ABSTRACT
Rapid urbanization along with inappropriate industrialization has exacted a heavy environmental cost on urban areas. As the powerhouse of hydrocarbon-intensive capitalist economies, cities produce 70" of the world's greenhouse gases. China is aggressively pursuing eco-city projects, partly because Chinese cities have become seriously polluted and partly because China now faces increased global criticism as it has recently emerged as the world's biggest CO2 emitter. This chapter reviews a history of China's acquisition of knowledge from foreign sources. It focuses on the hasty speed and spectacular scope of transnational Chinese eco-city projects. China's transnational flagship eco-city projects have assumed a size and scale which significantly outstrips similar projects in the home countries of the foreign agencies involved. Finally, in terms of socio-economic dynamics, China's unique state-society relationship contributes to its ability to undertake such spectacular land development projects. Certain implications for transnational built environment policy process are noted in the conclusion.
