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This book explores how to tackle the challenges of urbanization through international lessons in sustainable development and smart growth strategies. As readers will discover, smart growth offers an approach to urbanization with the aim to: improve the efficiency of land use, protect the natural and cultural environment, promote economic prosperity and improve the quality of life. Authors address various challenges experienced in China, including deepening regional imbalances, an aging population, wholesale environmental degradation and traffic congestion. China´s official long-term urbanization plan sets many challenges for urban planners, these range from implementation of the plan and financing, to protection of vulnerable groups and social justice. This book brings readers up to date on the use of big data and modern technologies such as geographic information system technology (GIS). The work encompasses themes of environmental planning, community development, cultural heritage preservation, land use and transportation, urban studies, climate change, housing and community development, infrastructure planning, disaster planning and social equity. Authors present the very latest theories and practices of smart growth and offer many valuable insights to urban planners and scholars, as well as policy makers.

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Qisheng Pan is a Professor and Chair in the Department of Urban Planning and Environmental Policy at Texas Southern University. Dr. Pan received a Ph.D. in Urban Planning from the University of Southern California (USC) in 2003 and a Master´s degree in Computer Science from USC in 2001. He also held a Master´s degree in Cartography and Remote Sensing and a BS in Geology from Peking University. Dr. Pan´s research focuses on multiple aspects of urban planning, including transportation planning, economic impact analysis, and the applications of GIS in urban planning. He has received research grants from Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) to measure access to public transit services and to examine port-related traffic and emissions. He has also studied on the economic impacts of terrorist attacks on Central Business Districts and infrastructures in large metropolitan areas. Recently he received the Natural Resources Imagery Grant from ESRI to utilize SAR imagery technology in pipeline integrity management. Dr. Pan has consulted in multiple research projects from National Science Foundation´s Digital Government Program and Department of Homeland Security. Dr. Pan is serving as the Chair of the Board of Directors (BOD) for the International Association for China Planning (IACP), 2013-2015.
Weifeng Li is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Urban Planning and Design at the University of Hong Kong. Dr. Li received his Ph.D. in Urban and Regional Planning from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He also holds both a Master´s degree and a bachelor´s degree in Geography from Peking University, China. His research interests focus on environmental sustainability, urbanization and environmental changes, land use-transportation planning interactions and the environmental and energy impacts, as well as the use of GIS and spatial analysis in urban planning. Currently he is working on neighborhood design and energy efficiency funded by Research Grants Committee in Hong Kong and built environment and air quality funded by NSF of China. Dr. Li is a board member of the International Association for China Planning (IACP), 2013-2017.

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