Contemporary City and Sustainable Development

In the process of high-speed urbanization, exploration of large pieces of land results in structural reconstruction or demolition of some basic facilities and human landscapes in old cities. Many cities are challenged by the growing conflicts between development and the distinctive feature of the city, improving economy and preserving environment. Sustainable development of a city requires a harmony between developing economy and conserving the traditional features of the city. It in of great significance to re-examine closely some misunderstandings about urban development by combining social ethics in Chinese traditional conception of nature, nature-centered ideology, landscape protection, conserving regional cultural characteristics and physiographic feature with one another. In this sense, an analysis of the social environment, social resources distribution as well as the ideological orientation of people becomes essential in the sustainable development of contemporary cities.