Problem overview:

     Awareness and vision: The recent experience of Dalian City could be regarded as a good case to support such an argument. It shows that industrial restructuring and related improvement of urban spatial structure on the basis of updated identification of the major functions of a city could contribute greatly to the realization of the long-term target of urban sustainable development.

     Policies and measures: The basic philosophy of urban development being inclined by Dalian is "to be the best rather than the biggest". Therefore, the basic concern has been given to functional and environmental improvement of the city, and city management based on market mechanism.

Background in summary:

     The principle of integrated ecological development: Dalian City has provided us with some good experiences in the implementation of sustainable development strategy and the integrated policy-making to promote economic development and environmental protection, especially in the aspect of urban ecological development.

     A model city of human settlement and environmental protection: Dalian has made remarkable progress on its way towards sustainable development. In addition to the receiving of a number of national awards concerning environmental protection, urban sanitation provision, garden development and so on, Dalian was credited as the model city of human settlement and environmental protection by United Nations.

     Re-identifying the functions of Dalian: With the increasing influence of the notion of sustainable development on macro policy-making in China, reconsideration on the city status and major functions of Dalian was conducted in the middle of 1990s. This resulted in the identification and objective to develop Dalian into the regional transportation, finance, trade, tourism and information center in northern China and eastern Asia, while taking suburban areas and surrounding counties under jurisdiction as the major places to relocate industrial enterprises to solve Dalian's pollution problems.

     The environment itself could produce profit: To manage urban environment as a business with the wide recognition of the new conception of environmental efficiency, a favorite input-output cycle has been realized mainly through the enhanced management of land use,

1. Enlarged input into urban infrastructure and environmental development;
   
   
2. Energetic economic growth motivated by increased capital inflow, which is encouraged by the improved infrastructure and environment and the increased return rate of land market.
   
   
3. More capital available for urban infrastructure and environmental development, and even for other aspects of urban development.
   
   

     Assessment: The development of Dalian City was based on the emphasis on upgrading urban function, environmental improvement, and market-oriented city management. The urban construction and environmental administration has changed the city image fundamentally, and more comprehensive functions of the city have taken shape. As a whole, the comprehensive competitiveness of Dalian City has been enhanced, and Dalian City itself has become a well-established estate both domestically and internationally.

Peer Review Committee Good practice rating: (1 for the best, 5 for the lowest score)
Sustainability		Efficiency
2	Improvement in either the environment of economic condition with no harm to the other.	2	Cost efficient.
2	Sustainable over time (not one-off)	Process
Adaptability		3	Participation of the community
2	Location adaptability (can the project be done in other places?)	2	Participation of resource owners/users
2	Socio-cultural adaptability.	-	Partnerships between various actors (Governments, NGO, Academia, Private)
2	Level of development adaptability.	2	Degree of coordination and cooperation between government departments.
2	Style of government adaptability.	2	Ability to attract political interest/support
2	Degree of decentralization adaptability.	-	Procedures for feedback and review.
Comments on this example:      A slight consideration on relocation of industrial activities out of the city into suburban areas, the pollution level in the city of Dalian will surely decrease after removing intensive industrial production away from the city. However, the overall pollution level emitted into the atmosphere remains the same because the activities are only being relocated elsewhere, not being improved in terms of production efficiency and pollution mitigation. Therefore, unless new technologies are adopted to reduce pollution from industrial production, the relocation of industrial activities does not really help improve the physical condition of the environment as a whole. Sustainability of the project:      Policies and measures: The sustainability of the specific development approach of Dalian City depends on the further efforts to improve the policy-making mechanism enabling scientific, systematic, standard and institutional policy-making. The major orientations need essential efforts are as follows. Firstly, to set up the system to regulate integrated policy-making in order to minimize the occasionally individual intervention; Secondly, to establish the necessary system to monitor and assess the implementation of integrated policy-making; Thirdly, to establish the institutional framework supporting the enhanced coordination among different government departments related with department; Fourthly, to deepen policy-making concerns, as more detailed plans and schemes of development are often needed to materialize the proposed development strategy; lastly, to increase the recognition and practice of public participation in integrated policy-making of urban development. Adaptability of the project to other situations:   Process of decision making and implementation:      Awareness and visions: The basic philosophy of urban development being inclined by Dalian is 'to be the best rather than the biggest'. Therefore, the basic concern has been given to functional and environmental improvement of the city, and city management based on market mechanism. Meanwhile, the removal and transfer of old enterprises traditionally located in the city is encouraged to be allowing market rules of land rent. Furthermore, the management of urban environment is regarded as a business with the wide recognition of the new conception of environmental efficiency.      Participation of the community: It is clearly stated in this example that within the process of integrated policy-making of the Government, a system for public participation in policy-making concerning environment and development was formalized so that the publics view can be integrated in decision-making. However, we do not know the degree of involvement of the public in actual implementation. Cost efficiency:      Although there was nothing provided in the context for the total cost of the transformation of Dalian, we could at least estimate a figure, which should be considerably large. However, if we compare the benefits received from this initiative, it could be attributed that the effort was worth the money, time and effort spent.