Objective The research on carbon neutrality, in an ecological – environmental perspective, is a major mission of the landscape architecture discipline. In the global pursuit of low-carbon urban development, communities play a pivotal role in advancing low-carbon initiatives at the meso – micro scale. Since 2015, China has initiated a series of pilot projects to establish low-carbon communities following the issuance of national guidelines. However, the current policy implementation paths in China are not yet mature, primarily relying on the organization of pilot programs in various regions, which poses certain challenges for the promotion and scaling-up of low-carbon community development. Relevant policies rely predominantly on operational indicators for evaluation, offering inadequate feedback to guide implementation and design. This research aims to explore effective implementation paths for low-carbon community policies to promote sustainable development and broader dissemination of low-carbon communities in China.

Methods This research employs an analytical framework of “institution – strategy – tool” (IST) to dissect policies related to low-carbon community development. Institutions, strategies, and tools are the three pivotal elements of an implementation pathway mechanism; the collaborative mode that these three elements jointly shape and the operational process thereof constitute the implementation paths discussed in this research. The research begins with a comparative overview of widely-used low-carbon community policies at home and abroad, highlighting their institutional backgrounds, strategic focuses, and implementation tools. Subsequently, the research conducts an in-depth analysis of two representative policies: LEED 4.0 Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND), a market-driven, standardized evaluation system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), and ÉcoQuartier, a government-led, adaptive governance initiative launched by the French Ministry of Ecology. Besides analyzing these two representative policies through the IST framework, the research compares these international models with China’s current practices, identifying gaps and opportunities for improvement in the Chinese context.

Results The results demonstrate that different institutional contexts give rise to distinct strategies, which in turn shape corresponding implementation tools and thereby generate divergent implementation paths. The positive synergy among their three core elements — institutions, strategies, and tools — is essential for the effective and efficient implementation of those policies. Strategies and tools are constructed under the foundational institutional conditions. The three elements then continuously influence and iteratively refine each other, progressively evolving into a well-integrated, mutually matched, and enduringly dynamic system for sustainable development. This sustained interaction fosters a long-term, effective process of stakeholder collaboration, enabling the transition of low-carbon community policies into its spatial interpretation. This can trigger a continuously accumulating positive spatial feedback loop.

Conclusion Both the indicator-based, highly quantified standardized evaluation pathways and the guidance-oriented, customized adaptive governance pathways have successfully engaged diverse social stakeholders, providing effective guidance or feedback mechanisms for low-carbon community development and forming a robust foundation for practical implementation and scaling-up. Therefore, to achieve the spatial grounding and positive accumulation of low-carbon development, the three elements — institutions, strategies, and tools — ought to be mutually aligned, forging a long-term, effective collaborative relationship among the stakeholders involved. Based on China’s current low-carbon community development, this research proposes three key optimization directions to enhance implementation effectiveness. This research argues that spatial – ecological landscape design tools that assist carbon reduction should be developed, thereby enhancing the spatial benefits and wider dissemination of China’s low-carbon community policies. First, to implement low-carbon community policies, market-based stakeholders should be incorporated to create a multi-stakeholder governance mechanism. Public funds should be strategically leveraged to attract social capitals, fostering a multi-stakeholder collaborative development mechanism. Unlike international practices, China’s current low-carbon community development relies heavily on direct government investment, resulting in significant financial burdens and limited scalability. To address this, mechanisms such as performance-based rewards and reputation marketing campaigns should be introduced to incentivize developers, businesses, and residents to actively participate in low-carbon projects. By ensuring all stakeholders perceive tangible benefits, broader support can be mobilized to collaboratively create sustainable communities. Second, technical exchanges and process-oriented coaching should be used to intensify design interactions. The fundamental purpose of developing a comprehensive indicator system is to achieve real carbon emission reductions in line with China’s “carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals”. Technical exchanges and ongoing process support allow proven technical methods from pilot projects to be closely integrated with current project conditions, while progressively aligning low-carbon management practices and spatial design optimization requirements with each project’s renewal objectives. Only in this way can relatively abundant government funds be directed toward the specific and realistic needs of each project. Finally, policies should incorporate design strategies for spatial and ecological landscape optimization and tools tailored specifically to the community level, so as to ensure effective project implementation. International best practices demonstrate that spatial adjustments and optimizations can simultaneously enhance quality of life and reduce resource consumption, achieving low-carbon goals at a lower cost. Integrating spatial design elements into China’s low-carbon community policies, alongside existing technological carbon-reduction measures, can enable a more comprehensive and coordinated implementation of low-carbon strategies at the community level. This approach not only improves resource efficiency but also creates more livable and sustainable environments. This will align with global best practices while addressing the unique challenges and opportunities within China’s institutional and developmental context, ultimately contributing to the China’s broader climate goals.