Socially sustainable transport in the context of different-sized cities in China:Conceptualisation and operationalisation of equity

Abstract

China has witnessed a significant imbalance in socio-economic development across the country with its rapid urbanisation. As an important dimension of achieving sustainable transportation, increasing attention has been given to transport equity. However, most of the current urban transport equity research in China are empirical studies utilising definitions and measurements of equity largely originating from developed Western countries. Due to China's unique social institutions, conventions and development conditions, Western transport equity theories may not be fully applicable for guiding transport practices in China. This research, therefore, develops a conceptual framework of transport equity suitable for China's socio-economic conditions, grounded on a critical review of transport equity literature from both China and Western countries, and wider equity theories combined with literature on Chinese traditional culture and political institutions. A discourse analysis of transport planning and appraisal documents along with semi-structured interviews with Chinese transport practitioners are introduced to ensure the conceptual framework can be operationalised for guiding transport practices in different-sized Chinese cities. As well as identifying the range of benefits and burdens to be distributed, and clarifying which disadvantaged groups to focus on, we found the proper distributional principle for transport equity should be maximising the development prospects of disadvantaged groups, while for some cities with limited capability and resources, the principle of ensuring a baseline for every citizen to meet their basic needs is more practical.