A Conceptual Framework of the Human Dimensions of Urban Emission in East Asia Cities

Eight East Asian countries are home to approximately one-quarter of the world's urban population, and by 2050, the combined urban population of these countries is expected to increase to 1.29 billion from 881 million today. Thus a central challenge for East Asian cities is how to pursue more low-carbon urbanization pathways. One of the key messages of the new chapter on urban mitigation of climate change in the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report is that certain urban form characteristics, especially co-located high population and employment densities coupled with mixed land use, can result in lower per capita urban emissions. However, East Asian cities already have some of the highest urban population densities in the world, suggesting that altering urban form alone will be a limited mitigation strategy for these places. Here we present a conceptual framework of the underlying factors that shape urban form and affect the use of urban space in East Asian cities. The main thesis of the framework is that urban form is the outcome of historical legacies and modes of governance, and that the use of urban space is deeply influenced by social norms and cultural attitudes. Especially for cities where urban form is established or difficult to change, the framework helps to identify factors that interact with urban form to enable low-carbon urban behavior. The framework offers a solution space for climate change mitigation and sharing of lessons learned that are applicable for East Asia, one of the most rapidly urbanizing regions in the world.