Advantages and problems for a city that is a transport hub: from the perspective of urban planning and governance.IntroductionA transport hub is an agglomeration of different modes of transport, such as maritime, road, rail and air transport. The role of a transport hub brings many benefits and negative effects to the city, which we will discuss in the next part of this essay. There are common characteristics of transportation hubs. Transportation hubs are usually the growth poles of the nation and region where the flow of goods, people, capital and information is facilitated. There are usually favorable conditions for the development of transport hubs. However, these cities have also suffered from congestion and environmental impacts. Shanghai and Tokyo, both regional and national transportation hubs, will be investigated. Both share some common characteristics, for example they have a huge number of inhabitants and have more than one airport. But due to different governments' reactions, the results are different. They pay different costs for transportation hubs, which have different levels of congestion and environmental impacts. In this report, Shanghai is a transportation hub in a developing country while Tokyo is a hub in a developed country. Brief Introduction of ShanghaiShanghai is a developing city and transportation hub in one of the fastest growing countries in the world. In 1978, the nation adopted open-door policies and in 1993 the creation of the Pudong New District, which promoted the city's growth. The role of transport hub has been strengthened. The city located in a developing country, whose GDP per capita is within the standards of developing countries, although the city is highly developed (World Bank, 2010). This city is a gathering place of different m...... middle of paper ...... Shanghai's urban structure and strategies for the future. Urban Planning Forum, 2010 (01), 26-32. British Chambers of Commerce. (2009). Economic impacts of hub airports. London: British Chambers of Commerce. Vogel, R. (2001). Decentralization and urban governance: Reforming Tokyo metropolitan government. Louisville, KY: University of Louisville. Wendell Cox Consultancy. (2003). Tokyo-Yokohama Suburban Railway Summary, Urban Transportation Information Book, Public Purpose. New York: Wendell Cox Consultancy. Winston, B. (2000). Study on the development of urban transport. Tokyo: Padeco.World Bank. (2010, July 10). How we classify countries. World Bank. Retrieved from http://data.worldbank.org/about/country-classifications.Yang, Y. (2006). Research on the realities, problems and countermeasures of tourist transport in Shanghai. Shanghai: Shanghai Jiao Tong University