Institutional change in China’s sustainable urban development. A case study on urban renewal and water environmental management

ABSTRACT: Over the past decade, the concept of sustainable development has gained increasing importance within China’s urban develop- ment. Urban(ising) China not only catalyses many of the country’ sustainability issues, but also constitutes the locus where novel institutional arrangements for sustainable development are tested and implemented. This paper explores new paradigms of integrated territorial manage- ment unfolding in areas where concerns of water pollution intersect with objectives of urban renewal. The analysis focuses on the case of the Lihu Lake basin, located in the city of Wuxi (Jiangsu Province), considered by many observers to be at the forefront in China’s quest for sustai- nable urban development. In Lihu the integration of environmental management with urban planning has led to the creation of a new organi- sational field, revolving around the issue of sustainable development of urban areas, with distinctive regulatory, normative, and cognitive as- pects. While epitomising a case of integrated territorial management, the experience of Lihu Lake basin highlights the challenge of fostering inclusive social development in urban areas