Urban form and sustainable mobility: challenges for Chinese cities.

Summary The purpose of this thesis is to study the relationship between urban form and energy demand for urban mobility. We focus on the urban development dynamics of northern cities to consider the prospects of automobilization in Chinese cities in transition. We endeavor to present the joint evolution of urban forms and transport systems in developed cities. In particular, we show the common dynamics between the consumption of energy and territorial resources. We will see that the cities of the North have different urban forms, depending on the availability of these two resources. China, like other developing countries, is on the threshold of a process of mass motorization. This process is driven by national industrial objectives. We present how, during the 1990s and especially the 2000s, Chinese cities developed around the automobile. In addition to the global energy context, the implementation of an automobile system is subject to strong spatial constraints. However, the urban development model resulting from the economic transition remains extensive. It responds to the growth objectives of local governments and totally neglects the macroeconomic interests of the country. This model of governance does not allow for the preservation of natural resources, and the central government is unable to control the drift away from a harmonious society.