Balance should be kept when pursuing sustainable development of cities

Wang Fang, a professor from Peking University, participated in the judging process for the Global Award for Sustainable Development in Cities (Shanghai Award), an international award jointly established by the UN-Habitat and Shanghai to boost sustainable urban development around the world.

“It was a process of mutual learning between cities,” said Wang, “And we gained clarity about what sustainable development should be.”

According to Wang, Shanghai Award takes into account the complexity of cities and adopts a holistic approach while evaluating a city and thus better recognizes the relative strengths and achievements of different cities, with regard to local vitality, safety and sustainability among other things.

With regard to sustainable development, Wang said she paid attention to the people in a city first, underlining that residents including the seniors, children, women and low-income groups should be able to benefit from the development of the city.

Wang also called for attention to be paid to the historical cultural heritage of cities.

“How to preserve and respect the cultures of cities has been a great concern in the process of globalization,” she said.

Another focus, Wang said, was the relationship between protection and development.

“We have a lot to protect, such as the ecological environment and the historical culture. On the other hand, we need to develop and advance so that we can have a better life.”

Wang said that the well-being and sustainability of a city was a dynamic process and people around the world were giving full play to their wisdom to explore ways of overcoming various challenges and keeping the balance between inheritance and development.

“More cities are seeing improved capacity to respond to challenges and pursue sustainable development. Essentially, cities should be built and developed for residents and a more beautiful future. That’s the way we contribute to human society.”