About the Project
This interdisciplinary project, initiated by the Public Policy Research Center, seeks to develop the Greater China City Sustainability Index (GCCSI), a benchmarking framework that evaluates city sustainability across Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. Looking ahead, the initiative sets its sights on a global horizon, with the ultimate goal of internationalizing the index to encompass major and mid-sized cities worldwide. Building on ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) principles and the VPI (Value–Process–Impact) model, the index aims to assess the governance capacity of both governmental and non-governmental sectors across major cities for sustainable development through community and stakeholder engagement.
This project’s investigation and evaluation of city sustainable development and governance focus on three key dimensions: the environment, economy, and society. Rather than relying solely on isolated quantitative indicators, it emphasizes the harmony among these dimensions, as well as complex, dynamic governance mechanisms and processes. Moving beyond merely defining sustainability goals and measuring indicator-based outcomes, this research aims to shift the focus toward governance systems that can coordinate fragmented policy objectives, mobilize social resources, and maintain strategic alignment and consistency. Ultimately, the initiative seeks to advance the study and assessment of city sustainability into a deeper, more comprehensive, and more dynamic territory from the perspectives of organizational structure and governance capacity.
- A comprehensive evaluation questionnaire for city sustainability and its governance
- Indices of city sustainability
- Annual city rankings on sustainability
- Quantitative and qualitative dataset on city sustainability
- Research into differentiated sustainability performances across cities
- Policy recommendations for city sustainability
- Collaboration with city governments and non-governmental partners for concrete, measurable actions to sustainable cities
Research Design and Assessment Flow
