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Megacities in China are undergoing transformation in urban functional structure brought on by rapid urbanization and spatial expansion, while private motorization connects disparate functional zones with ever-longer journeys. Policies to control growth of the car fleet while investing in mass public transport, in Beijing and in many other cities, have divided city residents into car users and those dependent on public transport. This paper examines these policies from the transport equity perspective by measuring accessibility disparity between public transport and private car. Cumulative accessibility is measured for each of the two transport modes, while an accessibility equity index (AEI) is developed based on numerical and spatial computation. The recent changes in spatial distributions of population and employment in Beijing are analyzed. Accessibility and AEI are measured using network-based Geographical Information System (GIS) and analyzed quantitatively and spatially. Nine scenarios with different employment location strategies are simulated to analyze their impacts on accessibility and AEI, with clear benefits among the scenarios with regard to accessibility equity for suburban populations. Results suggest that reducing the demand for car use and ownership can be supported through employment spatial redistribution policies, which can be used to raise relative accessibility by public transport. Land use policy can form part of a larger set of spatial and transport policies that includes regulation of the car fleet and public transport development. Such integrated approaches are of particular importance for the present and future megacities of China that are expanding rapidly, with relatively high volume flows on limited movement networks. • Proposed a framework for transport equity assessment through measuring modal and spatial disparity. • Developed an accessibility equity index (AEI) based on numerical spatial computation. • Examined the transport equity of Beijing as a case study. • Applied equity assessment to spatial scenario analysis and policy with equity and efficiency improvement was suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the linguistic landscape (LL) signs of an "urban village" inhabited by rural–urban migrant workers in suburban Beijing. Migrant workers have moved to urban centers for low-skill low-income jobs on a massive scale over past decades as China has undergone rapid economic changes. Some of them start to invest their time and energy in building a new workers' community and in constructing urban workers' identities through linguistic and semiotic practices. Producing and displaying LL signage is part of this identity construction process. In this study, I present three examples to analyze the relationship between space, LL signs and identity construction. Ethnography allows me not only to observe the LL signs as semiotic resources but also to approach the authors and the audience and to find out their uptake of the signs. The results show that the LL signs shape social meanings of the space and the space in turn is agentive in constructing its inhabitants' identities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public participation is playing an increasingly important role in the process of environmental protection, especially in some developing countries such as China. However, the studies that have focused on public participation in air pollution control, especially those that have used quantitative research, are comparatively insufficient in China. This paper investigated residents' participation intention and behavior in air pollution control in Beijing, China, and related the theory of planned behavior and the concepts of risk perception to analyze the formation mechanism of participation behavior. The results indicated a remarkable discrepancy between participation intention and behavior. Subjective norm was the major factor in predicting participation intention, followed by risk perception and attitude. Income was observed to have a negative effect on participation intention and a positive effect on participation behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, hybrid renewable energy systems with thermal energy storage have various advantages and are widely used. This paper investigated the performance of a solar‐assisted air source heat pump system with energy storage (SASHPS‐ES) in Beijing, China, and proposed an optimal operation mode based on economic evaluation. The results indicate that with the optimal heat storage ratio of 50%, the rated capacity of the air source heat pump (ASHP) of the SASHPS‐ES system can be reduced by 16.7%, decreasing its annual total cost by 26.5% under a peak‐valley electricity price policy. The price of 620¥/m2 is critical for the solar collectors. The economics of SASHPS‐ES is better than that of an air source heat pump system with energy storage (ASHPS‐ES) when the price of the selected solar collector units is less than this critical price (without subsidies from the government). In the current local market, the promotion of SASHPS‐ES systems and other solar energy applications requires government subsidies for a period of time. The results can guide the utilization and popularity of SASHPS‐ES in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to solve the problems of atmospheric pollution and haze caused by traditional coal-fired heating, the promotion and application of clean energy heating methods is urgently needed. The air-source heat pumps are applied in the residential buildings to replace traditional coal-fired heating in Beijing and Tianjin. Limited to the cost and economic conditions, air-source heat pumps are usually installed with the traditional steel radiator. The unreasonable selection and operation of equipment can lead to low energy efficiency of partial load operation. The importance of finding an economical and efficient alternative scheme, therefore, is beyond words. The experimental research and computational fluid dynamics simulation on the performance and air distribution of air-to-air heat pump and air-to-water heat pump under the same operating conditions are done in this paper. The results demonstrate that ATAHP has bigger heating capacity than ATWHP, the decrease of the actual operation COP of ATAHP is 28.30% which is smaller than that of ATWHP by 15.45% with the ambient temperature decreasing from 7 °C to −20 °C. Thus, ATAHP is better than ATWHP at low temperature operation conditions. The temperature and velocity distribution of indoor air with ATWHP is more uniform, but the high speed air with high temperature with ATAHP blows to the head and feet directly. Consequently, the air distribution with ATAHP is more in line with the requirements of thermal comfort. To conclude, ATAHP has better performance and thermal comfort, and ATAHP is more suitable than ATWHP to be applied and popularized in northern China. • ATAHP and ATWHP heating system was tested in an environmental laboratory. • The COP degradation of ATWHP is severe than that of ATAHP in cold conditions. • ATAHP has higher average indoor temperature and better thermal comfort than ATWHP. • ATAHP is expected to be applied and popularized in northern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To address the problems of high overflow rate of pipe network inspection well and low drainage efficiency, a rainwater control optimization design approach based on a self-organizing feature map neural network model (SOFM) was proposed in this paper. These problems are caused by low precision parameter design in various rainwater control measures such as the diameter of the rainwater pipe network and the green roof area ratio. This system is to be combined with the newly built rainwater pipe control optimization design project of China International Airport in Daxing District of Beijing, China. Through the optimization adjustment of the pipe network parameters such as the diameter of the rainwater pipe network, the slope of the pipeline, and the green infrastructure (GI) parameters such as the sinking green area and the green roof area, reasonable control of airport rainfall and the construction of sustainable drainage systems can be achieved. This research indicates that compared with the result of the drainage design under the initial value of the parameter, the green roof model and the conceptual model of the mesoscale sustainable drainage system, in the case of a hundred-year torrential rainstorm, the overflow rate of pipe network inspection wells has reduced by 36% to 67.5%, the efficiency of drainage has increased by 26.3% to 61.7%, which achieves the requirements for reasonable control of airport rainwater and building a sponge airport and a sustainable drainage system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Explore the land use-travel relationship from a household perspective. • Examine how residential and workplace built environments affect partners' travels. • Land use factors have varied and even contrast effects on partners' travel behaviors. • Land use factors affect husbands' travels indirectly by affecting wives' travels. The linkage between travel and the built environment has received extensive research attention over the past decades. However, the existing studies normally evaluate the built environment effect on travel from an individual-based perspective, neglecting the influence of intra-household interactions. We argue that individuals' travel behavior is derived from the allocation of household tasks and resources (e.g., household vehicles) and the travel behaviors of household members are interdependent. This suggests that the built environment may impact one member's travel behavior indirectly through its influence on others members' travel choices. Thus, examining the travel impact of the built environment needs to consider intra-household interactions. This paper proposes to analyze the land use-travel relationship from a household perspective. We simultaneously examine the effects of the built environments of residential and work locations on married couples' travel behaviors, considering the interrelations between their travels and controlling for both partners' travel attitudes. The empirical study in Beijing, China indicates that the built environment effect on travel is different between partners. Two work environment factors influence the partners' driving behaviors in opposite directions. Moreover, the wife's travel behavior mediates the association between the built environment and the husband's travel behavior. These findings highlight the importance of understanding the land use impact on travel behavior from the household perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Along with the rise of democratic consciousness and the slowdown of urbanization and economic growth speed, the community development path in contemporary China is under transition, aiming at a more bottom-up and small-scale planning and design process. In order to reveal how the "social capital" affects the public participation and social governance in the process of community micro-regeneration in China, this paper takes two old communities in Chaoyang District of Beijing as examples, to compare the impacts of various social capital levels on participatory community planning and design. The study proves the significance of community social capital and community self-government for the success of residents' participation and community regeneration, as well as providing suggestions on how to improve public participation effects by strengthening social capital of communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the context of climate change and population growth, the development of urban agriculture is of great environmental and economic significance in rapidly urbanizing China. Based on the primary survey data, this paper evaluated the carbon footprint (CF) and economic efficiency of urban agriculture in Beijing (China) using the life cycle assessment method (from cradle to consumption approach). Two cases were analyzed and compared considering their differences in on-farm cultivation and off-farm supply chains: a conventional small householder farm that sells its vegetables directly to consumers in a local market, and a large home-delivery agriculture (HDA) initiative that delivers its vegetables to the consumers' home directly. Both cases were equipped with greenhouses with plastic covering but no heating system. The CF of the production, transportation and distribution of 1 kg fresh vegetables was estimated at 0.318 kg CO 2 -eq kg−1 and 0.624–0.652 kg CO 2 -eq kg−1 for conventional and HDA initiative farm, respectively. However, the HDA initiative showed a better environmental performance than the conventional operation when taking economic efficiency into consideration. The CF per unit of profit of HDA initiative (0.093–0.097 kg CO 2 -eq per CNY) was lower than conventional farm (0.111 kg CO 2 -eq per CNY). The lower CF per unit of product weight of the conventional farm was largely attributed to the high yield and the lower CF per unit of profit of the HDA initiative was mainly due to the outstanding economic profitability through income optimization. The major hotspots of CF in both cases were greenhouse plastic films in the cultivation phase (from cradle to farm gate) and transportation in the supply chain (from farm gate to consumption). Simulation of a switch to biodiesel instead of gasoline and diesel in combination with the replacement of current fossil-fuel-dominated electricity by hydro-powered electricity resulted in 20.0–21.8% reduction in the total CF. By identifying the CF hotspots of two farm cases, particular inputs and activities can be targeted for adjustment in order to effectively reduce the CF of urban agriculture in Beijing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From 1990 to 2017, the number of vehicles in China increased sharply from 5 million to 310 million, and vehicle emissions became one of the major sources of air pollution. Among the main sources of PM 2.5 in Beijing, the contributions from vehicle sources increased from 5.6% (2000) to 31.1% (2012) to 45% (2017). In 2010, the CO, hydrocarbon (HC), NO x , and particulate matter (PM) emissions of yellow-label vehicles (YLVs) accounted for 46.1%, 47.9%, 63.1% and 86.1% of the total emissions from on-road vehicles. In recent years, China has been implementing a YLV scrappage subsidy policy to control air pollution, and this policy has cost several hundred billion yuan nationwide. However, China has not evaluated the costs and benefits of the policy. Many people question whether the YLV scrappage subsidy policy is worthwhile, but all the stakeholders involved complicate the process of accurately evaluating the true value of the policy. In this study, we evaluated and compared the costs and benefits of the policy in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region based on 1.362 million YLVs from 2008 to 2015. Because of the implementation of the policy, the PM 2.5 , PM 10 , NO x , CO and HC emissions in the BTH region decreased by 16.46, 18.12, 174.44, 669.11, and 91.64 kt, respectively, in 2008–2015. The results show that the policy played an important role in reducing pollutant emissions and improving environmental quality in the BTH region. The costs, benefits, and net benefits of the policy were 13.69, 34.03, and 20.34 billion yuan , respectively. The cost-benefit ratio in the BTH region was 1:2.49; at the city scale, Beijing ranked first (1:7.27), and the cost-benefit ratios of Tianjin and Hebei Province were 1:2.06 and 1:1.14, respectively. Of the 13 cities in the BTH region, Beijing had the highest net benefits, amounting to 16.43 billion yuan , while Handan City has the lowest net benefits, amounting to −0.58 billion yuan. The results may provide scientific support for the promotion of older vehicle and diesel vehicle scrappage subsidy policies, the development of cost-benefit analysis (CBA), and effective environmental decision-making in China. • Based on net number of scrappage YLVs, net benefits of the policy are calculated. • This paper estimates costs and benefits of the policy based on 1.27 million YLVs. • The costs, benefits, and net benefits are 13.69, 34.03, and 20.34 billion yuan. • The results help China promote vehicle scrappage subsidy policy on a large scale. • The results promote the development of the cost-benefit analysis in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China has begun a rapid move towards Sponge City implementation, which will include widespread installation of various Low Impact Development (LID) stormwater infrastructure. Ambitious goals have been set for all Sponge Cities, including a target capture rate of 80–85% of annual precipitation in Beijing. However, there has so far been limited investigation into whether these goals are obtainable at the catchment scale given the physical restrictions of the existing urban landscape. This paper demonstrates the use of long-term continuous hydrologic modelling to evaluate the potential of meeting rainfall capture goals over a long time period for a case study area in Beijing. Detailed land cover classification derived from satellite imagery aided in the parameterization of a SWMM (Stormwater Management Model) model representing a 133 km2 urban study area. The calibrated and validated model demonstrated satisfactory agreement between computed and observed runoff for a variety of precipitation events ranging from 10 to 207 mm. A synthetic high resolution rainfall time series was generated from historic daily observations then used as input to run the model continuously for a 35 year period. Feasible LID model scenarios based on varying degrees of implementation of rain gardens, permeable pavements and green roofs were compared in terms of their potential volume capture of annual rainfall. Modelling results demonstrated that the conversion of 30% of roof area to green roof, 10% of green areas to rain gardens and 35% of paved areas to permeable pavement could increase the baseline volume capture ratio from 59.9% to 82.2%, indicating that Sponge City goals can be met within the case study area with realistic levels of LID implementation. This study provides a decision-making basis for future planning in the study area. • Satellite imagery based hydrologic model shows good agreement with observed flows. • Continuous modelling approach suggested for evaluation of Volume Capture Ratio. • >80% of annual rainfall captured with moderate catchment wide implementation of LID. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study and control of air pollution involves measuring the structure of the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) to understand the mechanisms of the interactions occurring between the atmospheric boundary layer and air pollution. Beijing, the capital of China, experienced heavy haze pollution in December 2016, and the city issued its first red-alert air pollution warning of the year (the highest PM 2.5 concentrations were later found to exceed 450 µgm-3). In this paper, the vertical profiles of wind, temperature, humidity and the extinction coefficient (reflecting aerosol concentrations), as well as ABL heights and turbulence quantities under heavy haze pollution conditions, are analyzed, with data collected from lidar, wind profile radar (WPR), radiosondes, a 325 m meteorological tower (equipped with a 7-layer ultrasonic anemometer and 15-layer low-frequency wind, temperature, and humidity sensors) and ground observations. The ABL heights obtained by three different methods based on lidar extinction coefficient data (Hc) are compared with the heights calculated from radiosonde temperature data (Hθ), and their correlation coefficient can reach 72 %. Our results show that Hθ measured on heavy haze pollution days was generally lower than that measured on clean days without pollution, but Hc increased from clean to heavy pollution days. The time changes in friction velocity (u*) and turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) were clearly inversely correlated with PM 2.5 concentration. Momentum and heat fluxes varied very little with altitude. The nocturnal sensible heat fluxes close to the Earth surface always stay positive. In the daytime of the haze pollution period, sensible heat fluxes were greatly reduced within 300 m of the ground. These findings will deepen our understanding of the boundary layer structure under heavy pollution conditions and improve the boundary layer parameterization in numerical models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines residents' walking and biking patterns for food shopping in China and the influence of neighborhood form and market characteristics on effective walk/bike catchment areas of food markets. Based on 1417 resident surveys at 15 food markets in three neighborhoods in the city of Beijing, we found that residents rarely shop at the nearest food stores and prefer larger farmer's markets and supermarkets instead. And they travel in much shorter distance compared with residents in the western cities. An ordinary least squares regression analysis reveals that, after controlling for the effect of personal socioeconomic and trip characteristics, traditional neighborhoods with dense street networks, mixed land uses and ample tree shades present the largest walk/bike catchment area, followed by enclave neighborhoods and superblock neighborhoods. In addition, markets with larger size, ground-level and adjacency to a park are significantly associated with longer walking and biking distances. • Residents rarely shop at the nearest food stores and prefer farmer's markets and supermarkets. • Traditional neighborhoods present the largest walk/bike catchment area, followed by enclave and superblock neighborhoods. • Markets with larger size, ground-level and adjacency to a park increase the walking and biking distance for food shopping. • Some personal characteristics and trip factors also affect the walking and biking distance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The urban heat island effect in Beijing is significant, which has become a serious environmental problem posed to Beijing citizens. As an important measure to alleviate the urban heat island effect, cool roof is recommended in relevant Evaluation Standard for Green Building of China. In order to elicit policy implications, this paper investigates Beijing residents' willingness to pay for promoting cold roofs to alleviate the urban heat island effect and its determinants. This research applied double-bounded discrete choice format and face to face interview to elicit public's willingness to pay. 841 Beijing households were randomly selected and interviewed. For 242 (29%) respondents refuse to pay, the spike model was introduced to process the data for it has been proved to outperform the conventional model in dealing with zero responses. The average annual willingness to pay was computed as 1510.854 Chinese Yuan, which is 220.562 US dollars per household. In addition, In terms of the determinants of residents' willingness to pay, other than conventional demographic characteristics, we added and estimated covariance with regard to environmental knowledge and the theory of planned behavior. The result indicated that social norm, perceived behavior control, and previous knowledge of urban heat island effect and cool roof are statistical significantly related with residents' willingness to pay. This research suggests that timely information disclosure with regard to urban environment management and pro-environment education are urgently needed in promoting public participation in alleviating the urban heat island effect. • Willingness to pay for cool roofs for mitigating urban heat island effect is estimated. • The annual mean willingness to pay 1510.854 Chinese Yuan. • TPB theory and environmental knowledge can greatly explain pro-environment behavior. • Government credibility and education is important in promoting public participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The community livability evaluation is quantitative, practical and fine-grained. • The evaluation criteria span dimensions of environment, traffic and population. • Remote sensing, surface observation and geospatial big data are used. • Most communities are distributed within the central and marginal urban areas. • Communities in urban area tend to have robustly high livability. Effective evaluation of community livability is in urgent need to avoid increased livability at the expense of sustainability. However, studies concerning community livability evaluation were still conceptual, qualitative or conducted at city or regional scales. The availability of abundant, fine-grained, and multi-source data in the big data era laid the foundation for comprehensive livability evaluation at much finer scales. This paper proposed a quantitative and practical method for up-to-date livability evaluation at individual community scale in China. Nine evaluation criteria were identified spanning dimensions of environment, traffic, convenience, and population. These criteria were calculated respectively from remote sensing, surface observation and geospatial big data. The Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) was applied for community livability evaluation, and the uncertainty and sensitivity of evaluation results were assessed. The livability evaluation in the case study area of Haidian District, Beijing, China demonstrated the practicality and effectiveness of the framework. A total number of 1242 communities in Haidian District were evaluated. Communities in urban area were generally associated with higher evaluation scores and lower uncertainties than those in rural area. The careful selection of criteria weights with high sensitivity, i.e., green space coverage within community and driving time to schools, can potentially significantly reduce the uncertainty of the livability evaluation. The community scale livability evaluation is expected to bridge the gap between theoretical concepts and practical implementations of livability evaluation, and enables the development of more effective and locally specific regulations and policies to improve community livability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has shown, that the replacement of conventional vehicles (CVs) by electric vehicles (EVs) can reduce urban heat island intensity (UHII). This leads not only to a more comfortable climate during summer but also to a reduction of carbon dioxide emissions from the vehicles themselves and to a reduction in the need for air conditioning (AC) and associated emissions. The current study examines to what extent a range of different mobility concepts, can lead to a reduction in urban heat island intensity and carbon dioxide emissions in the city of Beijing, China. For this purpose, the impact that electric vehicles fuelled with the average energy mix, hydrogen vehicles (HyVs) fuelled with hydrogen from electrolysis from the regular energy mix, HyVs fuelled with hydrogen produced through wind power, energy efficient CVs, EVs fuelled with wind power and energy efficient metro light railway (metro) travel have on summer heat island intensity (SHII) and CO 2 -emissions is analysed. The lowest SHII mitigation effect was found for a replacement of CVs with fuel efficient diesel cars while hydrogen cars that are fuelled with hydrogen generated from the average electricity mix even leads to higher SHII and higher CO 2 emissions. The largest SHII mitigation effect was found for a scenario where conventional vehicles are replaced with energy efficient metro travel. The CO 2 saving potential is highest for EVs which are powered with electricity generated from wind turbines, closely followed by HyVs that are fuelled with hydrogen generated from electrolysis of water using wind electricity. The paper helps policymakers and consumers to make the right choices when it comes to environmentally friendly mobility options. • Summer heat island intensity (SHII) is mitigated through different mobility choices. • CO 2 reduction by over 12,000 tons/day is possible through reduced usage of air conditioning. • Energy efficient public transportation leads to the highest mitigation of SHII and CO 2 levels. • Electric and hydrogen cars fuelled with renewable energies mitigate SHII and CO 2 levels. • Hydrogen cars fuelled with non-renewable energies lead to higher SHII and CO 2 levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This paper studies the potential application of ventilation systems with thermal energy storage (TES) using phase change materials (PCMs) for space cooling in air conditioned buildings during the summer. A south-facing middle office room located in Beijing, China is considered for study. To simulate the indoor thermal environment and energy consumption of the room, a dynamic computational model which consists of a building thermal model, a heat transfer model of a TES unit and the performance curve of an air conditioner (AC) is built and validated. The time lag to switch on AC, the cooling energy provided by AC, PCMs and structure elements, the runtime of AC and fan, and the overall electricity energy consumption of the TES system are calculated and compared to a base case without night ventilation (NV) and a case with conventional NV system. The results indicate that the higher the indoor temperature set point, the higher the cooling energy contributions of PCMs and structure elements and therefore the higher the potential application of the TES system. The electricity energy saving ratio (ESR) by using the TES system over the base case is found to be 16.9%–50.8%, while that against the conventional NV system is 9.2%–33.6%. Highlights • Potential of ventilation systems using PCMs in air conditioned offices is studied. • A dynamic computational model is developed and validated. • Higher indoor temperature set point has higher potential application of the system. • ESR over the base case without night ventilation is 16.9%–50.8%. • ESR against the conventional night ventilation system is 9.2%–33.6%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Chinese Accelerator Driven Sub-critical system (C-ADS) Injector-I is designed and constructed by the Institute of High Energy Physics (IHEP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in Beijing, China. The test cryomodule (TCM), housing two 325 MHz spoke cavities and two solenoids and operating at 2 K, has been designed, assembled and commissioned since the beginning of 2012. The C-ADS Injector-I linac with the TCM successfully accelerated the proton beam to 3.68 MeV with the peak current of 10.1 mA in pulse mode. It is the world's first prototype of spoke cavity cryomodule with beam, and is an important step in the qualification of the cryomodule before series productions. This paper describes the detail of the design, operation and thermal performances of the prototype cryomodule. The analysis takes into account the heat loads of the main components (support posts, multilayer insulation and cavities) at various cryogenic temperature levels. The estimated heat loads of the cryomodule have been compared with the available experimental measurements, and the cryogenic deformations by simulation is verified by the experimental measurements by the wire position monitors (WPMs). The operation experiences including the cool down, alignment and heat load measurement are reported. • The 325 MHz spoke cavity prototype cryomodule has been designed, assembled and commissioned. • The thermal performance of the bottom-supported cryomodule has been proved firstly worldwide. • The cryomodule can be in a stable operation at 2 K and 31 mbar with beam. • The operation experiences including the cool down, alignment and measurement of heat loads are reported. • The linac with cryomodule had been accelerated successfully to 3.68 MeV@10.1 mA in pulse mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the impacts of congestion pricing and reward strategies on automobile travelers' morning commute mode shift decisions using stated preference travel mode choice data of over 1000 automobile travelers collected in Beijing inner districts. To address the complex impacts of these strategies on automobile travelers, a stage-based model framework is developed to analyze their mode shift decision-making process (whether they will shift from using automobile to public transit, biking or walking or continue using automobile) under these strategies. Four multilevel structural equation models are created for participants using automobile (personal vehicle and/or taxi) as the most common mode of transportation (hereafter referred to as "more habitual automobile travelers") and those using automobile as second most common mode (hereafter referred to as "less habitual automobile travelers") under each strategy. Model estimation results show that the impacts of latent psychological factors on mode shift decisions under congestion pricing and reward strategies are significantly different between more and less habitual automobile travelers. The results also show that congestion pricing strategies are more effective than reward strategies in promoting mode shifts among more habitual automobile travelers, while the opposite is observed for less habitual automobile travelers. This study provides insights for designing congestion pricing and reward strategies and illustrates the importance of developing complementary modules that target numerous factors in different stages of the mode shift decision-making process to effectively promote mode shifts from automobile to sustainable travel modes in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of a gas-fired CCHP can effectively solve seasonal shortages of electricity and gas. To realize providing investment decision for gas-fired CCHP in Beijing, first, the paper analyses the status of gas-fired CCHP systems in Beijing; second, the technology structure and economic benefits of gas-fired CCHP systems are analyzed; third, a technical economic evaluation framework of a gas-fired CCHP is built, which analyses the cascade utilization and energy saving effects of a heat and power energy system in a gas-fired CCHP system. Analysis of the gas-fired CCHP system economy and the factors that influence the economic performance is also performed, as well as a sensitivity analysis. In addition, the paper also analyses an energy efficiency sharing model of a cooling, heating and power system that considers the grid enterprises’ economic efficiency. Finally, an empirical analysis of a trigeneration project control center in the Beijing Gas Group is carried out. Research results show that gas-fired CCHP system is good to both customers and beneficial, fuel price and electricity price will influence revenue of Gas-fired CCHP system greatly, a reasonable energy efficiency sharing ratio will help to the recovery of investment in Gas-fired CCHP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture in peri-urban areas is prone to dynamic changes due to urban influences. Previous studies have explored the impact of urban growth on peri-urban agriculture (PUA), but the active responses of the agricultural sector are rarely examined. This paper investigates recent agricultural development practices in peri-urban Beijing and explores approaches to agricultural transformation in the rapid process of urbanisation. The investigation finds that high-tech precision agriculture, down-stream processing and agro-tourism have emerged as major forms of PUA in Beijing. It also uncovers that the PUA developments are not only economically appealing, but also socially inclusive and environmental friendly. The findings contribute to a better understanding of PUA progress in China. The paper suggests policy implications in facilitating integrated development between urban and rural sectors, which would help improve economic development, spatial planning and local governance in peri-urban areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growth curves of fractal dimension of urban form take on squashing effect and can be described by sigmoid functions. The fractal dimension growth of urban form in western countries can be modeled by Boltzmann's equation and logistic function. However, these models cannot be well applied to the fractal dimension growth curve of Beijing city, the national capital of China. In this paper, the experimental method is employed to find parametric models for the growth curves of fractal dimension of Chinese urban form. By statistical analysis, numerical analysis, and comparative analysis, we find that the quadratic Boltzmann equation and quadratic logistic function can be used to characterize how the fractal dimension of the urban land-use pattern of Beijing increases in the course of time. The models are also suitable for many cities in the north of China. In order to convert the empirical models into theoretical models, we attempt to construct a model of spatial replacement dynamics of urban evolution, from which the logistic model of urban fractal dimension growth can be derived. The models can be utilized to predict the rate and upper limitation of Chinese urban growth. In particular, the models can be employed to reveal the similarities and differences between the fractal growth of Chinese cities and that of the cities in western countries. • The squashing effect of limit values of fractal dimension leads to sigmoid curves. • Urban fractal dimension growth curves can be modeled by quadratic Boltzmann equation. • Quadratic Boltzmann equation can be reduced to a quadratic logistic function. • Fractal dimension growth curves of urban form fall into two types. • Fractal dimension growth curves indicate two types of spatial dynamics of cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the data of residential buildings and office buildings in the built-up area of Beijing, using quantitative analysis tools such as correlation analysis, ArcGIS kernel density analysis and cluster analysis, this paper discussed the spatial agglomeration characteristics of office areas and residential areas around the rail transit station from the two levels of micro structure and macro distribution. The results showed that: (1) The spatial agglomeration of offices and residences around the rail transit station had an obvious concentric ring structure, and such concentric ring structure was most obvious in the transfer area of rail transit from 5 km to 10 km from the city center. (2) Both the residential space and office space presented distinct spatial differences and multi-center agglomeration characteristics. The office space was mainly distributed between the East Third Ring Road and West Third Ring Road as well as the South Second Ring Road to the North Fifth Ring Road, and agglomerated in the China World Tower, the Beijing Financial Street and Zhongguancun, while the residential space was spread from the center of the city to the surrounding area. (3) From the perspective of jobs-housing balance, the areas of jobs-housing balance were mainly distributed within the fourth ring of northern Beijing, while the peripheral areas and southern Beijing were mainly residential functions, and the impact of Beijing rail transit on urban spatial structure was still in its infancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This paper investigates the potential expansion and impacts of Electric Vehicle (EV) market in Beijing, China at the micro level with an agent-based integrated urban model (SelfSim-EV), considering the interactions, feedbacks and dynamics found in the complex urban system. Specifically, a calibrated and validated SelfSim-EV Beijing model was firstly used to simulate how the EV market might expand in the context of urban evolution from 2016 to 2020, based on which the potential impacts of EV market expansion on the environment, power grid system and transportation infrastructures were assessed at the multiple resolutions. The results suggest that 1) the adoption rate of Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) increases over the period, whereas the rate of Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) almost remains the same; Furthermore, the so-called neighbour effects appear to influence the uptake of BEVs, based on the spatial analyses of the residential locations of BEV owners; 2) the EV market expansion could eventually benefit the environment, as evident from the slight decrease in the amounts of HC, CO and CO 2 emissions after 2017; 3) Charging demand accounting for around 4% of total residential electricity demand in 2020 may put slight pressure on the power grid system; 4) the EV market expansion could influence several EV-related transport facilities, including parking lots, refuelling stations, and charging posts at parking lots, in terms of quantity, layout and usage. These results are expected to be useful for different EV-related stakeholders, such as local authorities and manufacturers, to shape polices and invest in technologies and infrastructures for EVs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geothermal energy is a key clean energy in China that can be applied in heating, hot springs and aquaculture. However, the recovery of geothermal energy depends heavily on electricity, the market is narrow and the initial investment is very high. Focusing on the geothermal energy development in Beijing, China, this paper applies the game theory to analyze the economy of complex geothermal energy and designs the economic incentive system for geothermal energy. Specifically, the energy analysis and thermoeconomic analysis methods were designed for geothermal energy system, in the light of the thermodynamic laws. The investment cost, specific negative entropy cost and comparable irreversible cost of geothermal energy recovery were examined in details, revealing that the recovery of geothermal resources needs the least investment in Miyun, Haidian and Fangshan, and that Changping has the smallest relative cost difference and energy economics factor in Beijing. In addition, economic incentive measures were put forward, including both tax incentive and financial subsidy. The research findings lay the theoretical basis for expanding the development and utilization of geothermal energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Agricultural nonpoint source pollution (NPS) is the main water-use impairment in the upper watershed of the Miyun Reservoir in Beijing, China. Selection and placement of best management practices (BMPs) in heterogeneous watersheds, requires a multi-objective optimization framework to identify the most cost-effective conservation strategy to achieve desired water quality goals. In this paper, a novel optimization methodology was developed, utilizing a BMP database that includes BMP reduction efficiencies and costs, using a multi-objective sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II, nondominated sorting genetic algorithm-II) combined with the Soil Water and Assessment Tool (SWAT) served as the NPS watershed model. Cost-effectiveness curves (optimal fronts) between pollutant reduction and total net cost input were obtained for the upper watershed of Miyun Reservoir. The optimal combination of BMP, which include a combination of conservation tillage, careful timing of 30% less fertilizer application, contour planting, and use of a 10-m edge-of-field buffer strip, indicate that the least costly scenario reduced total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) loads by 33% at a cost of 1.02 × 106 China Yuan. The cost-effective scenario reduced TN and TP loads 44% and 68% at a cost of 2.52 × 107 and 5.64 × 107China Yuan. The greatest reduction scenario reduced TN and TP loads 55% and 76%, respectively, at a cost of 2.01 × 108 and 2.48 × 108 China Yuan. Watershed with poultry operations, required a 30% reduction in number of birds, along with a 30% reduction in the amount of manure applied was needed to achieve water quality goals. Use of the coupled BMP optimization model can assist the policy makers achieve a cost-effective implementation of best management practices to mitigate agricultural nonpoint sources at a watershed scale. Highlights • Multi-objective optimization model for the selection and placement of BMPs for nonpoint source pollution control. • Cost-effectiveness analysis for single and combination BMPs at watershed scale. • Dynamic database were development to achieve the auto-simulation of SWAT model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Public rental housing (PRH) exits exert a profound influence on turnover rates, which further impact the public housing principles of fairness and efficiency. However, very few studies have attempted to investigate the tenant's barriers to exit PRH units in Chinese studies. In this paper, using data drawn from a randomly sampled survey of tenants in Beijing during the March 2017, we employ structural equation modeling (SEM) to examine the factors influencing tenant's barriers to exit. We find that housing availability is the most influential factor in determining the tenant's barriers to leave PRH, and residential satisfaction is also considered as a motivation against PRH exits. In addition, residential satisfaction transfers the impact of tenant's perceptions of housing and neighborhood to exit barriers. Especially, the effects of housing availability on exit barriers are higher in some groups, such as elderly, high income households, large-sized families and respondents with long spell of residence. Any program aimed at getting tenants to leave public housing sector needs to reduce their barriers to access to the private rental market and take into consideration the various characteristics of the tenants. Highlights • Explored the determinants of tenants' barriers to exit public rental housing in Beijing, China. • Housing availability is the most influential factor in determining the tenant's barriers to leave public rental housing. • Residential satisfaction transfers the impact of tenant's perceptions of housing and neighborhood to exit barriers. • Effects of housing availability on exit barriers are higher in some families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Chinese energy consumption structure has been dominated by coal for a long time, which makes China facing serious environmental problems. To achieve the target of CO2 emission reduction, a carbon emission trading (CET) market and promoting the development of new energy should be worthy choices. The issues of dynamic linkages and spillover effects between the CET market, the coal market and the stock market of new energy companies (NEC) are important topics for studies. The paper applies a VAR(1)-DCC-GARCH(1,1) model and a VAR(1)-BEKK-AGARCH(1,1) model to obtain the following conclusions: (1) There exists significant time-varying correlations and long-run persistence of shocks to the DCCs between Beijing CET market, the coal market and the stock market of NEC, and the coal market and the new energy stock market have higher volatility persistence; (2) There is a bi-directional spillover effects between the coal market and the stock market of NEC, which is consistent with the results of the Granger causality; (3) The optimal weight is 82.65% for new energy stock and 17.35% for coal. The optimal hedge ratio is 49.98% for coal, while the optimal hedge ratio is 17.34% for new energy stock. Highlights • There are significant time-varying correlations and long-run persistence of shocks to the DCCs between three markets. • There is a bi-directional volatility spillover between the coal market and the new energy stock market. • The optimal weight is 82.65% for new energy stock and 17.35% for coal. • The optimal hedge ratio is 17.34% for new energy stock and 49.98% for coal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • We investigate the weather's impact on school commute mode choices in Beijing, China. • A large survey of middle school commutes is adopted, containing 97,427 observations. • Multinomial probit and multinomial logit models are estimated and compared. • The air quality index has a significant impact on school commute mode choices. Abstract Weather conditions have been recognized as important factors affecting school commute mode choices. This paper aims to explore the modal shift of middle school commutes with respect to the variation in weather-related variables, with empirical emphases on the situation in Beijing, China. Data from the latest Beijing School Commute Survey (2014–2015) were adopted, and multinomial probit (MNP) and multinomial logit (MNL) models were developed. The modeling results are in favor of the MNP model because it has better statistical performance. Weather-related variables, including sky condition, wind speed, highest temperature, humidity, air quality index (AQI), and some interaction terms, were found to have a significant impact on students' commute mode choices. Based on these models, an empirical sensitivity measure was defined as the expected percentage change in the probability of choosing each mode with respect to an order of magnitude change in the influential factors. Most of the results are in line with those of previous studies, and some unique results reflect features of Beijing. For example, on days with extremely poor air quality, students are more likely to turn to public transport rather than use a car from active transportation modes. This is probably due to the special urban traffic regulations that restrict household car ownership and car travel in Beijing. These findings could have implications for promoting active transportation for students and serve as references for policymakers and planners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • The increases of commuting CO 2 emissions are several times larger than the urban size, population, and economics' developments. • Metro services reducing commuting CO 2 emissions near the metro stations is not statistically significant, possibly because the proportions of car users near the metro stations are similar to the two cities' average levels, which is caused by their higher household income and the longer travel time using the metro. • In Beijing, there are the smallest commuting CO 2 emissions in the outer suburbs due to job-housing balances, short distance and large percentage of non-motorized mode uses while the largest commuting CO 2 emissions in the inner sprawl suburbs due to car trips with long distance. Abstract To understand the changing relationships between commuting CO 2 emissions (CCE), travel behavior and urban forms, this paper provides a comparative study between the typical Chinese cities of Beijing (more developed) and Xi'an (rapidly developing). Further, the effects of metro services on reducing CCE were explored, and comparative analysis on CCE between the inner sprawling suburbs and outer suburbs was conducted. It was found that: (i) the increases in CCE are several times larger than the increases in urban size, population, and economic developments; (ii) metro services reducing CCE near metro stations is not statistically significant, maybe because the proportions of car users near the metro stations are similar to the two cities' average levels, which is caused by their higher household income and the longer travel time using the metro; (iii) in Beijing, there are smallest CCE in the outer suburbs due to job-housing balances, short distance and large percentage of non-motorized mode uses while largest CCE in the inner sprawl suburbs due to car trips with long distance. These findings indicate that to cope with the rapidly increasing CCE, more attention should be paid to developing strong industry and real-estate simultaneously; the improvement in the feeder bus and public bicycle systems should also be reinforced to reduce the total travel time of metro users; and satellite cities with job-housing balance are greatly needed. The implications will benefit efforts to reduce CCE and mitigate global climate change, and they also provide empirical evidence and reference values for other global cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • The relationship between commuting behaviour and congestion satisfaction are significant. • Semi-parameter model results are robust. • Heterogeneous effects on perceived satisfaction about congestion across social-spatial gradients. Abstract Megacity growth in developing countries suffers from heavy congestion, which undermines satisfaction as experienced by local residents. Drawing on a large scale individual survey in Beijing, this paper explores the social-spatial differentiation of urbanites' satisfaction perceptions about congestion by comparing residents with various motorized commuting modes including car, shuttle bus, and public transit. The results show that shuttle bus commuters are significantly associated with better satisfaction perceptions about congestion than other commuting mode users. We find that perceived wellbeing implications vary with demographic characteristics and transport accessibility characteristics. Findings from this study suggest the importance of considering neighborhood built environment into the design of land use and transport policy aiming to enhance commuters' subjective experiences towards congestion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • The first city-level building energy efficiency benchmarking system for China. • A model considering the influence of operation parameters on energy consumption. • A systematic methodology of building energy benchmarking is proposed. • The model is a valuable analysis support tool for building energy managers. Abstract The city-level public building energy efficiency benchmarking system has an important guiding value for building energy-saving work, especially for Beijing, with its high energy-consumption density and both long heating and air-conditioning periods. This paper analyzed the characteristics of large-scale office buildings in Beijing and gives a detailed description of the process of establishing a public building energy efficiency benchmarking system for large-scale office buildings in Beijing, China, including data investigation and verification, Energy Usage Intensity(EUI) calculation, determining independent and dependent variables, developing and testing the benchmarking model, and deriving the benchmarking rating table. Then the first city-level public office building energy efficiency benchmarking system in China is established based on 88 large-scale office buildings in Beijing. The results showed that the model's performance index R2 is 0.667 and gives a good representation. The process has a strong potential for replication for other cities in China and even for a national energy-consumption evaluation system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Active faults in urban have a potential damage to citizens, because they can induce not only earthquakes, but also damage pavements, utilities, homes, businesses, factories and other manmade structures because of the slow, secular and differential slippage. Consequently, the researches of detecting active faults are of great significance. This paper proposes a set of geophysical methods to detect active faults by an example in Beijing, including gravity, controlled source audio-frequency magnetotellurics(CSAMT), seismic reflection, DC resistivity and paleomagnetism (Natural remanent magnetization in rocks) to locate faults and discuss their activities. In proposed methods, gravity interpretation helps us obtain the distribution and characteristics of buried faults beneath the plain, the results of CSAMT, seismic reflection and DC resistivity reveal features and characteristics of faults from the deep to shallow part; paleomagnetism associated with radiocarbon dating help us analyze the fault slip rate; 3D seismic reflection interpretation shows the structure of two faults in the three-dimensional subsurface and the interaction of each other. Also, a few acquisition parameters, data processing methods and significant suggestions are mentioned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economic development, accompanying with environmental damage and energy depletion, becomes essential nowadays. There is a complicated and comprehensive interaction between economics, environment and energy. Understanding the operating mechanism of Energy-Environment-Economy model (3E) and its key factors is the inherent part in dealing with the issue. In this paper, we combine System Dynamics model and Geographic Information System to analyze the energy-environment-economy (3E) system both temporally and spatially, which explicitly explore the interaction of economics, energy, and environment and effects of the key influencing factors. Beijing is selected as a case study to verify our SD-GIS model. Alternative scenarios, e.g., current, technology, energy and environment scenarios are explored and compared. Simulation results shows that, current scenario is not sustainable; technology scenario is applicable to economic growth; environment scenario maintains a balanced path of development for long term stability. Policy-making insights are given based on our results and analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beijing, the capital of China, has experienced rapid industrialization, urbanization and motorization in recent decades. Consequently, air pollution in Beijing, especially fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) pollution, has gradually become a severe environmental issue, due to the continuing growth in energy consumption and the resulting multiple pollutant emissions. In response to the increasingly serious PM 2.5 pollution, Beijing's government implemented a series of policies, measures and regulations on air pollution prevention and control and took some concrete actions to improve air quality. In this paper, firstly, we summarize China's ambient air quality standards, China's policies and regulations on air pollution prevention and control. Secondly, we illustrate historical evolution and current status of air pollution in Beijing. Finally, we introduce control measures and actions in Beijing and its surrounding areas. The paper aims to help environmental scientists and policy makers around the world understand the past and current air pollution in Beijing and control strategies and actions taken by Beijing's government. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, air pollution is primarily characterized by PM 2.5 and O 3. Therefore, the co-control of PM 2.5 and O 3 has become an important task of atmosphere pollution prevention and control in China. However, few studies have been conducted on the emissions from vapor recovery and processes, which is an important source of VOCs. This paper analyzed the VOC emissions of three vapor process technologies in service stations and first proposed key pollutants for priority control based on the coordinated reactivity of O 3 and SOA. The concentration of VOCs emitted from the vapor processor was 3.14–9.95 g m−3, compared to 631.2–717.8 g m−3 for uncontrolled vapor. Alkanes, alkenes, and halocarbons accounted for a high proportion of the vapor both before and after control. Among the emissions, i -pentane, n -butane, and i -butane were the most abundant species. Then, the species of OFP and SOAP were calculated through the maximum incremental reactivity (MIR) and fractional aerosol coefficient (FAC). The average source reactivity (SR) value of the VOC emissions from three service stations was 1.9 g g−1, while the OFP ranged from 8.2 to 13.9 g m−3 and SOAP ranged from 0.18 to 0.36 g m−3. By considering the coordinated chemical reactivity of O 3 and SOA, a comprehensive control index (CCI) was proposed for the control of key pollutant species that have multiplier effects on environment. For adsorption, trans -2-butene and p -xylene were the key co-control pollutants, while toluene and trans -2-butene were the most important for membrane and condensation + membrane control. A 50% emission reduction of the top two key species that emission account for 4.3% averagely will reduce O 3 by 18.4% and SOA by 17.9%. [Display omitted] • The organized emissions of VOCs from three vapor processors were studied in service stations. • The species composition of VOCs before and after control were analyzed. • The OFP and SOAP were calculated to evaluate the secondary pollution. • The co-control of key pollutants based on SOA and O 3 has great environmental benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of electric vehicles (EVs) is expected to play an important role in achieving the emission reduction targets in the transportation sector by many countries and regions, including China's dual carbon goals. A bottleneck to the mass roll-out of EVs is the limited charging facilities. This paper considers the planning of charging facilities for a new developing area in a metropolis, and an optimization model for charging station planning based on the dynamic transportation system is proposed. The proposed model is developed using an objective framework that considers the spatio-temporal characteristics of EV charging demand in order to minimize the overall cost while the constraints from suppliers and drivers are met. The Voronoi diagram is used to determine the final service boundary of each charging station, and the effect is verified in the planning of charge stations for the Yizhuang new town in Beijing. The case study confirms that the proposed method can optimize the charging facilities that fit well with the traffic network conditions. Furthermore, it is shown that the charging demand varies in accordance with the population density and regional functionality in different areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Demand-side decarbonization and electrification promote a strong coupling between electric vehicles (EVs) and buildings. From a building-centric perspective, this paper established a survey-based simulation platform for charging system design, which supports annual simulations with a 15-min interval. Field survey data of private vehicles in two office buildings located in Beijing (a metropolis) and Ruicheng (a county in China) were used as inputs and for validation. The platform was applied to analyze workplace charging and give suggestions for charging system design. First, the city size greatly influences vehicle behavior and charging demands. This study indicates an unusual double-peak charging demand on weekdays in the county case due to different vehicle behavior from the urban cases. Second, slow charging at workplaces can almost meet the intra-urban travel demand of private EVs. Specifically, chargers with a rated power of 3–4 kW can achieve a guarantee level of EV use of SOC 0.999 = 20%. Third, the low solar self-consumption rate of current PV charging systems (generally 18%∼42%) mainly results from significant PV surpluses on weekends and in summer. These findings emphasize building-centric planning of EV-related infrastructures and proper charging strategies for energy interaction between EVs and buildings. [Display omitted] • Electric vehicle (EV) behavior is investigated from a building-centric perspective. • A simulation platform is developed for charging system design (τ = 1 yr, Δ τ = 15 min). • City size greatly influences vehicle behavior and charging demands. • Slow charging at workplace can meet the intra-urban travel demand of private EVs. • PV surpluses on weekends and in summer result in low solar power self-consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While bidirectional automatic fare gates (BAFGs) serve as important tools for mitigating the congestion of passengers in subway stations, most of BAFGs function merely as single-directional automatic fare gates (AFGs) in most cities of China and other countries. This paper proposes a pioneering work on the dynamic regulation problem of BAFGs. We build a macro-to-micro model which simulates the movement of passengers in stations from both the macroscopic and microscopic perspectives. The system dynamics based macromodel simulates the macroscopic movement of passengers in stations, while the social force based micromodel simulates the microscopic movement of passengers. Benefitting from the negative feedback regulation mechanism of the system dynamics, we adjust different number of BAFGs according to the congestion extent of the passenger flow on the platform in the macromodel, and change the pedestrian flowline in the micromodel to ensure that there is no new conflict produced by the regulation scheme. We conduct case studies on Dawanglu station and Jiangtai station, Beijing, China, and propose optimized configurations and dynamic regulation scheme of BAFGs accordingly. The simulation results show that the macro-to-micro model not only significantly improves both the BAFGs' efficiency and the passengers' efficiency, but also exhibits a high generalization ability towards different types of subway stations. Our study benefits the subway operation and management, and is conducive to sustainable urban development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite massive new town development in megacities in China, none of the prior studies examined commuting disparities of residents of different income groups living in various types of new towns. Based on established literature on urban structure and commuting and income disparities in commuting, this paper has examined the roles of income and new town types in commuting distance, mode, and time differences. Based on Beijing's new town development context, we categorize its six major new towns into residential, national park-driven industrial, market-based industrial, and satellite new towns. Using descriptive analysis and regressions on 595 new town residents, we find that high-income commuters tend to have longer commuting distances and times and are more likely to drive to workplaces. Those living in the residential new town tend to have longer commuting distances and times. Results also show the transportation resource differences in different types of new towns. Those living in the residential new town are more likely to commute by public transit. Results also show the transportation difficulties for low-income residents who live in satellite towns. Though high-income commuters living in those towns have significantly longer commuting distances, they do not necessarily have longer commuting times than low-income people living in these towns. This study has several implications for future research and policy implications for new town development in China and other transit-dependent cities in Asia and Global South. • This paper examines commuting disparities across different types of new towns and income groups in Beijing. • High-income commuters tend to have longer commuting distances and times and are more likely to drive. • Those living in the residential new town tend to have longer commuting distances and times. • Those living in the residential new town are more likely to commute by public transit. • Results also show the transportation difficulties for low-income commuters living in satellite towns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Along with the increasing proportion of urban public transportation trip, pedestrian flow in transportation hub areas increased. For effectively improving the emergency handling ability of related management apartments and preventing the incident of pedestrian congestion, this paper studied the method of pedestrian flow forecast in Beijing transportation hub areas. Firstly, 34 typical sidewalks in Beijing transportation hub areas were surveyed to obtain 2200 valid data. Secondly, correlation analysis was used to analyze the relationship between pedestrian flow and its influential factors. 11 significant influential factors were extracted. Thirdly, forecasting model was established with modular neural network. The surveyed pedestrian flow sample was fuzzy clustered according to the regional land use where the transportation hub existed. Then, membership function based on the distance measure was constructed. Through fuzzy discrimination, online selection for the subnetwork of the information can be achieved. Consequently, the self-adaptation of the neural network on information processing was improved. Finally, this paper tested the pedestrian flow sample of a transportation hub in Beijing. It was concluded that the accuracy of pedestrian flow forecasting model using modular neural network was higher than other neural network models. There was also improvement in the adaptability to environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: We attempted to propose an approach to simulate the dynamics of Beijing's logistics demand, which can do some help to find out the dynamics path of the needed storage and shipment, put forward with logistics policies and enhance logistics service. Design/methodology/approach: We present a paper with system dynamics (SD) methodology, which was run by the software of Vensim®. Findings: With SD model, causal loop diagram and stock and flow diagram are constructed, as well as some experiments and policy analysis. The research findings revealed that the increase of average shipping capacity for a vehicle will bring a decrease in congestion and CO2 emission directly and the decrease of the average fuel use for a vehicle can help with the reduction of CO2 emission directly. Both the two parameters are the indirect causes of logistics demand dynamics in Beijing. Originality/value: Researches of this paper are aiming at handling logistics demand dynamics of Beijing, problems belonging to the area of complex systems, with SD model, where, to the best of our knowledge, no significant research has been done. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 2007, Beijing Metro started to use track geometry car to measure quality of its tracks under wheel loading conditions. The track quality measurement data from the track geometry car were only used to assess local track quality by means of scoring 1000 m long track segments based on track exceptions. Track quality management experience of national railroads of China shows that, in addition to local track quality assessment, an overall track quality assessment method should be employed. The paper presented research results funded by Road Administration of Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport. The paper proposed an overall track quality assessment method for Beijing Metro and determined the overall track quality standards by means of a statistical method which was proposed in the paper. The standards are necessary for the proposed method to be applied and have been approved by Road Administration of Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport and put into practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The key to studying urban sustainable development depends on quantifying stores, efficiencies of urban metabolisms and capturing urban metabolisms' mechanisms. This paper builds up the metabolic emergy account and quantifies some important concepts of emergy stores. Emphasis is placed on the urban metabolic model based on the slack based model (SBM) method to measure urban metabolic efficiencies. Urban metabolic mechanisms are discussed by using the regression method. By integrating these models, this paper analyzes the urban metabolic development in Beijing from 2001 to 2010. We conclude that the metabolic emergy stores of Beijing increased significantly from 2001 to 2010, with the emergy imported accounting for most of the increase. The metabolic efficiencies in Beijing have improved since the 2008 Olympic Games. The population, economic growth, industrial structures, and environmental governance positively affect the overall urban metabolism, while the land expansion, urbanization and environmentally technical levels hinder the improving of urban metabolic efficiencies. The SBM metabolic method and the regression model based on the emergy analysis provide insights into the urban metabolic efficiencies and the mechanism. They can promote to integrate such concepts into their sustainability analyses and policy decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT This paper studies the extent to which spatial heterogeneity in housing prices is affected by housing supply in Beijing's specific context of centralized metropolitan government without local property tax. Taking data sets of residential land leases and private housing sales records from 2006 to 2008 within Beijing's metropolitan area, this paper examines how the capitalization of school quality and subway accessibility in housing prices varies with land availability instrumented by the employment density of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) at the beginning of SOE reform. Results confirm that the capitalization of school quality and subway accessibility is larger in supply-constrained locations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this paper, we first analyze the 5 most cited papers with the title containing “Urban ecosystem health” in Chinese academic journals, and 5 newer papers retrieved from the CSSCI (Chinese Social Sciences Citation Index). The results show that the number of indicators to be used together in more than three papers is 28, and then we select 27 of them to assess Beijing and Shanghai's urban ecosystem health from 2000 to 2011. Secondly, when we standardize the original data, the worst value adjustment coefficient is introduced innovatively. Thirdly, using the entropy method, the weights of concrete indicators of Beijing and Shanghai in the different adjustment coefficients are calculated respectively. Fourthly, based on the fuzzy matter-element method, using the Hamming approach degree, the two cities' ecosystem health index and the contribution value to overall health index from each component are calculated. Lastly, using gray prediction model, the evolutionary time response sequence function of Beijing and Shanghai's urban ecosystem health index is identified, and thus both cities' urban ecosystem health is predicted. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Much like other post-socialist cities, Chinese cities experienced dramatic changes after economic reform. The danwei, or state-owned work unit, was once a fundamental building block of Chinese cities. In addition to being the basic form of economic and social organization, danwei communities defined Chinese urban development before reform, taking the form of gated, walled-off combined factory and residential areas. This paper focuses on spatial changes at the neighborhood scale in danwei, by selecting the Tongrentang pharmaceutical factory in Beijing, China during the time period between 1973 and 2006 as a case study. Through archival material and interviews, this paper describes how the community changed from gated, boring, solidified and strictly constrained work units to un-gated, vibrant, mixed-use and flexible urban neighborhoods. This case study in urban China provides implications for planning professionals and policy makers. By properly redeveloping these brownfield, traditional danwei communities many change to become un-gated, livable, accessible, integrated, and sustainable in the post-socialist era. The implication for current transition theory is that despite the similarity to Central and East European countries, urban China has a local context and unique spatial changes that should be embraced in future transition studies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In previous urban planning research, the fine-grained population was considered a crucial factor. However, this population, which is generated from census data, represents only the number of people who live in a region. This static figure cannot indicate the underlying number of people and their temporal variation. Therefore, any decision-making based on the static population may be separated from reality. To overcome this difficulty, in this paper, the urban crowd flux is initially proposed and defined as the number of individuals flowing into or out of a region per unit time interval. Then, the urban crowd flux is estimated using an approach of human trajectory gridding reconstruction based on mobile phone location data. This approach is divided into three steps. First, the trajectory of each individual is extracted from sparse sampling of mobile phone location data after data cleansing. Then, combining with a road network, the trajectory of each individual is reconstructed by network interpolation based on the shortest path algorithm in regular grids. Third, we use the velocities of each user's trajectory record to estimate the urban crowd flux on spatio-temporal grids at each time slice. Finally, urban crowd flux in Beijing, China were estimated using our method and the spatio-temporal characteristics of flux is analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present a formal analysis of the neighborhood vibrancy created by urban form. We use Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to develop quantitative measures of urban form and define neighborhood vibrancy based on a GPS-based activity survey in suburban Beijing. An Urban Form index was adopted to determine that our measures of urban form capture meaningful differences in the characteristics of urban neighborhoods – differences that may have direct impacts on neighborhood vibrancy. Specifically, high density and mixed land use are strongly positively correlated with neighborhood vibrancy, whereas developed external traffic systems are negative. However, a thorough inter-circulation system and convenient accessibility do not always boost neighborhood vibrancy. These factors lose efficacy when gated neighborhoods are selected and surrounding facilities are distributed far away. Our study argues that urban planners, using their professional judgment, can contribute to urban vitality at the neighborhood scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, a small but growing body of scholarship has emerged on the category of the Chinese art district, particularly its institutionalisation amidst twenty-first century creative industries polices. Such research presents important stories of Chinese artists’ negotiations with urban and political authority, thus nuancing paradigms for the comprehension of political work within contemporary China. This current article contributes to this growing research area by considering the spatial conditions for these socio-spatial categories’ emergence, namely, the urban structures in which they first took shape in 1990s Beijing. First occupying traditional villages (cunzi) and later ex-socialist work units (danwei), these arts colonies appropriated existing communal architecture, and turned their designs and physical buildings to their own communal ends. Importantly, these sites were made available by the dramatic reconstruction of the city, and in this sense these occupations were limited to the temporal realm. To describe the nature of occupations, and their eventual impact upon the shape of the city, this paper proposes the category of “the temporal pocket”: a cellular and temporary inhabitance, defined by the shared investments of its participants, and one that is both discrete (in the sense of its spaces) and discreet (in the sense that this can be understood as a non-oppositional politics). The article is informed by spatial and cultural theory, literature on Chinese urban planning and art history, as well as primary documents (such as documentaries, art works and archival material) and interviews conducted by the researcher in Beijing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]