Transnational urban spaces and urban environmental reforms: analyzing Beijing's restructuring in the globalization environmental light of globalization

In this era of globalization, 'transnational spaces' are being created within urban settings, providing a direct connection between the 'local' and the 'global'. Corporate headquarters, hotels, shopping malls, and airports are typical examples of such spaces, which while located within an urban territory, are often conceived by foreign designers, developers, and manufacturers, as well as maintained by multinational companies and banks. Such local-global interconnection is giving urban management a new shape, as urban management practices are now frequently intertwining with global construction and property management approaches. This paper argues that, at the same time, a set of new mechanisms that may help to tackle problems related to the urban environment and infrastructure is unfolding. Starting with a conceptual discussion of the role of globalization in urban environmental restructuring, this paper subsequently explores the context of Beijing and the environmental management possibilities introduced in this city by global actors (through the examples of World Tower, IBM Tower, and ABN AMRO and ING head offices). Beijing, due to China's recent economic opening process, provides an intriguing backcloth to demonstrate how transnational urban spaces-standing in-between the local and the global-may canalize environmental innovations from the 'global', putting globalization at work for a better urban environment. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.