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Purpose – The purpose of this research is to focus on the governance aspects of China's environmental policy making and the conditions for meaningful public participation in sustainable urbanization policy making. China is facing a big urbanization challenge. Rapid economic growth and inefficient use of natural resources lead to excessive pollution and rapid depletion of China's natural resources. Water scarcity, especially in the north‐eastern part of the country, already is a big problem. The Chinese government has formulated policies and legislation to protect the environment and to produce a more sustainable growth, but implementation is lagging. Moreover, rapid modernization of Chinese society also led to first experiments with the organization of public hearings on environmental issues. Design/methodology/approach – Literature is presented on governance and public participation in environmental policy making supplemented with material from case study research and expert meetings in China. Findings – The findings show the interrelatedness of environmental governance and public participation, which leads to policy recommendations for public participation in sustainable urbanization processes. Originality/value – This paper highlights the potential environmental gains through public participation in sustainable urbanization strategy policy in China.

This paper aims to offer a new theory of “inventive negotiation” as a useful alternative to the outdated thinking of the past century.

The literature is reviewed, and a series of stories is used to bolster a new understanding.

The paper is a critique of the theory of integrative bargaining, arguing that it often limits the creative processes that produce long-term relationships with customers. This paper introduces a third theory of negotiation, something the author calls inventive negotiation.

The primary lesson of negotiation courses in American business and law schools suggests a narrow focus on reaching agreements while paying little attention to implementation and the paramount importance of maintaining ongoing commercial relationships. This paper introduces a third theory of negotiation, something the authors call inventive negotiation. It places emphasis on long-term, trusting commercial relationships as the key outcome of negotiation. The theory also posits negotiation as a creative process wherein innovations processes can play a central role. For example, both group diversity and facilitators can aid in producing creative agreements along the way toward mutually profitable business relationships.