Advancing Urban Sustainability through Public–Private Partnerships: Case Study of the Gu’An New Industry City in China

Public–private partnerships (PPPs) have become an increasingly popular means of delivering urban development projects (UDPs) and have long-lasting effects on urban sustainability. However, private interests tend to conflict with environmental and social sustainability goals in UDPs. Through an in-depth case study of the Gu'An New Industry City, the earliest UDP delivered via PPP in China, this study investigates whether PPPs advance urban sustainability and what governance strategies in UDPs may help reconcile private sector participation with broader sustainability goals. The success of the Gu'An project suggests PPPs are promising instruments for advancing urban sustainability. Good practices extracted from the Gu'An project show collaborative partnerships improve efficiency, incentive contracts enhance effectiveness, and public participation advances democratic ideals. By developing a framework that links PPP network features with public values, this research demonstrates how PPPs might serve as an effective policy for achieving sustainable development goals in private-led UDPs.