In November 2018, National Academy of Sciences (NAS) President Marcia McNutt visited China for the first time in her official role. As part of this visit, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Science and Technology for Sustainability (STS) program and the Chinese Academy of Sciences organized a one-day workshop relating to urban sustainability in Beijing. The goal of the visit was to begin to explore some areas where the U.S. National Academies and the Chinese Academy might develop collaboration. At the same time, the trip provided an opportunity to develop links to other parts of the science and technology community in China. To further elucidate some of these issues and build upon current partnerships, an expert committee under the STS program, in collaboration with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, organized a one-day public workshop on urban sustainability in China and the United States, held on December 16, 2019. The workshop focused on the intersection of urban climate change mitigation and adaptation, urban health, and sustainable transportation, including green infrastructure and urban flooding in both countries. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussions from the workshop.

Contents

• The National Academies of SCIENCES • ENGINEERING • MEDICINE
• PLANNING COMMITTEE ON ADVANCING URBAN SUSTAINABILITY IN CHINA AND THE UNITED STATES: A WORKSHOP
• Preface and Acknowledgments
• 1. Introduction
  • WORKSHOP CONTEXT AND ORGANIZATION
  • INTRODUCTORY REMARKS
  • OVERVIEW AND GOALS OF THE WORKSHOP
• 2. Current Landscape for Sustainable Urbanization Research and Practice in the United States and China
  • U.S. PERSPECTIVE
  • CHINESE PERSPECTIVE
  • NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION PERSPECTIVE
  • DISCUSSION
• 3. Urban Sustainability Research Activities at the University Level
  • URBAN DEVELOPMENT IN CHINA
  • SUSTAINABILITY CHALLENGES AT THE UNIVERSITY LEVEL
  • ROLE OF UNIVERSITIES: A SYNTHESIS OF RECENT RESEARCH PROJECTS
  • DISCUSSION
• 4. Architecture, Urban Design, and Sustainable Cities in China and the United States
  • NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS AND PERFORMANCE
  • MICROCLIMATE REGULATION IN CITIES
  • HAPPY CITIES: MAXIMIZING HUMAN WELL-BEING THROUGH URBAN DESIGN
  • A CLIMATIC PERSPECTIVE
  • DISCUSSION
• 5. Data and Earth Observation for Decision Making
  • BIG EARTH DATA IN SUPPORT OF THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
  • DATA GAPS AND URBAN EXPANSION IN CHINA
  • LESSONS FROM THE EARTH FROM SPACE INSTITUTE’S INAUGURAL SYMPOSIUM
  • DISCUSSION
• 6. Addressing Key Intersecting Issues in Urban Sustainability
  • CIRCULAR ECONOMY AND GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE
  • PEOPLE-CENTRIC DESIGN FOR SUSTAINABLE CITIES
  • BENEFITS OF CROSS-SECTORAL APPROACHES FOR URBAN SUSTAINABILITY
• 7. The Way Forward: Future Needs and Opportunities
• Appendix A. Workshop Agenda
• Appendix B. Biographies of Speakers and Moderators
• Appendix C. Registered Workshop Participants

Suggested citation:

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. Advancing Urban Sustainability in China and the United States: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/25794.

Digital Object Identifier: https://doi.org/10.17226/25794

Additional copies of this publication are available from the National Academies Press, 500 Fifth Street, NW, Keck 360, Washington, DC 20001; (800) 624-6242 or (202) 334-3313; http://www.nap.edu.

Printed in the United States of America