Abstract
Eco-cities have emerged as important sites for urban experiments on
ecological modernization (EM). China has fully embraced this approach by
building hundreds of high-profile eco-cities. This study investigated
how the modernization of urban governance affects eco-cities and
eco-experimentation, focusing on the relationship between the government
and businesses. Our in-depth case study revealed the following: (1) the
modernization of hierarchical governance to enhance financial prudence
conflicts with the resource-demanding nature of eco-city projects; (2)
building international collaborations through modernized network
governance is crucial for Chinese EM; however, sustaining these
collaborations remains a challenge; and (3) the modernization of urban
governance, both vertically and horizontally, remains firmly situated
within an authoritarian political framework. The pressure to pursue
socioeconomic priorities as dictated by the central government forces
local agencies to adopt conflicting strategies that undermine the
quality and authenticity of the pursuit of EM via urban
eco-experimentation.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 2037-2061 |
Number of pages | 25 |
Journal | Urban Geography |
Volume | 44 |
Issue number | 9 |
Early online date | 26 Oct 2022 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Oct 2023 |
User-Defined Keywords
- Eco-cities
- ecological modernization
- modernization of urban governance
- urban eco-experimentation