Integrating transport and land use planning in Qingdao, China
Mobility strategies to accommodate rapid urban growth
The coastal city of Qingdao, China is home to almost 3 million inhabitants, with another 5 million in the surrounding metropolitan area. Photo by felibrilu/Flickr.
As with many Chinese cities, Qingdao is undergoing unprecedented growth. Within a decade the city will outgrow the corner of the Jiaozhou Bay Area it is occupying now, to circle the entire Bay Area. This fast-paced urban development has posed a great challenge to both the accessibility and mobility of the city. The future of Qingdao is now at a crossroads: any ill-conceived plan or uncontrolled growth will lead the city down an unsustainable path nearly impossible to reverse. EMBARQ China has produced the first strategic study on the city’s urban transport and land use planning, using EMBARQ’s unique vantage point to think outside of conventional approaches. Working closely with multiple municipal departments, our comprehensive approach showcases how land use and transportation planning can be best integrated to achieve sustainable mobility for Qingdao's 2.7 million residents.
