the highest LAI value, with an average of 1.64 over twenty years, followed by Hebei (1.30) and Tianjin (1.04). Among different vegetation types, forests had the highest normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) with the range of 0.62–0.78, followed by shrubland (0.58–0.75), grassland (0.34–0.66), and cropland (0.38–0.54) over the years. Spatially, compared to the whole study area, index value in the northwestern part of the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region increased greatly in many areas, such as northwest Beijing, Chengde, and Zhangjiakou, indicating a significant ecological optimization. Meanwhile, there was ecological degradation in the middle and southeast regions, from Tangshan southeastward to Handan, crossing Tianjin, Langfang, the east part of Baoding, Shijiazhuang, and the west part of Cangzhou. Air temperature and precipitation were positively and significantly correlated with net primary production (NPP) and precipitation stood out as a key driver. Additionally, an intensification of the urbanization rate will negatively impact the vegetation NPP, with the shrubland and forest being affected most relative to the cropland

The Role of big Data in Regional Low-Carbon management: A Case in China

Low-carbon management is an important area of urban study and city management, and it is a critical element of the modern city system. Even though the importance of low-carbon management has been recognized, low-carbon problems are still salient and even worse than ever before in some developing countries, like China. Nowadays, big data techniques may change this dilemma in the regulatory process and innovation of social governance. However, few studies have been conducted to examine the role of big data in regional low-carbon management, especially in developing countries. In this study, by drawing on the experience of other countries and using “big data” methods, we have developed an approach of using a big data model to improve low-carbon management in Beijing (the capital of P.R. China), and we have proposed some policy suggestions

Trade-induced atmospheric mercury deposition over China and implications for demand-side controls

Mercury (Hg) is of global concern because of its adverse effects on humans and the environment. In addition to long-range atmospheric transport, Hg emissions can be geographically relocated through economic trade. Here, we investigate the effect of China’s interregional trade on atmospheric Hg deposition over China, using an atmospheric transport model and multiregional input-output analysis. In general, total atmospheric Hg deposition over China is 408.8 Mg yr-1, and 32% of this is embodied in China’s interregional trade, with the hotspots occurring over Gansu, Henan, Hebei, and Yunnan provinces. Interprovincial trade considerably redistributes atmospheric Hg deposition over China, with a range in deposition flux from −104% to +28%. Developed regions, such as the Yangtze River Delta (Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang) and Guangdong, avoid Hg deposition over their geographical boundaries, instead causing additional Hg deposition over developing provinces. Bilateral interaction among provinces is strong over some regions, suggesting a need for joint mitigation, such as the Jing-Jin-Ji region (Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei) and the Yangtze River Delta. Transferring advanced technology from developed regions to their developing trade partners would be an effective measure to mitigate China’s Hg pollution. Our findings are relevant to interprovincial efforts to reduce trans-boundary Hg pollution in China

The discourse, governance and configurations of polycentricity in transitional China: a case study of Tianjin

Polycentricity has been identified as a prominent feature of modern landscapes as well as a buzzword in spatial planning at a range of scales worldwide. Since the Reform and Opening-up Policy in 1978, major cities in China have experienced significant polycentric transition manifested by their new spatial policy framework and reshaped spatial structure. The polycentric transformation has provoked academics’ interests on structural and performance analysis in quantitative ways recently. However, little research investigates the nature of (re)formation and implementation of polycentric development policies in Chinese cities from a processual and critical perspective. This research interprets the underlying meanings and rationality of polycentric development strategy in planning discourse and explains how concrete centres within the polycentric system are created, governed and materialized to facilitate the implementation of polycentric policies in the special context of political system, spatial planning system and socio-economic conditions in China. Referring to existing literature of polycentricity and theories of urban space, this research develops a novel theoretical framework, which holds that polycentricity is produced by the articulation of state power, planning profession and produced space. The research is founded on an embedded case study of Tianjin based on empirical data derived from interviews with stakeholders and secondary data. Through a discourse analysis of four Tianjin City Master Plans, discourses of ‘polycentric urban settlements’, ‘functional polycentricity’, ‘polycentric growth nodes’ and ‘nested polycentricity’ are identified, which are deployed in different ways with variegated composition of spatial elements. Moreover, rather than being mere technocratic practice, the production and legitimation of distinct discourses is essentially an articulation of multi-scalar power involving various stakeholders, which is disguised and justified by the planning profession. The findings demonstrate that polycentricity is a malleable concept and its fluidity creates space to accommodate consensus or to allow the play of contested interests and policy experiments. Based on that, this research further selects centres in Tianjin Binhai New Area Core Zone, Wuqing District and Dongli District as embedded cases to explore how the polycentric development policy is implemented in practice. The empirical findings from local perspective show that these centres are created or formed according to different contexts and logics, and they are consolidated by employment of a portfolio of tools and instruments such as new planning and urban design, establishment of financial and development corporations, exclusive preferential policies, manipulation of public sector, land development and institutional innovation. Correspondingly, these centres have experienced distinct development trajectories and shown different spatial outcomes from the perspectives of urban form, functional composition, and spatial identity. It is suggested that significant gaps and contradictions exist between spatial visions and actual development, which poses challenges for sustainable development

Controlling PM2.5 in Chengdu: Analysis and Recommendations from the China, U.S. and California Experience

Chengdu, China, is experiencing rapid economic growth and urbanization at a cost of serious air pollution problems. China has developed a series of policies to reduce PM2.5 emissions and to reform energy structure. However, problems exist which may prevent effectively implementation of the PM2.5 policies, include poor PM2.5 monitoring, isolated environmental management, lack of health improvement target, unclear consequence of non-compliance, and unequally distributed PM2.5 management. This research reviews U.S. PM2.5 emission control technologies related to coal-fired boilers and iron and steel manufacturing industries, which represent major emission sources of Chengdu. Chengdu’s choice of PM2.5 control technology should always consider its local characteristics. By learning the U.S. and California PM2.5 control experiences, their effective policy features are identified, include clear consequence of failure to compliance, strong states and local authorities, comprehensive monitoring and reporting system, health-based standards, and regional air quality management district. U.S. practice also shows innovative policy tools, such as technology standards, use of economic incentives, and cap and trade programs. These U.S. and California policy mechanisms can help to address problems and challenges existing in Chengdu and China’s PM2.5 management. Based on the analysis of the China, U.S. and California policies related to PM2.5, I make the following recommendation: develop integrated policy framework and giving stronger authority to environmental protection agencies; consider health effects as a qualification of the PM2.5 standards; establish comprehensive and accurate PM2.5 monitoring and reporting system; specify clear consequences for non-compliance and strengthening enforcement; divide provinces and big areas into regional air quality management districts by considering local characteristics; use technology-based emission standards to reflect emission limitation and performance; use economic incentives to drive emission reduction; and enhance public disclosure of information