Urban Development in Contemporary China

Known for its ancient metropolises, China has recently amazed the world with its rapid urban development as it enters the new millennium. Although China is still a predominately agrarian society with only 36 percent of its population living in cities in 2000, it has more people living in cities (456 million) than the total population of any other nation in the world except India (National Bureau of Statistics 2002). With millions of rural-to-urban migrants every year, China is also one of the most rapidly urbanizing regions in the world. This unprecedented urban development in China is transforming not only China’s economy, urban landscape, and culture, but also the global economy with massive exports of products “Made in China.” Urban development in China has long been considered unique in balancing social equality and economic efficiency. Although socialist Chinese cities were formerly crowded and poorly serviced compared to cities in developed countries, they were virtually free of many of the urban problems that were widespread and seemed unavoidable in other developing nations, such as high crime and unemployment rates, and acute inequality (Whyte and Parish 1984). At the same time, China has achieved rapid industrialization and economic growth. Since 1978, economic reforms have injected new energy into Chinese cities, especially those in the coastal regions, which have contributed to the country’s spectacular economic growth (see chapter 10). Many scholars and commentators have asked whether Chinese cities offer an alternative model for urban development in developing countries. In this chapter, we examine the dynamics of urban development in China, focusing on the post-1949 era. We will specifically consider the role of government policies and ideology, and how they affect the social and spatial structure of Chinese cities.