The National New Area as an Infrastructure Space: Urbanization and the New Regime of Circulation in China

Abstract This paper proposes an infrastructure analytic for exploring the urbanizing landscapes of China's “national new areas.” In effort to develop a less city-centred approach transformations underway in these spaces, I consider area as “infrastructure space” which conventional distinctions between rural and urban have become increasingly meaningless. Such draws our attention ways large-scale infrastructures connectivity are driving decentred form development livelihoods residents shaped by access networks more than proximity city centres. Based on case-study research villages rapid transformation Gui'an New Area Guizhou province, suggest that sheds light national areas can be understood particular events unfolding regime circulation has come dominate forms worldwide.