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‘Eco’ For Whom? Envisioning Eco-urbanism in the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-city, China

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  • Federico Caprotti
  • Cecilia Springer
  • Nichola Harmer

Abstract

type="main"> Eco-cities have attracted international attention from governments, corporations, academics and other actors seeking to use sustainable urban planning to reduce urban environmental impacts. China has devoted significant political will and economic resources to the development of new-build eco-city projects, reflecting the Chinese government's goals to build a ‘harmonious society' in which environmental sustainability and social stability are mutually reinforcing. We critically analyse the case of the Sino-Singapore Tianjin eco-city to demonstrate that the eco-city's ecologically modernizing visions of eco-urbanism construct a protective environment for its residents that constrains broader consideration of social sustainability. Through analysis of the marketing and presentation of specific domestic and other spaces of the eco-city, we examine the application of ecologically modernizing construction and technology to the design of the city. We argue that the eco-city is discursively constructed as ecologically beneficial for its inhabitants rather than for the broader socio-environmental landscape. Our analysis of residential spaces in Tianjin eco-city introduces the question of what ‘eco’ means when considering the construction of eco-urban environments for the city's residents.

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  • Federico Caprotti & Cecilia Springer & Nichola Harmer, 2015. "‘Eco’ For Whom? Envisioning Eco-urbanism in the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-city, China," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(3), pages 495-517, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:ijurrs:v:39:y:2015:i:3:p:495-517
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    1. Paul D. Mullins, 2017. "The Ubiquitous-Eco-City of Songdo: An Urban Systems Perspective on South Korea's Green City Approach," Urban Planning, Cogitatio Press, vol. 2(2), pages 4-12.
    2. Martin de Jong, 2019. "From Eco-Civilization to City Branding: A Neo-Marxist Perspective of Sustainable Urbanization in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(20), pages 1-14, October.
    3. Valeria Saiu, 2017. "The Three Pitfalls of Sustainable City: A Conceptual Framework for Evaluating the Theory-Practice Gap," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(12), pages 1-23, December.
    4. Si-Ying Tan & Araz Taeihagh & Kritika Sha, 2021. "How Transboundary Learning Occurs: Case Study of the ASEAN Smart Cities Network (ASCN)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-19, June.
    5. Chen-Yi Sun & Yen-An Chen & Xiuzhi Zhang, 2019. "Key Factors in the Success of Eco-Communities in Taiwan’s Countryside: The Role of Government, Partner, and Community Group," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-11, February.
    6. Changjie Zhan & Martin De Jong, 2017. "Financing Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City: What Lessons Can Be Drawn for Other Large-Scale Sustainable City-Projects?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(2), pages 1-17, February.

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