A method to estimate urban optimum population conditions: a case study of Xiamen, China

Abstract

Maintaining an optimum population is crucial for urban sustainable development. A happiness degree model was constructed to estimate the optimum population of Xiamen, southern China. Happiness degree was defined as the total satisfaction of households working and living in Xiamen in terms of possessing and/or consuming certain resources. The optimum city size was considered for a city in which the population has maximised the happiness degree. The resources considered in the assessment were those possessed or consumed by citizens: GDP, investment in education and in science and technology, water, electricity, housing, green land, transportation. The results show that the optimum population of Xiamen in 2007 would be about 1.66 million, i.e. the actual population of nearly 2.43 million is obviously too large. Insufficient electricity supply was the most significant constraint for Xiamen as a sustainable city.

Keywords:

• optimum population
• happiness degree model
• sustainable development
• assessment model

Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) (KZCX2-YW-450), the Ministry of Science and Technology of China (2009DFB90120), One Hundred Talents Program and the Academy-Locality Cooperation Program of CAS.