By Xu Xiaoran

The symptoms of "big city syndrome" mainly include traffic congestion, severe environmental pollution, resource scarcity, packed housing, destruction of cultural relics and residential housing with humanistic implications, and the formidable difficulty in improving quality of life for the residents. All these problems currently faced by Beijing depict the "big city syndrome".

As the capital of China, Beijing's position as a political and economic center is self-evident. With a GDP growth rate of some 9 per cent and a 12 percent or so growth rate of per capita disposable income, it has become a spanking economic giant. It is expected that as of 2010, the urbanization level will exceed 75 per cent in this city. Meanwhile, the total population will grow from 14.23 million in 2002 to 15.5 million-16 million, with the population in urban areas increasing from 8.88 million to 9 million – 9.5 million. The land used for urban development will reach 1,150-1,250 sq.km, and that used for urban development in urban areas 630-650 sq.km.

However, a heavy snow or an accident is enough to send this giant to tumbling or slipping into paralysis, because this city is molested by the "big city syndrome".

In Beijing, some people liken places on the verge of the city, which are currently used for living only and have not fulfilled their intended functions - working, studying as well as culture and entertainment, such as Tiantongyuan, Huilongguan and Wangjing, to "sleeping towns". It is a derogatory and yet euphemistic appellation. A survey shows that about 40 per cent of Beijingers spend more than one hour on the way to work; among them, those who spend 60-80 minutes account for 34.30 per cent and those who spend over 100 minutes take up 6.50 per cent. Only 5.50 per cent can get to their workplace from home in 20 minutes.

In August 2003, Beijing Traffic Administration announced that the ownership of motor vehicles topped 2 million in Beijing. The figure was reached seven years earlier than expected. In 2002, the number of motor vehicles rose 276,000 in this city, hitting a historical high. In 2003, the figure ran as high as 400,000. In 1994, vehicles ran at a speed of 45 km/h in some sections within Beijing's Second and Third Ring Roads. Yet as of the autumn of 2003, the speed on some arterial roads during rush hours already dropped to 12 km/hour or so, and even below 7 km/hour on some roads. Furthermore, during traffic jams, the concentration of harmful substance emitted by automobiles is about 5-6 times higher than when they run normally.

Beijing made the commitment to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that by 2008 it would have invested RMB100 billion to address its environmental issues; meanwhile, it would have spent RMB180 billion on the development of urban transport to tackle the root cause of traffic problems. Yet given their personal experiences, many residents in Beijing are doubtful as to whether the grand plan eventually works: In recent years, it seems that in the race against the run-away swelling of traffic flow, road builders find them fighting a losing battle. So can the RMB180-billion investment really fix the problem?

Traffic has become the number one headache in this capital city. Should it be blamed on backward traffic control or flawed urban planning? Beijing faces a crucial crossroad in the area of transportation.

What accompanies the traffic congestion is the worsening environmental quality in central areas of the city. The situation tempers optimism despite that the city has stepped up efforts to strengthen the environment control. The root cause is the excessively densely-populated urban areas resulted from an ever-growing population.

Although on more and more days the air quality is rated Grade I or Grade II, air pollution remains the premier pollution issue faced by Beijing now. Despite considerable reduction in other pollution sources like boilers within the Third Ring Road, research findings point to the evident trend of increasing exhaust gas emitted by vehicles. As a single-center city, Beijing has its central areas undergo high-intensity development all the time. More and more high-rise buildings emerge and obstruct circulation of atmosphere, resulting in the deterioration of air quality in certain areas and increased concentration of pollutants. 　

Beijing is also a city suffering from a severe water shortage. Its per capita water resource is merely 342 m3, far below the national average of 2,517 m3. The gap between water supply and demand is very wide. Having undergone drought for five consecutive years, Beijing has been mired in the most severe dry period since the founding of the PRC.

As an ancient city with a history of more than 3,000 years, Beijing boasts of royal gardens, imperial palaces, temples and altars, ruins of city walls and mausoleums, courtyards and old residential housing scattered all over the city, as well as countless cultural sites related to historical celebrities. They are not only the masterpieces of Beijing's historical and cultural heritage, but also the carrier of the splendid civilization of an ancient capital city in this country. An important reason that Beijing attracts worldwide attentions is the profound historical heritage it offers.

However, now the fabric of the ancient city is fragmented, and many cultural heritages have been sabotaged in the name of economic development. High-rise buildings have devastated many royal mansions and ancient gardens. Gradually, a trend of high-rises surrounding Siheyuan, courtyards with building on four sides, looms large. High-rise buildings now emerge in the center of the old city or important sightseeing lines, severely impairing the urban landscape.
 
Ieoh Ming Pei, the great architect, once observed, "The most eminent feature of the old city of Beijing is that it is a well-planned complete entirety. Therefore, we should bear the entirety in mind in the protection of the old city." For a city renowned for its history and cultural heritage or a conservation zone, if there are merely a handful of historical and cultural protection units, without harmonious surroundings, then these structures would seem nondescript.

"Like birds perching on the trees, let us dwell on the earth poetically." This is not only the dream of a great architect, but also the deep consciousness of individuals. What "cure" is there to heal Beijing's "syndrome"? People are eagerly expecting…