Zhao, Pengjun; Yang, Hanzi; Cao, Mengqiu; (2025) Social equity in transport planning: a future agenda for social transformation across China. In: He, Sylvia, (ed.) Handbook on Transport in Asia. (pp. 446-457). Edward Elgar Publishing

Text Cao_SocialEquityInTransportPlanningInChina_AAM FinalManuscript.pdf Access restricted to UCL open access staff until 18 June 2026. Download (196kB)

Abstract

China has been engaged in building an equal society for all since the 1950s. However, the recent marketisation reforms bring new challenges to social equality in China. Transport planning is a key factor that can play a significant role in achieving social equity goals, which means that everyone should have equal opportunities to access and use different transport modes in order to enhance their key life opportunities. Therefore, this chapter aims to investigate and assess social equity in relation to transport planning in China. We first provide some relevant background information and discuss the status quo regarding social equity in terms of transport planning, then critically discuss existing studies that have focused on socio-spatial transport inequalities in China. We then summarise the various tools and approaches that could be used to measure transport-related social equity, specifically in the Chinese context, and finally provide policy implications and recommendations for addressing social equity issues in the field of transport planning. It is argued that the social inequity issues that China is currently facing in relation to transport planning should primarily be addressed by the implementation of government-led transport planning management strategies and policies.

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