China’s urban growth is unparalleled in the history of global urbanization, and will undoubtedly create huge challenges to China as it modernizes its society. Adopting an interdisciplinary approach, this book presents an overview of the radical transformation of China’s urban space since the 1970s, arguing that to study the Chinese urbanization process one must recognize the distinctive political economy of China. After a long period as a planned socialist economy, China’s rapid entry into the global economy has raised suggestions that modernization in China will inevitably result in urban patterns and features like those of cities in developed market economies. This book argues that this is unlikely in the short term, because processes of urban transition in China must be interpreted through the lens of a unique and unprecedented juxtaposition of socialism and the market economy, which is leading to distinctive patterns of Chinese urbanization. Richly illustrated with maps, diagrams and in-depth case studies, this book will be an invaluable resource to students and scholars of urban economics and policy, geography, and the development of China.
Author(s): Terry McGee
Edition: 1
Year: 2007
Language: English
Pages: 288
Book Cover......Page 1
Title......Page 6
Copyright......Page 7
Contents......Page 8
Illustrations......Page 10
Notes on authors......Page 13
Preface......Page 15
Acknowledgments......Page 18
Abbreviations......Page 20
Pinyin terms......Page 21
1 Introduction......Page 24
2 The political economy of Chinese urbanization......Page 32
3 “Seeing like a state”: The urbanization project in post-1978 China......Page 52
4 Representing urbanization in China: Official and unofficial readings of the urban process......Page 76
5 City core and the periphery: The emerging Hong Kong–Guangzhou metropolitan region......Page 97
6 Urbanisation of the Pearl River Delta: The case of Dongguan......Page 119
7 Manipulating the margins: The case of Shanghai......Page 144
8 Rural agglomeration and urbanization in the lower Yangzi delta: The urban echo in Kunshan......Page 165
9 Divergent urbanization paths in the Shenyang–Dalian urban corridor, Liaoning Province......Page 188
10 Reviewing the case studies: Dimensions of scale in the Chinese urbanization process......Page 207
11 Conclusion: Rewriting China's urban future......Page 220
Notes......Page 242
Bibliography......Page 257
Index......Page 278
