Shanghai tops other cities in region for 'synergetic development capacity'

Shanghai topped other cities in the Yangtze River Economic Zone in synergetic development capacity, according to a survey report released recently.

The survey was the fourth of its kind conducted by the Institute of Urban Development at East China Normal University and some other parties.

The conclusion was made based on research of 110 cities in the area relating to 19 indicators in four categories: economic development, scientific and technological innovation, exchange service and ecological protection.

Taking Shanghai as standard for 100 points, Jiangsu Province’s capital city Nanjing took the second place, but its score was only 51.96, almost half of Shanghai.

Suzhou, Hangzhou, Wuhan, Chengdu, Chongqing, Changsha, Wuxi and Ningbo took the remaining places in the top 10 list.

In general, cities in the east showed higher synergetic development capacity than those in the west, while provincial capitals and coastal cities had stronger strength than others.

Zeng Gang, director of the Institute of Urban Development, pointed out that Shanghai had important influence on the whole Yangtze River Economic Zone as it had huge foreign investment, rich resources of scientific and technological innovation, convenient transport facilities and mature production and service industry that can reach or serve the whole Yangtze River Economic Zone, as well as experience and advantage in innovation.

Shanghai topped other cities in three categories, except for ecological protection.

Zeng explained that the disadvantage was the result of fast but sometimes unscientific economic development in Shanghai in the past decades.

“Many cities in the world prefer economic interests or large economic scale in their early economic development stages, leading to huge consumption of natural resources and slack pollution control,” he said. “Shanghai is no exception. As a highly concentrated city in terms of population and industry, it has a problem of high carbon emission."

But Shanghai’s environment is improving, he added. "If Shanghai can find good solutions, it will contribute to the healthy development of cities not only in Shanghai, but also around the world.”