IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v8y2016i10p1058-d81001.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Sustainability Investigation of Resource-Based Cities in Northeastern China

Author

Listed:
  • Chengpeng Lu

    (Key Lab of Pollution Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 10016, China)

  • Bing Xue

    (Key Lab of Pollution Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 10016, China
    Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS), Potsdam 14467, Germany)

  • Chenyu Lu

    (College of Geography and Environment Science, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, China)

  • Ting Wang

    (College of Geography and Environment Science, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, China)

  • Lu Jiang

    (Key Lab of Pollution Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 10016, China
    College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China)

  • Zilong Zhang

    (College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China)

  • Wanxia Ren

    (Key Lab of Pollution Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 10016, China)

Abstract

Improving the sustainability of traditional resource-based cities in China has been a core issue and policy-priority for Chinese government to establish long-term ecological civilization, particularly for northeastern China which is recognized as a typical agglomeration area of resources cities. In this study, we establish a three-layer index system consisting of a comprehensive layer, systemic layer, and variable layer, and including 22 indicators which are grouped into economic, social and environmental subsystems. After that, the TOPSIS (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution) method was applied to measure and rank the sustainability of the selected 15 typical resource-based cities in northeast China, and then a GIS (Geographical Information System) technique based on the software of SuperMap was applied to map the sustainability in terms of the spatial effects among these cities. The results reveal that a unilateral improvement of a subsystem did not mean an improvement or contribution to whole system. In detail, during the past 15 years from 2000 to 2015, the comprehensive sustainability of resource-based cities in Northeastern China shows a declining trend in the mass, and the sustainability of the economic subsystem shows increase; the sustainability of the social system remains stable, while the environmental subsystem shows decrease. These situations might result from policy interventions during the past 15 years, therefore, promoting the sustainability of resource-based cities needs a historical approach, which should focus on the coordinated development of its economic, social, and environmental subsystems.

Suggested Citation

  • Chengpeng Lu & Bing Xue & Chenyu Lu & Ting Wang & Lu Jiang & Zilong Zhang & Wanxia Ren, 2016. "Sustainability Investigation of Resource-Based Cities in Northeastern China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(10), pages 1-16, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:8:y:2016:i:10:p:1058-:d:81001
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/8/10/1058/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/8/10/1058/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. J. Javid, Roxana & Nejat, Ali & Hayhoe, Katharine, 2014. "Selection of CO2 mitigation strategies for road transportation in the United States using a multi-criteria approach," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 960-972.
    2. Amaral, Luís P. & Martins, Nélson & Gouveia, Joaquim B., 2016. "A review of emergy theory, its application and latest developments," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 882-888.
    3. Bing Xue & Mario Tobias, 2015. "Sustainability in China: Bridging Global Knowledge with Local Action," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(4), pages 1-7, March.
    4. Kim, Gyutai & Park, Chan S. & Yoon, K. Paul, 1997. "Identifying investment opportunities for advanced manufacturing systems with comparative-integrated performance measurement," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 50(1), pages 23-33, May.
    5. Brown, Mark T. & Ulgiati, Sergio, 2016. "Emergy assessment of global renewable sources," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 339(C), pages 148-156.
    6. Zeng, Lijun & Wang, Bingcheng & Fan, Liu & Wu, Jianguo, 2016. "Analyzing sustainability of Chinese mining cities using an association rule mining approach," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 394-404.
    7. Daeryong Park & Yeonjoo Kim & Myoung-Jin Um & Sung-Uk Choi, 2015. "Robust Priority for Strategic Environmental Assessment with Incomplete Information Using Multi-Criteria Decision Making Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(8), pages 1-17, July.
    8. Li, Huijuan & Long, Ruyin & Chen, Hong, 2013. "Economic transition policies in Chinese resource-based cities: An overview of government efforts," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 251-260.
    9. Rabello Quadros, Saul Germano & Nassi, Carlos David, 2015. "An evaluation on the criteria to prioritize transportation infrastructure investments in Brazil," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 8-16.
    10. Tang, Xu & Zhang, Baosheng & Höök, Mikael & Feng, Lianyong, 2010. "Forecast of oil reserves and production in Daqing oilfield of China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 35(7), pages 3097-3102.
    11. Liming Zhang & Bing Xue & Yong Geng & Wanxia Ren & Chengpeng Lu, 2014. "Emergy-Based City’s Sustainability and Decoupling Assessment: Indicators, Features and Findings," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 6(2), pages 1-15, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Daeryong Park & Myoung-Jin Um, 2018. "Robust Decision-Making Technique for Strategic Environment Assessment with Deficient Information," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 32(15), pages 4953-4970, December.
    2. Maione, A. & Massarotti, N. & Santagata, R. & Ulgiati, S. & Vanoli, L., 2023. "Integrated environmental accounting of a geothermal grid," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 185(C).
    3. Li, Qiangyi & Zeng, Fu'e & Liu, Shaohui & Yang, Mian & Xu, Fei, 2021. "The effects of China's sustainable development policy for resource-based cities on local industrial transformation," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    4. Zhuang, Minghao & Liu, Yize & Yang, Yi & Zhang, Qingsong & Ying, Hao & Yin, Yulong & Cui, Zhenling, 2022. "The sustainability of staple crops in China can be substantially improved through localized strategies," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    5. Cristiano, S. & Ulgiati, S. & Gonella, F., 2021. "Systemic sustainability and resilience assessment of health systems, addressing global societal priorities: Learnings from a top nonprofit hospital in a bioclimatic building in Africa," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 141(C).
    6. Jiao, Wenting & Zhang, Xiaosen & Li, Changhong & Guo, Jiaqi, 2021. "Sustainable transition of mining cities in China: Literature review and policy analysis," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    7. Pan, Minjie & Zhao, Xin & lv, Kangjuan & Rosak-Szyrocka, Joanna & Mentel, Grzegorz & Truskolaski, Tadeusz, 2023. "Internet development and carbon emission-reduction in the era of digitalization: Where will resource-based cities go?," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    8. Ana Carolina V. Nadalini & Ricardo de Araujo Kalid & Ednildo Andrade Torres, 2021. "Emergy as a Tool to Evaluate Ecosystem Services: A Systematic Review of the Literature," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(13), pages 1-14, June.
    9. Zeng, Lijun & Wang, Jinfeng & Zhang, Jinshuo & Lv, Jun & Cui, Wei, 2020. "New Urbanization paths in mineral resource abundant regions in China: A three-dimensional cube framework," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    10. Li, Dezhi & Du, Bingzhen & Zhu, Jin, 2021. "Evaluating old community renewal based on emergy analysis: A case study of Nanjing," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 449(C).
    11. Yong-Zhi Chang & Suo-Cheng Dong, 2016. "Evaluation of Sustainable Development of Resources-Based Cities in Shanxi Province Based on Unascertained Measure," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(6), pages 1-18, June.
    12. Daeryong Park & Yeonjoo Kim & Myoung-Jin Um & Sung-Uk Choi, 2015. "Robust Priority for Strategic Environmental Assessment with Incomplete Information Using Multi-Criteria Decision Making Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(8), pages 1-17, July.
    13. Zhipeng Tang & Ziao Mei & Jialing Zou, 2021. "Does the Opening of High-Speed Railway Lines Reduce the Carbon Intensity of China’s Resource-Based Cities?," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-18, July.
    14. Eyni-Nargeseh, Hamed & Asgharipour, Mohammad Reza & Rahimi-Moghaddam, Sajjad & Gilani, Abdolali & Damghani, Abdolmajid Mahdavi & Azizi, Khosro, 2023. "Which rice farming system is more environmentally friendly in Khuzestan province, Iran? A study based on emergy analysis," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 481(C).
    15. Chen, Yuhong & Lyu, Yanfeng & Yang, Xiangdong & Zhang, Xiaohong & Pan, Hengyu & Wu, Jun & Lei, Yongjia & Zhang, Yanzong & Wang, Guiyin & Xu, Min & Luo, Hongbin, 2022. "Performance comparison of urea production using one set of integrated indicators considering energy use, economic cost and emissions’ impacts: A case from China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 254(PC).
    16. Li, Cunfang & Li, Danping & Zhang, Xiaoxu, 2019. "Why can China's coal resource-exhausted enterprises cross the district to transfer?," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 94-105.
    17. Shah, Syed Mahboob & Liu, Gengyuan & Yang, Qing & Casazza, Marco & Agostinho, Feni & Giannetti, Biagio F., 2021. "Sustainability assessment of agriculture production systems in Pakistan: A provincial-scale energy-based evaluation," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 455(C).
    18. Zhang, Pingdan & Yuan, Haoming & Bai, Fuli & Tian, Xin & Shi, Feng, 2018. "How do carbon dioxide emissions respond to industrial structural transitions? Empirical results from the northeastern provinces of China," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 145-154.
    19. Zhu, Junpeng & Lin, Boqiang, 2022. "Resource dependence, market-oriented reform, and industrial transformation: Empirical evidence from Chinese cities," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    20. Li, Mengxu & Liu, Jianghua & Chen, Yang & Yang, Zhijiu, 2023. "Can sustainable development strategy reduce income inequality in resource-based regions? A natural resource dependence perspective," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:8:y:2016:i:10:p:1058-:d:81001. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.