People at the Core: How China's New-Type Urbanization Fuels Green Development

Amid escalating environmental challenges driven by rapid urban expansion, China has adopted a strategic shift in its urban development approach, known as new-type urbanization (NTU). Unlike traditional models that emphasize land development and infrastructure growth, NTU prioritizes people-centric and sustainability-oriented practices. In a recent study, Ma, Wang, and Fang (2025) examined how this transformative framework enhances green development efficiency (GDE)—a metric that captures a city’s ability to achieve economic growth while minimizing pollution and conserving resources.