Towards Urban Energy Management: A Brief Review of China’s Recent Transition in Urban Energy Demand

Abstract

It is widely accepted the lifeblood of urban economy and growth is energy. Urban transport, infrastructure, industry, and dwellings dominate energy consumption in the built environment. Nevertheless, energy efficiency in urban growth is a key factor that is widely questioned and little understood. As a result, this paper aims to question challenging matters of urban growth and energy by reviewing China’s recent transition in urban energy demand. This study offers a better understanding of urban energy management and energy demands of rapidly urbanizing countries, by using China as a leading example. Since the 1980s, after the unprecedented rapid urbanization and growth in China, there are major goals to tackle the emerging matters of urban energy management and growing energy demands. These national-level challenges are imposing serious threats to how cities grow and are managed in the coming decade or so. In light of this, and the face of rapid urbanization and urban growth, this paper investigates China’s current trends of urban energy management and energy demands. Finally, this paper explores current approaches to urban development in China and will offer an overview of China’s requirement to tackle its current energy challenges. The findings of this study are highlighted as part of a brief review of China’s recent five-year-plans and are then developed further in the light of what energy targets mean for cities and urban management.