I'm living in the north of Beijing and so far that's most of what I've seen. Here there are many new, high-rise, Western-style buildings. A typical vista has buildings of 15 or more storeys and wide, multi-laned roads. Close to where I live, the fourth ring road has 4 lanes in either direction. As well as lanes for motor vehicles, many roads have a cycle road on either side. I call it a road because it is at least the width of one or 2 lanes for cars - not quite the same concept as a cycle lane in London. The bigger roads are usually dual carriageways with the central part of the road put to good use - as a car park for example.
Between the road and the modern architecture is of course the pavement. These are also often very wide. Daily life goes on on the pavements and the contrast with the buildings is huge. Many people are poor, perhaps without work, sitting around playing cards or Chinese chess, hawking their goods, chatting, waiting at the bus stops, even sprawled on their back asleep. Many of them are also squatting Asian-style with both feet flat on the ground. Everywhere is very dusty, giving a grey tint to every street scene.
Driving is on the right as in mainland Europe and traffic movements are chaotic. For example, at most crossroads there is a pelican crossing for each street. But a green man only means that the motor vehicles from that street which are going straight on or turning left are stationary. There will still be cars turning into the street, cars turning right out of the street, and bicycles going in all directions. Bicycles, cars and buses all seem quite flexible about lanes and which side of the road to use. If someone in your lane has stopped to pick someone up, you just drive straight onto the other side and round the obstruction. All of this sounds like a recipe for disaster, but it works fairly well because traffic speeds are low, unhurried. Horns are used fairly constantly, but more with a meaning of "I'm here" than "Get out of my way". Even where the road is clear, I haven't seen drivers racing along as they would in Britain. There are very few large vehicles on the roads other than buses. I've seen a few vans, but no articulated lorries. There are lots of buses in all states of repair. Most of the buses here are the normal coach-type, but there are a few routes with double-deckers and also a few routes with bendy buses.
As you might expect, bicycles are a common means of transport. There are many 2-wheelers, quite often with a passenger sat side-saddle on the rack at the back. There are also a lot of "flat-back" tricycles with a long wheel-base and a board or cart box at the back. These are used for carrying all manner of things - furniture, computers, bottles for recycling, your grandmother, etc. A few are motorised, but the vast majority are pedal-powered.
As well as the roads and the pavements, there is a feeling of spaciousness about many of the plots of land. Many institutions and factories have a huge open area between the street and the building. The north west is the main university district. Beida and Qinghua, the 2 most famous universities, are located here, as well as many others. Universities are a relatively new thing here and both are only about 100 years old. The Beida campus has a lake in the middle, gardens and a lot of trees. The buildings there have a Chinese-style exterior. Qinghua also has avenues of trees and a lake.