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Urbanization is the only way for modernization and the development of eco-cities is an inevitable course for urbanization, both of which contribute to realize “Beautiful China Dream”—the requirement of the times. Motivated by the conceptions of green development, circular economy, low-carbon life and city’s habitability for people, The Report on the Development of China’s Eco-cities (2015) aims to serve the modernization goals, improve people’s happiness index and help human beings to achieve a comprehensive development. It tries to upgrade the general public’s ecological awareness, provide decision-making consultation and guidance of engineering practices for the eco-city’s construction, as well as to advocate and lead the green development. By integrating the concept of eco-cities into the progression of urbanization and linking cities with agricultural zones, natural zones and cultural zones, the report intends to help cultivate a green and low-carbon way for people’s production and life. It also attempts to explore a new path for constructing ecological cities with Chinese characteristics.

In 2014, the rate of China’s urbanization reached 54.77%. China has stepped into a new phase in which urbanization is developing rapidly. Yet the development of eco-cities is still in the “initial stage of green” due to various reasons. Now people have increasingly strong demand for urban ecology and to construct green, smart, healthy and habitable eco-cities becomes the most important project for the people’s well-being. The Report on the Development of China’s Eco-cities (2015) upholds the conceptions and the standards of eco-city’s green development. Both the general demands and featured purposes for city development being taken into consideration, the researchers and writers of this report have built a dynamic evaluation model to comprehensively examine 284 cities, ranking them in accordance with government’s input in city development and its output effects and with the progress of the construction for smart city as well. By means of the evaluation model, top 100 eco-cities of “featured development” are selected. The report follows the principle of “categorized evaluation, categorized guidance, categorized construction and phased implementation”, and accordingly points out the key targets and the challenges for the annual construction work in the green development of each city. Along with the evaluation, the report elaborates on the correlation of the construction of smart cities, China’s control of haze and the construction of ecologically habitable cities. It then puts forwards the vital significance of returning to nature —“People’s natural health is the primal target of green development, while eco-environment can be its most essential guarantee.” Putting haze and urban diseases under control is a collaborative project requiring comprehensive measures and efforts, upgraded mentality and regulations, innovative drives and perseverance. It is a great mission to build new type of eco-cities with prominent Chinese features which are green, smart, low-carbon, healthy and habitable.