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

Author

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

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.

Suggested Citation

  • Linjun Xie & Ali Cheshmehzangi & May Tan-Mullins & Andrew Flynn & Tim Heath, 2020. "Urban Entrepreneurialism and Sustainable Development: A Comparative Analysis of Chinese Eco-Developments," Journal of Urban Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 27(1), pages 3-26, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:cjutxx:v:27:y:2020:i:1:p:3-26
    DOI: 10.1080/10630732.2019.1680940
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    Cited by:

    1. Margarida Rodrigues & Mário Franco, 2022. "Bibliometric review about eco-cites and urban sustainable development: trend topics," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 24(12), pages 13683-13704, December.
    2. Pauline McGuirk & Robyn Dowling & Pratichi Chatterjee, 2021. "Municipal Statecraft For The Smart City: Retooling The Smart Entrepreneurial City?," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 53(7), pages 1730-1748, October.
    3. Fangzhu Zhang & Fulong Wu, 2022. "Performing the ecological fix under state entrepreneurialism: A case study of Taihu New Town, China," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 59(5), pages 1068-1084, April.
    4. Aurel Pera, 2020. "Assessing Sustainability Behavior and Environmental Performance of Urban Systems: A Systematic Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-19, September.
    5. Sheng Zhang & Meng Xu & Yifu Yang & Zeyu Song, 2021. "Technological Innovation, Production Efficiency, and Sustainable Development: A Case Study from Shenzhen in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-12, September.
    6. Ali Cheshmehzangi & Andrew Flynn & May Tan-Mullins & Linjun Xie & Wu Deng & Eugenio Mangi & Weixuan Chen, 2021. "From Eco-Urbanism to Eco-Fusion: An Augmented Multi-Scalar Framework in Sustainable Urbanism," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-22, February.

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