ITDP China works with city governments and agencies to provide technical support for sustainable transit projects and policies, and works through training, media, and strategic communications to spread the replication of these projects and promote international and domestic best practices.
The Challenge
By 2030, China will have more than 200 cities with populations over 1 million. How those cities are planned and built will have major implications for the globe, as well as for their local environments. Unfortunately, current trends are still strongly automobile-oriented, and the planning and design of new roads typically overlooks the needs of pedestrians, buses, and bicycles. Laws requiring drivers to yield to pedestrians at crosswalks are not enforced. Parking minimums are causing excessive off-street parking, and new gated “superblocks” present an impermeable, lifeless façade to the street. As motor vehicle fleets grow at rates of 20% or more in many cities, congestion, livability, and all types of pollution are worsening. The negative impacts are felt by all, and especially by lower income groups dependent upon buses, bicycles and walking for accessibility to jobs and opportunities.
The Solution
ITDP China works to plan, design and implement projects that promote mass transit and non-motorized transportation. These projects and policies support smart growth that is accessible to all city residents and reduces the environmental costs of transit. Sustainable transportation and equitable transit oriented development are integral parts of the solution to China’s growing social and environmental concerns.
ITDP China provides technical support for urban transportation and urban development demonstration projects and policies in: Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), greenways, bike sharing, bicycle and pedestrian facilities, road design (e.g. complete streets), parking (on-street and off-street), urban development and urban design (especially relating to transportation), communications & outreach, and the dissemination of best practices.
- Playing a lead role in planning, designing and implementing the Guangzhou BRT
- Contributing to Guangzhou’s new vehicle registration restrictions scheme
- Playing a major role in Guangzhou bike sharing system planning and implementation
- A strong involvement in the urban design around Guangzhou’s BRT stations
- Supporting the planning and design of greenways in Guangzhou and other cities
- Leading the planning, design, and implementation of the Lanzhou BRT
- Playing a lead role in Lanzhou’s new parking policy
- Promoting information sharing & best practices dissemination on BRT (chinabrt.org) and bike sharing (publicbike.net) in China
- Spreading best practices to other cities to planning major BRT projects, including Wuhan, Tianjin, Chengdu, Yichang, Changsha, Kuala Lumpur, Ulanbator, Johor Bahru and many others.
ITDP’s current projects include:
- Leading planning and design for upcoming BRTs in Yichang and Tianjin
- Contributing to the planning and design of Wuhan’s BRT.
- Leading efforts in ongoing parking reforms in several Chinese cities
- Providing significant contributions to greenway planning and design in several cities
- Spreading best practices across the region through key design and advisory roles in BRT, greenways, parking and bike sharing planning in Jakarta, Ulanbator, Kuala Lumpur, and Johor Bahru.
In addition, ITDP China runs www.chinabrt.org, a database of all BRT projects in China, www.publicbike.net, a database of bike share programs throughout the country, and runs the China Site Visit Program.
Learn more at www.itdp-china.org, and see individual city pages for more details on ITDP’s ongoing projects.
Related Projects
Guangzhou
Yichang
Lanzhou
Tianjin
Nanning
Beijing
Additional Cities
China Site Visit Program
