PROPOSING A PRACTICAL FRAMEWORK FOR CHINA ON THE ADOPTION OF THE COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGES OF ECO-CITIES COLLABORATION WITH THE WORLD: A CASE STUDY OF THE SUCCESS & FAILURES OF THE ECO-CITY COLLABORATIONS BETWEEN CHINA AND THE WORLD

Abstract

The case study examined the failures and successes of the eco-city collaborations that China has had with the rest of the world. An eco-city is defined as an environment that provides diverse solutions to the industrialization problems and the rising environmental damage emanating from industrialization. The key goal of eco-cities is to minimize the ecological footprints of cities by considering the impact of cities on the environment. The focus on eco-cities is increasing globally in the recent years. This paper focuses on two main aspects of eco-cities, including the design of the cities’ infrastructure and the relevance of the eco-city inhabitants’ attitudes, which is a crucial element in achieving successful eco-cities. The paper specifically focused on China’s eco-cities, where China has experienced rapid industrialization in the recent years. The key limitations in the research include confidential and geographical limitations; hence, the research was mainly based on extensive qualitative literature review. The study primarily utilized case studies that explored the existing eco-cities in China as well as China’s collaboration with other global regions. The study majorly focused on three eco-cities in China, including the Dongtan Eco-City, Qingdao Sino-German Eco-park, and the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City. The main objective of the study was examining the failures and successes presented in each case study to help in establishing a practical framework that could be adopted by future eco-cities in China for purposes of maximizing on the comparative advantages. The study concluded that China demonstrates an apparent need for more eco-cities as well as more collaboration with other countries since the economy lacks the relevant expertise in establishing and effectively managing eco-cities.