Motor vehicle pollution control strategies in four Chinese cities

Traditional Marxist Leninist ideological presumptions, by simply mandating policies that restricted car purchases, prevented the adoption of incremental traffic control solutions as the Chinese economy expanded. Soviet-style residential planning patterns stressed co-locating housing and workplaces, with the result that resources were not directed toward facilitating transport infrastructure. The bias against infrastructure investment lasted until the ban mandating the containment of private vehicle ownership was lifted. As a result, traffic congestion increased at an unprecedented rate.; Centralized pollution control has historically been considered as the best way to deal with the treatment of industrial wastewater, solid wastes, and sewage. In a similar fashion, the central government adopted unified emissions controls for motor vehicles. However, the central government did not allocate funds to implement local strategies. Comparison of the experiences of four cities suggest that---contrary to conventional wisdom---local flexibility in setting regulatory procedures is conducive to the effective enforcement of vehicular pollution controls. Comparative analysis indicates that policies targeting road expansion and inner city decongestion seem to be contributing to lower NOx emissions.; This study is the first to compare how four Chinese cities with the nation's densest traffic are adapting central policy to urban streets. Shanghai, in particular, has taken advantage of the gray area between local and central authority in environmental affairs to implement municipal charges that have had a positive effect on controlling motorization, despite the fact that this approach is at variance with national guidelines. In contrast, Beijing, which takes a highly centralized approach, focuses on technological solutions but lacks essential measures to prevent the direct source of pollution---cars---from escalating. As with Beijing, Chongqing's close relationship with the central government resulted in reduced creativity and the use of resources to promote centrally inspired transportation links that increase the role of the automobile in the national economy. In contrast, the preferential treatment granted to Guangzhou in the course of economic reform has given it greater policy flexibility. However, locational factors and institutional arrangements have proven the key determinants in enabling Guangzhou to control emissions.