Economic Development Trends in the Yangtze River Delta Region: Over a two-year period, Chreod conducted a program of internal research to assemble a comprehensive information base on demographic, economic development, foreign investment, settle-ment, infrastructure and environmental trends in the Yangtze River Delta Region com-prised of Shanghai and Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Anhui Provinces. This research resulted in a county-level Geographic Information System providing for time-series analyses in 225 cities and counties in the Delta.

Advisory Services on Poverty Reduction in Southwestern China: Chreod was appointed by the Agriculture Operations Division, China Department, of the World Bank to assess trends and carrying capacities of cities in Guangxi Province to accommodate large rural-urban migrations associated with a contemplated US $ 250 million integrated development project in one of China's poorest provinces (South China Poverty Allevia-tion Project).

Feasibility Study on Development Profile of China: Chreod was commissioned by Canada's Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade to examine the feasibility of preparing an exhaustive development profile of China at the county and city level in a time series analysis from 1987 to 1993. Factors reviewed included institutional changes, demographic shifts, economic development trends, foreign investment shifts, land use and building use trends, transport and infrastructure, energy generation and consumption, telecommunications, and environmental conditions. A case study was conducted of Jiangsu Province at county/city level to identify information sources for assessing major spatial and qualitative shifts occurring in China under recent market reforms.

Qingdao Inner-city Rehabilitation: Chreod was retained by Commonwealth Historic Resource Management Ltd. to provide the economic and financial analysis required on an assignment to prepare a rehabilitation strategy for the 23-hectare Zhongshan Road Neighbourhood in the historic city of Qingdao. Chreod estimated complete rehabilitation costs (including relocation) and revenues expected from rehabilitated areas. A financing strategy was developed that focused on the establishment of a new public-private devel-opment corporation for historically-designated portions of Qingdao, and the introduction of Transferable Development Rights (TDRs) to create a long-term revenue stream for this corporation.

Hebei Provincial Development Strategy: Chreod Ltd., in association with the Shanghai Development Research Center, was retained by the Asian Development Bank to conduct a year-long technical assistance assignment for the Hebei Provincial Government that led to a new provincial development strategy. The TA comprised nine sector studies by SDRC and international case studies by Chreod specialists, and their integration into an overall economic and spatial development strategy that includes measures to alleviate poverty in mountain areas north of Beijing and Tianjin. This was the first provincial development strategy supported by the ADB in China.

Shanghai Cultural Development Strategy: Chreod Ltd. was retained by Vancouver-based Commonwealth Historic Resources Management Ltd. to provide economic analysis and planning services in a year-long assignment to assist Shanghai’s Municipal Government in preparing a cultural development strategy. This strategy is expected to assist in positioning Shanghai as a global cultural center.

Assessment of Urban and Suburban Poverty in Pearl River Delta: Chreod Ltd. was retained by the World Bank to assess the levels and characteristics of urban and suburban poverty in the Pearl River Delta. The assignment included a field survey of over 300 vulnerable households across the PRD, including long-staying migrants.

Shenzhen Coastal Management Strategy: Chreod was retained by the Shenzhen Municipal Government to prepare: 1) a development and management strategy for Shenzhen’s 260 km. coastline; 2) more detailed development sub-strategies for the western coastline focusing on transport connections between Hongkong and mainland China, and for the eastern coastline focusing on conservation and cultural heritage issues; and 3) conceptual master plans for five strategic areas along the coast.

China City Development Strategies: Chreod, in association with The Urban Institute of the US, was retained by the World Bank to prepare city development strategies for two provincial capitals: Changshan in Hunan Province, and Guiyang in Guizhou Province. The assignment focused on two core themes: 1) improving the relationship between economic development planning and infrastructure provision; and 2) enhancing the capacities of municipal governments to finance needed infrastructure. Significant stakeholder analysis and participation occured throughout the project.

Urban and Regional Development in Yangtze River Basin: Chreod was asked by the World Bank to conduct a major two-year assessment of urban and regional development trends in over 900 cities and counties in 11 provinces within the Yangtze River Basin. The study, co-financed by CIDA INC, focused on demographic, economic, environmental and infrastructure conditions and trends in the Basin, and included projections to 2005. Urbanization trends throughout the Basin were analysed, and distinct Regional Urban Systems were identified and defined. These include four City-centered Regions in the Western and Middle Basin, and a number of Corridors, Clusters and Megalopolises. Investment priorities in urban environmental infrastructure, urban transport, inter-city transport, regional water resources management, and poverty reduction were recom-mended in each Regional Urban System.

Beijing Peri-urban Development: Chreod was retained by the Asian Development Bank and the Beijing Municipal Government to provide services on the “Assessment of Small and Medium Cities Urban Infrastructure Development” Technical Assistance assignment. The purpose of this TA is to assist the governments of Beijing Municipality and a suburban district/county to strengthen their capacities in formulating urban infra-structure development policies and strategies, and in preparing a Tenth Five Year Urban Infrastructure Development Plan for the district/county. The TA is also to advise on strategic directions for better managing suburban and peri-urban development in China’s large metropolitan regions. Chreod provided the services of its Principal Urban Planner as Urban Development Specialist.

Urban and Regional Development Trends in Sichuan Province and Chongqing: The World Bank retained Chreod to assist the Sichuan Provincial Construction Commis-sion in establishing locational and sectoral priorities for investment in urban environmen-tal infrastructure improvements as part of a proposed World Bank loan. This assignment consisted of identifying and analysing demographic, economic, municipal finance, infrastructure, and environmental trends in Sichuan Province and Chongqing, and in detail for the ten largest cities. Based on this assessment of trends, priorities were recommended for selection of five cities to be included in the loan, and priority sub-sector investments to be analysed and developed in the course of project preparation.

Advisory Services on Guangxi Urban Environment Project: The World Bank pro-vided an urban environment loan for Nanning and Guilin in Guangxi Province, focusing on water, wastewater, and solid waste investments. Chreod was retained to: 1) produce an analysis of economic, industrial development, and urban development trends in Guangxi Province with a focus on these two cities; and 2) assist in a review of municipal finances in Nanning and Guilin to establish the strength of counterpart funding. This work was commissioned by the Environment and Urban Development Division, China Depart-ment, World Bank.

Formulating Economic Reform Policies and Infrastructure Planning for Shanghai Pudong: Chreod was commissioned by the Asian Development Bank and Shanghai Municipal Government to conduct a technical assistance assignment consisting of the detailed evaluation of economic policy reforms already in place in Pudong (354 km2 extension to Shanghai), examination of other reforms that could be applied to facilitate investment and development, generation of development scenarios, elaboration of the selected scenario, transport and infrastructure planning, environmental impact assess-ment, and preparation of a 10-year capital investment strategy (in association with PPK Consultants and Kinhill Engineers of Australia; Chreod was lead firm in this association).

Pearl River Delta Urban Environmental Conditions: Chreod was retained by the World Bank to conduct a strategic overview of urbanization trends in the Pearl River Delta (stretching from Hongkong to Guangzhou to Macao), and to identify key environmental and institutional issues that might be addressed with Bank support. This work includes a review of infrastructure financing options, including public-private models for infrastructure development and operation, and was conducted in association with Mott MacDonald Ltd. of the UK.

Development Strategies for Five City-Regions in China: Chreod Ltd. was retained by the World Bank, on behalf of The Cities Alliance, to conduct the second “City Development Strategies” project in China. Chreod assisted the governments of Chengdu (Sichuan), Zhengzhou (Henan), Lanzhou (Gansu), Xinxiang (Henan) and Erdos (Inner Mongolia) in preparing economic, social, and urban development strategies that maximize agglomeration benefits of wider city-regions, including adjacent counties. Chreod Ltd. also conducted the first CDS project in China, in Hunan and Guizhou Provinces.

Development Trends in Shanghai Metropolitan Region: Chreod Ltd. was retained by the World Bank, on behalf of Shanghai’s Development and Reform Commission, to analyze social, economic and environmental trends across Shanghai Municipality and their implications for infrastructure investment in suburban areas. The assignment included a field survey of 300 vulnerable households in Shanghai’s suburbs to assess their access to environmental infrastructure services.

National Strategy for Development of Towns: Chreod was retained by the World Bank to provide the services of Chreod’s President, Edward Leman, to a Bank team that was asked by China’s National Development and Reform Commission to assist in preparing a national strategy for development of large, strategic towns. Mr. Leman provided urban and regional development planning services to the World Bank team.

Development Trends in Chongqing Metropolitan Region: The World Bank commissioned Chreod to conduct an assessment of urban and suburban development trends in the wider Chongqing Metropolitan Region, and to examine the implications of these trends on the future delivery of water, wastewater, and solid waste infrastructure services.

Emerging Metropolitan Regions in China: The World Bank commissioned Chreod to prepare a Working Paper documenting the findings of several consulting and research assignments that the firm had conducted in various metropolitan regions in China. The Working Paper outlined common trends in urban growth and environmental quality, and described detailed conditions in Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu.

Environmental Planning of Middle Level Cities: In association with Dillon Consulting of Canada, Chreod assisted the National Environmental Protection Agency of China in conducting a technical assistance assignment for the Asian Development Bank consisting of: 1) identifying key environmental infrastructure problems in four medium size cities (in Guangxi, Shaanxi, Jiangsu and Liaoning Provinces); 2) preparing long-term investment programs in each city for addressing high priority environmental problems in the water, wastewater, solid waste and air pollution sectors; 3) identifying financing strategies for implementation of these strategies, including cost recovery through tariff reform, and private/public partnerships (including BOT); and 4) outlining a process model for environ-mental investment planning that could be applied to other medium size cities in China.

Impact of Development in the Yangtze Delta Region on Infrastructure Planning in Shanghai: Based on its in-house data, Chreod was retained by the Environment and Municipal Development Division of the World Bank to assess possible implications of development in suburban Shanghai and in the wider Yangtze Delta area on a planned second sewerage project in Shanghai. This study focused on water-related impacts of industrial development in suburban counties in the Taihu Lake Basin Area.

Land Management Advisory Services to Shanghai Leading Group on Economic Reform: Chreod was appointed Advisor to a sub-committee of the Shanghai Leading Group on Economic Reform, chaired by Mayor Huang Ju, that was formed by SMG, UNDP and the World Bank in the early 1990s. The Leading Group was charged with preparing a Reform Action Plan encompassing reforms in six areas: enterprise manage-ment, securities exchange, social security systems, municipal infrastructure, municipal finance, and land management. Chreod's work involved recommending a framework to guide reform options in land tenure and transfer, land valuation, development planning, development controls, real estate development (including private/public partnerships), land-based revenue generation, and land information management. Qingdao Inner-city Rehabilitation: Chreod was retained by Commonwealth Historic Resource Management Ltd. to provide the economic and financial analysis required on an assignment to prepare a rehabilitation strategy for the 23-hectare Zhongshan Road Neighbourhood in the historic city of Qingdao. Chreod estimated complete rehabilitation costs (including relocation) and revenues expected from rehabilitated areas. A financing strategy was developed that focused on the establishment of a new public-private devel-opment corporation for historically-designated portions of Qingdao, and the introduction of Transferable Development Rights (TDRs) to create a long-term revenue stream for this corporation.

Urban Rehabilitation of Historic Urban Areas in China: Chreod was retained to assist in an assignment focusing on design of an overall program of rehabilitation of historic urban areas in Suzhou and Pingyao in China; Chreod fielded a Community Development/ Finance Advisor to assist in the preparation of a 5-year rehabilitation project for these two cities; commissioned by UNCHS and Ministry of Construction.

Shanghai Land Use Management Strategy: Chreod conducted a year-long study to identify areas for improvement in Shanghai's current land management practices, includ-ing land development, land valuation, development control, land information manage-ment and land-based revenue generation. Study led to an overall land use management strategy for central Shanghai incorporating innovative techniques for guiding urban development in the city, focusing on the central business district in Huangpu, and Nanshe Districts, and in Lujiazui in Pudong; project also consisted of preparation and delivery of a comprehensive training program on various aspects of land management; over twenty Discussion Papers were prepared on specialized techniques (focusing on Development Controls) and disseminated widely throughout the Construction Commission; commis-sioned by SMG and conducted with financial support from CIDA.

Urban Land Management Training Program, Shanghai: Chreod was retained to design and implement a training program entailing training needs assessment, develop-ment of a six-theme training program on urban land management, and implementation of the six-week program in Shanghai for the Shanghai Urban Planning and Design Institute; commissioned by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and Shanghai Municipal Government.

Tianjin Urban Environment Project II: Chreod was retained by the World Bank to review urban and environmental trends in Tianjin, and to advise on the identification and selection of components for a possible second Bank loan in the urban environment sector.

Urban Water Demand Projections to 2020: Chreod was commissioned to assist in the preparation of China's National Water Resources Strategy to the Year 2020 by assessing likely urban water demand based on urban and regional development trends. Building on its Yangtze Basin research (see below), Chreod assessed urban trends in over 200 cities in the Huang, Huai, and Hai River basins in the Greater Bohai Economic Region; com-missioned by the World Bank's East Asia Rural Development Sector Unit.

Monitoring of Tianjin Infrastructure Action Plan: As follow-on work to Chreod's preparation of the Tianjin Infrastructure Action Plan, Chreod was retained by the Tianjin Construction Commission to act as Project Monitors for the 24-month implementation of this World Bank project component. Work included advising on tendering and appoint-ment of MIS consultants, quality review, and strategic advice to the Tianjin government on a wide range of implementation issues.

Tianjin Infrastructure Action Plan: The Tianjin Construction Commission retained Chreod to update the Action Plan for the Infrastructure Planning and Management Support Component of the World Bank's Tianjin Urban Development and Environment Project. The assignment consisted of programming six streams of activity required to implement the Action Plan including O+M MIS, Strategic Planning MIS, Project Imple-mentation MIS, Administrative Systems, Systems Development, and overall Project Management.

Preparation of Shanghai Urban Environment Project: Chreod Ltd. was retained by the World Bank to assist in the preparation of the Shanghai Urban Environment Project, a 3-phase, $700 million Adaptable Program Loan to the Shanghai Municipal Government. Chreod assisted the Shanghai Development and Reform Commission in updating its metropolitan development strategy, and assisted the World Bank team in identifying, reviewing and appraising candidate investments and institutional reforms, especially in infrastructure finance. Chreod provided similar services on three previous World Bank environment projects in Shanghai since 1993.

Township, Town and City Water Supply in Western China: The World Bank/UNDP Water and Sanitation Program retained Chreod to conduct an assessment of drinking water demand in the 12 provinces in China’s Western Region. Chreod analyzed demands at the township, town and city level, and recommended a broad investment strategy to the WSP.

Compendium of World Bank Work in China’s Urban Sector: Chreod Ltd. was commissioned by the World Bank to edit and produce a Working Paper on the Bank’s work over fifteen years in China’s urban and environment sectors. Chreod also wrote three of sixteen chapters in the final Paper.

China Municipal Finance Reforms: Chreod was appointed municipal finance specialist/ team leader by China's Ministry of Finance and the Asian Development Bank to conduct a year-long assignment on municipal finance reforms across China. Undertaken in the context of major national reforms to governmental structures, State Owned Enterprises, and the banking and finance system, the assignment: 1) identified current dysfunctions in municipal finance, particularly in light of the 1994 tax reforms which dramatically changed local-central fiscal relationships; 2) recommended reassignment of tax and expenditure responsibilities; 3) recommended rules and criteria for new municipal taxes and fees; 4) recommended local cost containment measures; 5) recommended rules for intergovernmental transfers; and 6) assessed the feasibility of municipal bond issues on domestic and international capital markets. The Final Report was used by MOF as one of its inputs to the preparation of China's Tenth Five Year Plan, and will be published in 2001 by ADB (English version) and China’s Economic and Finance Press (Chinese version).

Structuring Water Supply BOTs in China: The Asian Development Bank and China's Ministry of Water Resources began in 1996 to explore the potentials of Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) projects as a way of addressing some of the major urban water supply problems in the country. Chreod Ltd. was retained by ADB/MWR to research major financial and institutional issues surrounding BOTs in this sector, to identify the key risks in BOTs in the current regulatory context in China, and to identify investment criteria of Hongkong-based project financiers and water supply operators active in China. A paper summarizing findings of this research was presented at an international conference in Beijing hosted by MWR. The final report was published in the conference proceedings by ADB. (http://www.adb.org/Publications/product.asp?sku=0065P>)

Strategic Planning and Capital Projects Identification, Tianjin Economic Develop-ment Area: The purpose of this assignment was to re-assess the competitive advan-tages of the 30 km2 TEDA zone, established in 1984, and to refine the economic, foreign investment, and urban development strategies for the zone to enhance its international competitiveness by attracting direct foreign investment in infrastructure (several large international companies have already established in TEDA, including Motorola, Matsushita, AST). The study identified specific capital projects required to improve TEDA's attraction to foreign investors, including a power plant, water treatment plant, and a possible transit line connecting the zone to Tianjin, and recommended infrastructure financing strategies for each set of projects, including BOT and other forms of public-private partnerships.

Infrastructure Investment Revolving Fund in Shanghai: Chreod Ltd. was retained by the Shanghai Chengtou Corporation, Shanghai’s urban development and infrastructure investment company, to design a revolving investment fund for environmental infrastructure in suburban areas of Shanghai. Co-financed by CIDA INC, the assignment prepared a US $ 50 million component of the second phase of the World Bank’s Shanghai Urban Environment Project Adaptable Program Loan.

Urban Environmental Management Information System, Sichuan: The World Bank is supporting the Sichuan Urban Environment Project that includes water, wastewater and solid waste management components in six cities in the province, including Chengdu. A component of this project is an urban environmental management information system based on GIS technology. Chreod formed a consortium to prepare this component, at the request of the World Bank, and in collaboration with the Sichuan Provincial Construction Commission. The consortium: designed a Provincial Decision Support System, including construction of a prototype; designed an Urban Decision Support System, including construction of a prototype; designed an Infrastructure Operations System; designed an overall provincial urban environment information strategy; and designed a mapping and satellite imagery updating system.

Urban and Environmental Information Management System for Shanghai: Chreod conducted a 9-month preparation study in support of the municipal planning and infra-structure component of the Shanghai Environment Project (World Bank US0 million). The study recommended measures to strengthen the overall strategy for the manage-ment of land information systems implementation in agencies of the Shanghai Municipal Government. Based on Geographic Information Systems (GIS), the project focused on a strategic planning system for the Shanghai Urban Planning and Design Institute, Land Administration Bureau, and Environmental Protection Bureau, and on a water infrastruc-ture information system for the Construction Commission; commissioned by Shanghai Construction Commission.

SITE UPDATED: 19 May 2006

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