A new analytical framework for urban size and policies

This study develops a new comprehensive analytical framework for use in achieving optimal city size and conducting policy studies. The EE-EC framework simultaneously considers economic productivity, environmental pollution, and traffic congestion. We take Beijing as an example and perform a simulation analysis using this framework. We find that, in 2010, Beijing was 10% oversized and transportation and industrial policies were more effective than environmental policies for maximizing Beijing's net urban agglomeration economies. The framework presented in this study is not only flexible in the sense that it can be easily applied to other cities, but also urgently needed by policy makers.