Sustainable transport equals livable cities

To build a livable city that focuses on sustainable development, the authorities in Beijing have to come up with a package of solutions to the transportation problems, including severe traffic congestion. Among the solutions should be subtasks, including the shift from traffic governance that is aimed at meeting the existing demand for transportation, such as building roads and bridges, to managing the flow of transport by reducing people's dependence on cars through the regulation of parking norms and redistribution of road resources by making it easier for people to use bicycles and public transport vehicles to commute.

Automobiles on average contribute 30-40 percent of PM2.5 (particulate matter smaller than 2.5 microns in diameter that can be inhaled by and harm humans) in cities across the world. The figure in Beijing is about 31 percent.

Therefore, the need is to strike the right balance between traffic and economic development, because traffic jams increase travel costs and have a huge impact on the overall economy of a city.