Author(s)

L. Sun, C. Li, J. Gwilliam & P. Jones

Abstract

The world is rapidly urbanizing with the developing world contributing the largest percentage to this process. With urban dispersal as a common phenomenon, peri-urban development becomes critical for understanding urban sustainability. In recent years, peri-urban settlement development in Chinese cities has been put on a fast track, yet its current situation and implications for urban sustainability are little understood. This study discusses three recently planned and developed settlement cases in the city periphery of Tianjin, China, all of which lay claim to certain facets of sustainability. Based on the empirical findings, current and emerging challenges to sustainability are discussed and suggestions for the complementary approaches and progression in the planning and management of peri-urban settlements are proposed. Keywords: peri-urban, settlement development, China, sustainability.

Keywords

peri-urban, settlement development, China, sustainability