Spatiotemporal Patterns of Road Network and Road Development Pri-ority in Three Parallel Rivers Region in Yunnan,China:An Evaluation Based on Modified Kernel Distance Estimate

Road network is a critical component of public infrastructure,and the supporting system of social and economic development.Based on a modified kernel density estimate(KDE)algorithm,this study evaluated the road service capacity provided by a road network composed of multi-level roads(i.e.national,provincial,county and rural roads),by taking account of the differences of effect extent and intensity for roads of different levels.Summarized at town scale,the population burden and the annual rural economic income of unit road service capacity were used as the surrogates of social and economic demands for road service.This method was applied to the road network of the Three Parallel River Region,the northwestern Yunnan Province,China to evaluate the development of road network in this region.In results,the total road length of this region in 2005 was 3.70×104km,and the length ratio between national,provincial,county and rural roads was 1∶2∶8∶47.From 1989 to 2005,the regional road service capacity increased by 13.1%,of which the contributions from the national,provincial,county and rural roads were 11.1%,19.4%,22.6%,and 67.8%,respectively,revealing the effect of′All Village Accessible′policy of road development in the mountainous regions in the last decade.The spatial patterns of population burden and economic requirement of unit road service suggested that the areas farther away from the national and provincial roads have higher road development priority(RDP).Based on the modified KDE model and the framework of RDP evaluation,this study provided a useful approach for developing an optimal plan of road development at regional scale.

Energy Saving,Environmental Protection:Top Priority in China's Development——Exclusive interview with Dr.Yonglong L,Secretary-general,Chinese Committee for SCOPE(Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment/ICSU).

Energy saving,emission reduction and economic development are major issues China has to meet in building a harmonious society.On one hand,China should pursue a sustainable,fast and sound economic development,on the other hand,she should try to decrease the overuse of energy resources and the environ- mental problems caused by the rapid economic growth. In this regard,on June 24,the Standing Committee of National People's Congress deliberated the draft of Energy Saving Law,according to which China is to take"resources saving"as a basic national policy.This is a key issue to the long-term benefits of China.With relevant questions,China's Foreign Trade interviewed Dr, Yonglong L(?),Secretary-general,Chinese Committee for SCOPE(Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment/ICSU).and Research Professor at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Let's listen to Dr.L(?)'s comments with wisdom.

Priorities for implementing sustainable development goals(SDGs)

With the support by the National Natural Science Foundation of China,the research team led by Prof.Lu Yonglong(吕永龙)at the State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology,Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences,Chinese Academy of Sciences,presented their work on Rating Oceans’ Cap-

Imperative to Fulfill Full Priority Development of Public Transport

In the bluebook regarding public transport policies of our country,various documents and specialized papers ontraffic management,great emphasis has been laid on giving priority to the development of public transport.However,the problem of difficult bus-riding has become increasingly serious.What efforts have we made to facilitate the prior-ity development of public traffic in our urban planning,urban construction,and traffic management? What preferen-tial policies have been adopted for that purpose? The author attempts to discuss how,on the competitive market ofpassenger transport,public transport can make greater contribution to urban development.