On July 21, 2025, the "Low-Carbon Transportation and Future Cities" Summer Academic Exchange Workshop opened at the School of Transportation, Lanzhou Jiaotong University. This academic exchange workshop was jointly organized by the Urban Development and Land Policy Research Center of Peking University-Lincoln Institute, the School of Transportation at Lanzhou Jiaotong University, and the Urban Rail Transit journal.

Guests attending the opening ceremony included: Dean He Canfei of the School of Urban and Environmental Sciences at Peking University, Dean Qian Yongsheng of the School of Transportation at Lanzhou Jiaotong University, Professor Zhang Chun from the School of Architecture and Art, Researcher Ma Liang from the School of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Professor Xia Haishan from the School of Architecture and Art, and Professor Wang Zijia from the School of Architecture and Art, among several other teachers.

Professor He Canfei delivered the opening speech

Professor Qian Yongsheng delivered the opening speech

Professor Zhang Chun delivered the opening speech

At the opening ceremony on the morning of the 21st, Professors He Canfei, Qian Yongsheng, and Zhang Chun delivered speeches on behalf of the organizers and co-organizers, welcoming all teachers and students to participate in this academic exchange workshop. They also introduced the background of this workshop and the basic information of their respective institutions.

Professor He Canfei's lecture

After the opening ceremony was a lecture by Professor He Canfei, which was also the first lecture of the workshop, titled "Dual Carbon Goals and China's Regional Development Transformation." Professor He used abundant data, case studies, and research findings to explain the seriousness of climate change and analyzed the necessity of dual carbon goals from the perspectives of national security and people's well-being. He gave a detailed introduction to the relationship and challenges between China's economic development model and the dual carbon goals, and proposed strategies for regional industrial development and transformation under the dual carbon background. Finally, Professor He introduced ideas for multi-sector, multi-system coordinated development and governance aimed at the dual carbon goals.

On the afternoon of the 21st, under the chairmanship of Professor Zhang Chun, workshop members introduced themselves, deepening their understanding in a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere. Next, Professor Xia Haishan from the School of Architecture and Art at Beijing Jiaotong University delivered the second lecture titled "Travel Behavior and Urban Spatial Transformation Driven by Future Transportation." Professor Xia introduced the topic from the perspective of transportation and scale space, introducing urban transportation transformation and the challenges faced. He thoroughly outlined the behavioral characteristics of future transportation and spatial response strategies. Professor Xia gave vivid explanations on hot topics such as digital mobility, driverless driving, and low-altitude transportation. He offered prospects and suggestions on the integration of future transportation and smart cities, as well as visions for future urban spaces.

Professor Xia Haishan's lecture

This five-day workshop will systematically explore multidimensional topics in the low-carbon transportation field through eight high-level lectures, one field study, and one roundtable dialogue. Lecture topics included "Dual Carbon Goals and China's Regional Development Transformation," "Travel Behavior and Urban Spatial Transformation Driven by Future Transportation," "Urban Transportation Planning in Response to Climate Change: Theoretical Framework and Modeling Methods for Travel Behavior Interventions," "Carbon Reduction Estimation Methods Driven by Urban Rail Transit," "Collaborative Carbon Reduction Between Transportation and Cities from a Diverse and Inclusive Perspective," and ""Responses and Challenges of Urban Land Use under the Dual Carbon" Goals, "Carbon Emission Estimation and Reduction Strategies for the Transportation Industry in the Gansu Section of the Yellow River Basin," "Planning and Design of Transportation-Resilient Communities." The on-site research on the Lanzhou New Area hydrogen bus demonstration project aims to gain an in-depth understanding of Lanzhou's recent active explorations in hydrogen energy buses and related areas, learn successful cases, and accumulate research materials.

The workshop aims to deepen members' understanding of low-carbon transportation and expand their perception of the future urban landscape through a combination of theory and practice. It also hopes that through this workshop exchange, members will broaden their research perspectives and discover new possibilities for cooperation before returning to their work Disseminating new knowledge and continuously contributing wisdom and strength in future urban development and low-carbon transportation practices.

Group photo at the opening ceremony

Contributed by Liu Wei

Photography by Li Yunhe

Proofread by Zhao Min