The challenge of sustainable mobility in urban planning and development: a comparative study of the Copenhagen and Hangzhou metropolitan areas

The theme of this article is how the challenge of sustainable mobility has been dealt with in urban planning and urban development in the metropolitan areas of Copenhagen (Denmark) and Hangzhou (China). The two metropolises have followed different trajectories in their land use and transport infrastructure development since the 1990s. Land use policies in Copenhagen have to some extent been explicitly geared towards limiting traffic growth, to a less extent in Hangzhou. In both cities, public transport improvements have been combined with road capacity increases. The trajectories of the two city regions reflect the dominating ideas among planners and public decision-makers, as well as a number of different economic, political, social, topographical and cultural conditions.