A COMPARATIVE STUDY ON URBAN TRANSPORTATION, ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES IN FOUR ASIAN MEGA-CITIES

THE CASES OF TOKYO, SEOUL, BEIJING AND SHANGHAI

Abstract

Among various urban environmental issues, air pollution is a major challenge for many cities in East Asia. Public concerns over air quality increases with the rising standard of living as it exhibits direct risks to human health. Major sources of air pollution in large cities are automobiles, although there are other diverse sources such as factories. Air pollution caused by traffic is most notable and serious in mega-cities in which the number of vehicles is increasing much faster than the pace of population growth. Therefore, this study conducts a comparative analysis of air pollution caused by automobiles, energy consumption and urban transportation system in four mega-cities in East Asia, i. e., Tokyo, Seoul, Beijing and Shanghai.