October 19-21, Guangzhou baiyun international convention center LCES-2012 will continue to provide an alternative platform to other global conferences in related to climate change and environment protection. We will focus more on practical perspectives on green economy, promotion of sustainable or renewable energy, and exhibit technical resolutions to solve and predict the existing issues. Through the massive operations on comprehensive topics related low carbon economy and industries, we hope the summit can provide best information to exchange channels for all endeavors on low carbon fields who are working on controlling global climate changes from policy makers, NGO leaders, economists, investors, engineers, scientists, industrial leaders, carbon traders, brokers, clean emerge producers, energy consumers, toward daily low carbon life practitioners and advocators etc. Thus, LCES-2012 can provide help our society and humanity with unprecedented impacts on the world sustainable development, new economy growth and renewable energy innovation to commercialization.

Updated: 2012-06-22 16:53 By Harry den Hartog (China Daily) China should learn from Europe and lead the way in urban planning

Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Guangzhou, China April 9, 2013 - April 12, 2013 Second international symposium exploring emerging issues in corporate responsibility and sustainable development. Presentations and debates will highlight current thinking and how these issues are being addressed around the world nowadays. Promoted by: Centre for Corporate Responsibility (London Metropolitan University Business School) http://www.londonmet.ac.uk/lmbs/research/ccr/csr_home.cfm Institute for the Study of Corporate Social Responsibility (Ted Rogers School of Management, Ryerson University) http://www.ryerson.ca/csrinstitute

By Cong Mu (Global Times) 08:27, September 17, 2012 For the first time in China, there are more urban citizens than rural residents in the country, but rural-urban inequalities remain, according to a research report released Saturday by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) in Beijing.

Construction and Real Estate Hinder China's Growth By KEITH BRADSHER Published: September 9, 2012 CHENGDU, China - With more than 100 tall cranes on the skyline, this metropolis in western China looks vibrant at first glance despite the country's sharp economic slowdown.

China has finished the "urbanization of place" but not of people, and the main obstacle is the household registration system

While there's broad agreement China will continue to urbanize rapidly, there is disagreement as to how exactly

A State Council directive made welcome changes to the household registration system, but so much more is needed

Posted by Kate Mackenzie on Aug 30 14:09. In our first post in this series, we examined the widely-held belief that China's steel demand will continue to rise at a rapid rate. FT Alphaville, along with others, contend that such forecasts are on shaky ground. This is, in part, because of the dubiousness of one of the underlying assumptions: that China will rapidly urbanise more of its population. (Here's a very recent example of this argument, from Stephen Roach.) The proportion Chinese living in urban areas just passed the 50 per cent mark in the past year but, the story goes, there is more to come. This will in turn mean more industrialisation, more modernisation, a bigger and consuming middle class and of course more GDP growth. In other words: [...] farmers who once led simple, subsistence-level lives now become factory and service workers in the city, reside in apartments furnished with appliances, occasionally eat out, and perhaps even send their kids to college. In the process, self-sufficient rural households are transformed into workers receiving higher wages and participating in the commodity economy of consumption. As such, urbanization is as much an economic and social transformation as it is a spatial and demographic process. Sounds great doesn't it? The above quote however comes from a paper by Kam Wing Chan in Eurasian Geography and Economics early this year. Chan is a professor of geography at the University of Washington, and he doesn't agree that this is how things will continue to play out for China.

by Nicholas Borst |September 12th, 2012 It's an article of faith amongst many analysts that China's rapid urbanization will inevitably suck up any excess housing supply and boost consumption as new urbanites enter the middle class.

The Urban China Initiative aims to be the source of the best and most innovative solutions to urban development issues in China. To achieve this goal, UCI conducts a grant program to support research concerning China's urban development and sustainability. UCI accepts research applications on an annual basis for grants up to RMB 100,000. It also provides assistance and guidance during the research process and facilitates the publication of working papers and implementation through city pilots (Click here for more supports UCI GRANTS provide). The Initiative supports research on the effectiveness of programs and technologies related to urban development; emerging domestic and global best practices in project design, development, and execution; and paths to successful structural adjustment in China's cities. Grant-supported research focuses on sustainable urbanization (Click here for detailed requirements). Candidates are required to submit an application package which includes a detailed research proposal and CV (download application form and proposal template) to grant@urbanchinainitiative.org. The deadline for the upcoming round of funding is December 20, 2012. Research for the grants is expected to be completed within a year. For inquiry, please contact us via contact@urbanchinainitiative.org or +86(10)-8525-5245.

Wei Yang, Panos Kanavos Abstract Background Health inequality has been recognized as a problem all over the world. In China, the poor usually have less access to healthcare than the better-off, despite having higher levels of need. Since the proportion of the Chinese population living in urban areas increased tremendously with the urbanization movements, attention has been paid to the association between urban/rural residence and population health. It is important to understand the variation in health across income groups, and in particular to take into account the effects of urban/rural residence on the degree of income-related health inequalities. Methods This paper empirically assesses the magnitude of rural/urban disparities in income-related adult health status, i.e., self-assessed health (SAH) and physical activity limitation, using Concentration Indices. It then uses decomposition methods to unravel the causes of inequalities and their variations across urban and rural populations. Data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) 2006 are used. Results The study finds that the poor are less likely to report their health status as "excellent or good" and are more likely to have physical activity limitation. Such inequality is more pronounced for the urban population than for the rural population. Results from the decomposition analysis suggest that, for the urban population, 76.47 per cent to 79.07 per cent of inequalities are driven by non-demographic/socioeconomic-related factors, among which income, job status and educational level are the most important factors. For the rural population, 48.19 per cent to 77.78 per cent of inequalities are driven by non-demographic factors. Income and educational attainment appear to have a prominent influence on inequality.

The Urban China Initiative (UCI) had its biggest event of the year on September 7th in Tsinghua Science Park - the 2012 Annual Forum, inspiring enlightening discussions among participants from public, private and academic sectors to develop policy thinking that will help addressChina's urbanization challenges.

Centre for Sustainable Energy Technologies, The University of Nottingham Ningbo China 27th to 28th October 2012 Ningbo, Zhejiang, China The building sector is one of the highest energy consuming sectors in China accounting for about 30% of total energy usage and also contributes to a significant proportion of pollutant emissions in China. Meanwhile, building construction activities are contributing significantly towards China's economic growth and infrastructure development under the current urbanisation programme. It is estimated that half of the world's buildings being constructed between now and 2020 are expected to be built in China and if nothing is done to control the upward energy trend, building-related energy consumption could double and have a devastating effect on the environment and the economy as a whole. The objective of this international symposium is therefore to provide a forum for academics, government officials, researchers and practitioners to present and discuss recent research and demonstration projects related to low carbon buildings in China. The event will feature well known international experts in this field as Keynote speakers. General topic areas * Sustainable Energy Technologies * Energy storage technologies * Energy and Environmental Policy * Modelling and simulation of buildings * Thermal Energy Management systems * Low carbon construction materials * Eco-building design * Integration of renewable energy technologies in refurbished buildings * Life cycle analysis of low carbon buildings * Waste and water management * Energy Management Contract systems * Post occupancy evaluation of low carbon buildings * Green Architecture * Design for low impact healthcare buildings * Improving sustainability (and resilience) of healthcare facility * Sustainable Urbanism * Urban form and Energy use or Low carbon cities * Green and liveable cities Website: http://www.nottingh

Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China 18th to 19th October 2012 The conference will comprise the academic strand - as part of the international 'Masterplanning The Future' conference. About the Academic Conference Strand: One hundred years have passed since Le Corbusier's Voyage to the Orient. Although he didn't venture into the Far East, his influence - and that of Modernism - is recognizable across the world. This conference will explore Modernism's significance in architecture and urbanism from Europe to India and the Far East. It will explore its lasting, or its fading, influences on China; and China's influence on it. But is also looks at Modernism from the Americas to Africa to Asia; we want to get as many stories of the changing face - and the new face - of "the modern" as possible. Architecture, and indeed the world, has changed massively over the last century, so this conference will explore what contemporary ideas can be drawn from different historical periods and different social circumstances. With the rapidly urbanizing conditions of India and China, what can Modernism tell us about the global urban condition? Indeed, is there such a thing? How has Modernism fared? How are architectural ideas portrayed today and what are the connections with the past? This conference is an international forum within China, bringing together researchers and experts from across the world. In this way, the exchange of ideas and experiences will stimulate a better understanding of modern and vernacular architecture, contemporary and traditional urbanism; and regionalist and universalist design ideals. Themes: Papers are welcomed to address a range of topics, which include (but are not exclusive to) the following: Modernism from the West to the East and across the world.; Modernism and the role of manifestos; Chandigarh: then and now; Metabolism; Asian development; Em

China's coastal megacities and soon-to-be one billion urban population face growing threats from flooding and natural disasters. Olivia Boyd reports.

4/09/2012 The Urban China Initiative (UCI) had its biggest event of the year on September 7th in Tsinghua Science Park - the 2012 Annual Forum, inspiring enlightening discussions among participants from public, private and academic sectors to develop policy thinking that will help address China's urbanization challenges. Themed "China's New Urban Era" as China's urban population surpassed that of rural areas for the first time in 2011, the event brought together about 50 urban leaders and more than 400 professionals from the urban field. The Forum consists of keynote speech, three plenary panels and three breakout panels. Keynote speakers include: Yang Weimin, Vice Minister of office of Central Leading Group on Finance and Economic Affairs; Gu Shengzu, Deputy Director of Internal and Judicial Affairs Committee at National People's Congress and Vice Chairman of the Central Committee of the China National Democratic Construction Association; Li Xiaojiang, President of China Academy of Urban Planning and Design; Li Dongming, General Manager, Urban Fund of China Development Bank Capital. The plenaries showcased three UCI flagship projects: urban citizenship of Chinese migrants; research on mega regions and the China urban indicators system. The three breakouts showcased UCI's five latest grant projects. The forum brought together leaders from UCI partners including the National Development and Reform Commission, local DRC, China Society of Urban Studies, Development and Research Center of the State Council, China Center for Urban Development, China Development and Reform Foundation, Chinese Academy of Urban Planning and Design, Chinese Academy of Urban Development, Fung Global Institute, New Cities Foundation, Rio Tinto, BMW, CDBC, Tsinghua, Columbia Global Centers and CITIC Property. To find more about the Forum: Highlights of the keynotes and forum news Research and speeches of the plenary and breakout panels Media report on UCI 2012 Ann

Conference 17th to 19th October 2012 Seoul, Korea (south) Website: http://www.urbandesignasia2012.org Contact person: Taehwan Hyeon, Daniel Oh The 1st International Conference, Urban Design Asia 2012(UDA 2012), will be held to unite urban design specialists and professionals to discuss the issues relating to the theme "Future Cities in Asia". Deadline for abstracts/proposals: 27th August 2012

Urban China Initiative (UCI), a united think tank, met to discuss China's new era of urbanization at the Wenjin Hotel in Haidian District on September 7.

Abstract The development objective of the Gansu Qingyang Urban Infrastructure Improvement Project for China is to assist Qingyang Municipality to improve selected urban infrastructure services including urban roads and urban environmental services. There are two components to the project. The first component is urban infrastructure improvements. This component includes the following subcomponents: 1) urban bypass. This sub-component includes (i) construction of bypass roads of the southern section of Xifeng's West Ring Road and the northern section of Xifeng's East Ring Road with installation of associated pipes; (ii) construction of three connection roads to the two bypass corridors of West Ring Road and East Ring Road; 2) integrated road corridor. This sub-component includes: (i) improvement of three selected main road corridors (Nan Bei Street, Anding Dong Xi Road, West Ring Road), including road pavement, traffic channelization, and lighting and greening, along with drainage and sewage system improvements; (ii) rehabilitation of three selected backstreets and small lanes for slow traffic (Nanyuan, Tianhe and Xifeng lanes); and (iii) carrying out, as part of the design of the integrated road corridor, the parking action plan, the public transport action plan, and the traffic safety, education and enforcement action plan; 3) drainage and sewage; and 4) wastewater treatment plant. The second component is institutional strengthening and capacity building. This component includes: provision of technical assistance for: (a) carrying out of a water resource study covering, among others, for water reuse, sub-basin water environment improvements and industrial wastewater discharge licenses in Xifeng District that supports the ongoing investments of wastewater management; (b) the improvement of the operation and maintenance capabilities of Qingyang Municipal Water Supply and Sewage Company (QWSSC) and Xifeng District's Public Utility and Transportation Bureaus in the p