On Behalf of MIT and as the Dean of the School of Architecture and Planning, I’m pleased to welcome you to the 4th Conference of China Planning Network, the Urban Transportation Congress.

I’m proud of MIT has been the core part of the China Planning Network from the beginning, some entrepreneurial students and faculty have put a lot of energy into this, most of them come from the Department of Urban Studies and Planning of my school. This year we also have faculty from the Media Lab, part of my school as well, Civil Engineering and Lab of Environment and Energy. MIT’s participation is always been enormous of this Congress and we continue to do so.

MIT focuses on solving the world’s great problems, and I think the deputy changing development context in China. The rise of automobile ownership, the levels of pollution, and the vital role that can be played by urban transportation in building sustainable environments, is certainly one of these challenges. As in the past, this year’s Congress will serve as a platform to bring together Eastern and Western academic experts and related disciplines to urban planning research and our experience on the ground.

Certainly as has been stated several times this morning, I think we already at the very began as the Conference, it’s more than words population congregate to urban area is of unprecedented scale and complexity -- the rise of the mega city, how people move within and between these glomerations has enormous implication for long-term economic viability, environmental impact, energy sustainability, human health on the large scale, and quality of life of our communities.

While this is a critical issue for city’s globaling, China’s explosive urban growth definitely offers an unprecedented opportunity for implementing innovative policies, you are already doing that; taking technologically advances, I think some of this are taking place.

Through the 3 days of dialogue and exchange, we will present with cutting-edge thinking on transportation research technology and policy, also dealing with issues of how these affect the planning of urban areas, life style, energy consumption and the environment.

I want to have particular thanks to 2 organizations of purpose to this: the International Conference Center for Science and Technology, and Xinhua News Agency that really helped us to make this possible. Also thanks to the Ministry of Construction, to our friends of Tsinghua University, with whom we collaborate in many things. And finally I do want to give particular thanks to the Executive Commissioners of CPN: Zhao Jinhua, Guo Zhan and Guo Ming, this would never happen without their enormous energy and enthusiasm, supported by faculty too. Finally I want to say there is only one hour into this Congress, but it seems there’s much agreement on the issues we simply to speak the same language, but apply researches really needed. And as an institution, we dedicate our enthusiasm for the subject matter we care about of the planning in China, and we would certainly like to be part of any future application.

Thank you!