Summary
The 'Green and Smart Town Development Guidelines' by China Development Bank Capital outlines 12 measurable green guidelines across urban form, transport, and energy/resources, alongside six smart city strategies. The guide aims to reduce urbanization costs from 8.6% to 6.8% of GDP by implementing compact development, transit-oriented design, and resource efficiency. It provides specific benchmarks, such as limiting block sizes to 2 hectares and requiring 70% of buildings to meet MOHURD one-star green standards, supported by international case studies from Portland, Stockholm, and Copenhagen.
Key insights
- The document proposes 12 green guidelines divided into three categories: urban form, transport, and energy and resources. These are intended to be 'default guidelines' that are measurable and practical to prevent 'greenwashing'.
- To prevent urban sprawl and protect natural resources, the guide mandates a compulsory Urban Growth Boundary (UGB). Expansion beyond this boundary is only permitted when urban land use density exceeds 10,000 residents per square kilometer and no other densification options exist.
- The guidelines advocate for Transit-Oriented Development (TOD), requiring that at least 70% of residents in large cities live within TOD areas. Building floor area ratios within 500-800 meters of major transit stations (like metro or BRT) should be at least 50% higher than the average ratio.
- Urban form guidelines emphasize mixed-use development and small block sizes to improve walkability. It recommends that at least six types of amenities (e.g., schools, banks, clinics) be within a 500-meter radius of all residential entrances, and that 70% of blocks should not exceed 2 hectares in size.
- Transport guidelines prioritize non-motorized and public transit over private cars. The guide suggests at least 10 km of interconnected pedestrian and bicycle paths per square kilometer and requires that 90% of all development projects be within 800 meters of a public transport station.
- The guide introduces six 'Smart Guidelines' to optimize the green systems: smart communication, smart transport, smart energy, smart municipal services, smart security, and smart public services.
Cite the original document
- APA
- Huang), 黄. (., Busch), 克. (., He), 何. (., & Harvey), 何. (. (2015). 国开金融绿色智慧城镇开发导则. Energy Innovation. https://energyinnovation.org/wp-content/uploads/12-Green-Guidelines_CN.pdf
- Chicago
- Huang), 黄希熙 (CC, 克里斯•博士 (Chris Busch), 何东全 (Dongquan He), and 何豪 (Hal Harvey). 国开金融绿色智慧城镇开发导则. Energy Innovation, 2015. https://energyinnovation.org/wp-content/uploads/12-Green-Guidelines_CN.pdf.
- Wikipedia
- {{cite report |last1=Huang) |first1=黄希熙 (CC |last2=Busch) |first2=克里斯•博士 (Chris |last3=He) |first3=何东全 (Dongquan |last4=Harvey) |first4=何豪 (Hal |title=国开金融绿色智慧城镇开发导则 |publisher=Energy Innovation |date=October 2015 |url=https://energyinnovation.org/wp-content/uploads/12-Green-Guidelines_CN.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}
- BibTeX
- @techreport{huang2015, author = {Huang), 黄希熙 (CC and Busch), 克里斯•博士 (Chris and He), 何东全 (Dongquan and Harvey), 何豪 (Hal}, title = {{国开金融绿色智慧城镇开发导则}}, institution = {Energy Innovation}, year = {2015}, month = oct, url = {https://energyinnovation.org/wp-content/uploads/12-Green-Guidelines_CN.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }
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