Books on city planning

A Decade of Planning in China (Xinhua Publishing House, 2005)

This bilingual book explains the Five Ws of planning to Chinese officials. Author James Jao employs a storytelling approach to urge Chinese planners to avoid mistakes made in the West.

Searching the Soul of Chinese Cities (Chinese City Press, 2007)

This Chinese-language sequel to A Decade of Planning guides officials on methods to develop cities according to their particular situations. It also advocates green construction and eco-cities.

Your City, and Mine (China Economic Publishing House, 2012)

It reviews two decades of Chinese urbanization. The book calls upon planners to involve residents. It encourages consideration of future generations and says that "China must think about the day after tomorrow" when devising urbanization.

From American Dream to Chinese Dream - James Jao's Story from America to China (China Railway Publishing House, 2009)

This Chinese-language biography about James Jao reveals not only his city planning philosophies but also tells of his move to New York from Taiwan with his parents in 1971, when he was 14. It describes how he rose from a struggling street vendor to becoming New York City's first Asian-American and youngest-ever planning commissioner in 1990. It also explains his decision to move to the Chinese mainland in 2001, despite his success Stateside.

China Daily