Exploring the Relevance of the Eco-City Concept in China: The Case of Shenzhen Sino-Dutch Low Carbon City

While the original eco-city concept as developed by authors such as Richard Register is based on the ecological carrying capacity of the bio-region and has been fleshed out by others to include Western interpretations of good governance such as having a collaborative platform, constructive dialogue, a systems approach, and integrated policy-making, its practical implementation in China has taken a very different turn. Understanding this gap, the reason for its emergence, and its implications is the core of this article. It first reviews the demanding requirements for eco-city development as formulated in the literature. Then the political and administrative realities in China are discussed to illustrate how Chinese policy-makers incorporate the idea in their policy-making practice. Next, lessons learned from an eco-city project in Shenzhen are presented to compare the theoretical insights with realities on the ground the authors have observed. The authors conclude that an intercultural dialogue on international eco-city frameworks and standards is necessary, and that new, greener standards should be anchored to the institutional system in China for the performance assessment of political leaders responsible for the future of urban development in China.