SINCE it introduced a market economy in the early 1980s, China has developed rapidly and cities have risen up in many former rural areas. In many situations, China’s urban layouts have learned a lot from the West. The movement of rural workers into the city and the gradual transition from public to individualized transportation have resulted in city sprawl. However, the pattern of American sprawl that some Chinese cities modeled after has, over the past few decades, resulted in an unsustainable system of living that revolves around fossil fuel consumption. Western cities built on the idea that oil is an unlimited resource now have to confront the prospects of an era when oil is no longer available. The infrastructure and buildings in these cities are often energy inefficient. Before China delves into multi-trillion dollar city-building projects based on what many think are proven models of success, it is important to consider the unsustainable aspects of cities in developed countries and ways in which they have negatively impacted society.