“Emerald Cities: Planning for Smart and Green China” is the first comprehensive manual detailing how to build a sustainable city from the ground up in China, laying out green building and urban sustainability practices for low-carbon city planning and construction in China and abroad.

The manual is available for free download in English and in Chinese, and is accessible under the CC BY license. Users are free to copy, distribute, transform, and build upon the material as long as they credit Energy Innovation Policy & Technology LLC® for the original creation and indicate if changes were made.

Emerald Cities proposes 10 principles to help set a new development direction for Chinese cities: from urban growth boundaries and transit-oriented development, to small blocks with accessible public space and car control, to green buildings and sustainable infrastructure at constructive detailed planning and community levels. The manual’s 10 principles aim to establish green, healthy and economic vibrant cities, while solving pollution and livability challenges faced by China’s cities.

Emerald Cities grew out of Energy Innovation’s 12 Green Guidelines work, and much of the Green Guidelines language lives on in Emerald Cities, but with much deeper treatment.

Emerald Cities was developed in coordination with Calthorpe Associates, the China Sustainable Transportation Center, and engineering firm Glumac. The manual was published with support from Energy Foundation and Energy Innovation.