The scope of this book is to map China’s city clusters and their individual directions for the national-level strategies in line with the 2060 carbon neutrality plan. Since China announced the carbon neutrality plan in autumn 2020, no study has looked at the role of city clusters in achieving this long-term plan. Hence, this study is believed to be the first attempt to explore this important topic from the city cluster perspective. It explores the challenges, opportunities, and directions of all 19 city clusters, allowing readers to have a clear picture of China’s historical and ongoing progress, as well as the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. In a short time, China’s city clusters have helped boost regional economic development, infrastructure development, trade and business, and better urban–rural integration. With enhanced coordination of connection and transport networks in and between the city clusters, we see a growing number of initiatives beyond just the initial economic strategies. The dual approach of top-down policies and infrastructure systems and bottom-up governance and investments has helped China consider urban–rural development strategies and regional sustainable development. These factors are essential to be explored from the city cluster perspective and in line with China’s sustainable development and carbon neutrality directions. Hence, the book covers these points holistically, ensuring that regional planning and development are favored in the face of uneven urbanization trends. We anticipate this book to be a valuable resource for local governments and authorities, urban planners and practitioners, developers, and urban researchers. While the focus is on China’s city clusters, we believe there are similar examples elsewhere. Hence, lessons learnt from this book could apply to other countries, regions, and subregions. Lastly, the book aims to put regional sustainable development at the heart of longer-term strategies and plans, such as the case of China’s carbon neutrality plan.

This book is an unusual attempt to study urban regeneration. First, it is based on mapping the realities of urban regeneration case study examples and their impacts on people, places, and city life experiences. Second, it is context-specific, exploring only a particular region rather than covering one country or multiple locations. Hence, the aim is to avoid generic and global solutions but rather focus on local pathways and directions. Third, it delves into specific case study examples that could share some lessons for research, practice, and academia, particularly in the field of urban regeneration. This book is the first of (hopefully) many more on the way in urban mapping studies with various themes and focus areas. The ultimate goal is to ensure urban mapping is recognized well and practiced extensively in research and education. It is essential to map realities in cities and communities, those that we usually witness but should be experienced, perceived, and touched—not just via desk research. Mapping techniques are more than just common tools in urbanism, urban geography, urban studies, urban planning, etc. They are not just tools but inventive ways of understanding cities, places, communities, experiences, and people. Thus, in this book, we try to understand more about people and places through life experiences and mapping the urban regeneration projects of multiple cities in Yunnan Province. This collection is based on a very concise context-specific research focused on only one region. The decision to do so is intentional, just because contextual, cultural, and local attributes need to be looked at more accurately, considerably, and dexterously. Hence, this collection delves into case study examples of an inspiring location where traditions remain, resources are plenteous, and cultures are diverse. Yunnan is one of the few provinces left in China that offers a lot for comprehensive research studies at the urban, rural, and township levels. The experiences we gained from mapping studies, observations, and multi-stakeholder engagements are exceptionally rich and vibrant, allowing us to think more holistically and find ways and suggestions beyond just the generic globalized models elsewhere. We hope the book will be useful to various stakeholders, particularly urban specialists, researchers, and students. It is also a valuable collection for policymakers, decision-makers, and governmental authorities, who should refrain from top-down processes and bring back people to the heart of urban regeneration processes.

This book offers a fresh perspective on the historical, economic, and cultural foundations of capitalism, cities, and climate change. By exploring the intersection of urbanization, consumerism, and colonialism, the book sheds new light on the origins and development of the economic system that has shaped our world today. What sets this book apart is its unique approach, which challenges conventional wisdom and offers new insights into the complex relationships between culture, politics, and economics. The book is intended for readers interested in the history and evolution of capitalism and its impact on society, as well as those interested in climate change and urbanization. The content level is accessible for general readers, yet sophisticated enough to appeal to scholars and researchers. The two most important features of the book are its fresh perspective on the history of mercantilism and its examination of the economic landscape of cities and climate change. By reading this book, readers gain a deeper understanding of the complex relationships between urbanization, colonialism, and economic policies, and their impact on contemporary society.

Carbon neutrality refers to net-zero carbon emissions. It can be achieved by reducing carbon emissions or increasing carbon adsorption. The popularity of social media including Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn provides good channels for sharing relevant information and promoting sustainable carbon-neutral living styles. For example, a motor company has launched social media challenges with Korean pop stars to raise awareness of carbon neutrality. Social media provides real-time information. In Jakarta, flood-related tweet intensity during a flood peaked at about 900 tweets a minute during the floods of 2015. The tweets created real-time maps that people sent a minute before. Regarding government policies, identification of problem areas is needed to help policymakers to resolve problems. Machine learning can monitor these events by studying past records to know how countries and governments performed in a high-risk event or environmental crisis and this data can be used to provide future recommendations to governments for policy making. Additionally, AI can analyze online unstructured data, and predict various scenarios of carbon emissions and adsorptions using structured data. The world of social media is a huge data source still yet to be fully optimized in science.

Cities, Change, and Conflict was one of the first texts to embrace the perspective of political economy as its main explanatory framework, and then complement it with the rich contributions of human ecology as well as perspectives derived from critical approaches to social theory. Although its primary focus is on North American cities, the book contains several chapters on cities in other parts of the world, including the Global North and Global South. It provides both historical and contemporary accounts of the impact of globalization on urban development and urban institutions. This sixth edition features a new, groundbreaking chapter on the relationship between the physical environment and human settlements, including the urban-rural nexus. This edition also expands and updates coverage of recent trends such as the establishment and evolution of gay neighborhoods, the suburbanization of immigrant groups, the situation of the immigrant youth known as "Dreamers," the reverse migration of Blacks from the North to the South, and the proliferation of exurban communities. Beyond examining the dynamics that shape the form and functionality of cities, the text surveys the experience of urban life among different social groups, including a new perspective on intersectionality as it affects people’s experiences in cities. It illuminates the workings of the urban economy, local and federal governments, and the criminal justice system while addressing policy debates and decisions that affect almost every aspect of urbanization and urban life.

Vols. for 1964- have guides and journal lists.