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China’s Urban Century

China’s Urban Century

Governance, Environment and Socio-Economic Imperatives
Edited by François Gipouloux, Research Director Emeritus, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), France
The achievements of China’s urbanization should not be evaluated solely in terms of adequate infrastructures, but also in their ability to implement sound governance practices to ensure social, environmental and economic development. This book addresses several key challenges faced by Chinese cities, based on the most recent policies and experiments adopted by central and local governments. The contributors offer an interdisciplinary analysis of the urbanization process in China, and examine the following key topics: the institutional foundations of Chinese cities, the legal status of the land, the rural to urban migration, the preservation of the urban heritage and the creation of urban community, and the competitiveness of Chinese cities. They define the current issues and challenges emerging from China’s urbanization.

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Extent: 320 pp
Hardback Price: £85.00 Web: £76.50
Publication Date: 2015
ISBN: 978 1 78471 508 3
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More Information

The achievements of China’s urbanization should not be evaluated solely in terms of adequate infrastructures, but also in their ability to implement sound governance practices to ensure social, environmental and economic development. This book addresses sever al key challenges faced by Chinese cities, based on the most recent policies and experiments adopted by central and local governments.

The contributors offer an interdisciplinary analysis of the urbanization process in China, and examine the following key topics: the institutional foundations of Chinese cities, the legal status of the land, the rural to urban migration, the preservation of the urban heritage and the creation of urban community, and the competitiveness of Chinese cities. They define the current issues and challenges emerging from China’s urbanization.

Students and academics of urban studies and related subjects will find the strong theoretical backgrounds to be of use to their research. Policy-makers and other practitioners will benefit from the practical advice and recommendations.

Critical Acclaim

‘China’s Urban Century is the impressive outcome of a European and Chinese collaborative project. The book extensively covers Chinese urban governance, environment, heritage, lifestyle and megacities. Ambitious and timely, François Gipouloux edits the book, not only to address topical issues such as migrant housing, social security and low-carbon development, but also to probe into the fundamental process of city creation, fiscal relations, and community configuration.’
– Fulong Wu, Bartlett Professor of Planning, University College London, UK

‘This is an exciting, informative, and insightful volume produced out of truly multi-disciplinary and international collaborations. It makes a timely and landmark contribution to the understanding of China's phenomenal urban transformation and its social, political, and environmental implications. With its unparalleled breadth and depth, this book provides illuminative accounts of the many facets of China's urbanization past, present, and in the years to come. A must -read for any scholars and practitioners interested in the dawn of China's urban century and the new age of global urbanism.‘
– George C.S. Lin, Hong Kong University


Contributors

Contributors: C.-H. Ai, L. Balula, O. Bina, K.W. Chan, H. Chen, D. Du, M. Elosua, S. Feuchtwang, F. Ged, F. Gipouloux, W. Gong, S. Goulard, Y. Hu, L. Huang, A. Hussain, S. Li, P. Morais, P. Ni, D.H. Perkins, O. Pillet, Y. Pu, Y. Shao, J. Tan, J. Wang, A. Xiong, W. Xu, Z. Yuan, H. Zhang




















Contents

Contents:

Foreword
Dwight H. Perkins

1. Introduction
François Gipouloux

PART I THE INSTITUTIONAL FOUNDATIONS OF URBANIZATION IN CHINA
2. The City Creation Process in China
François Gipouloux and Li Shantong

3. Central-local Relations in Chinese Urbanization: The Case of Chongqing
Pu Yongjian and Xiong Ailun

4. Public Ownership of Land and Urbanization in China
Athar Hussain and Gong Wei

5. China’s Hukou Reform and New Urbanization Blueprint
Kam Wing Chan

6. Snail without a Shell: Migrant Workers' Difficult Path toward Urban Housing
Chi-Han Ai, Miguel Elosua and Sébastien Goulard

PART II ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURES IN URBAN AREAS
7. The “Eco” and “Low-carbon” Promise: A Critical Review of China’s Experience
Luis Balula and Olivia Bina

8. Choices Between Development and Environmental Preservation in Huangshan City
Chen Hongfeng and Wang Jingya

9. Social Security Reform and its Impact on Urbanization: The Case of Shanghai
Yuan Zhigang and Jing Tan

10. Implementation of New Social Housing Programmes: The Case of Shanghai and Chongqing
Miguel Elosua and Ni Pengfei

PART III HERITAGE PRESERVATION, TRADITIONS AND MODERN LIFESTYLES IN CHINESE CITIES
11. Historic Urban Landscapes in Shanghai: The Challenging Path from Recognition to Innovation and Appropriation within an Accelerated Socio-economic Context
Françoise Ged and Shao Yong

12. The Challenge of Brownfield Rehabilitation: A Case Study of Dadukou District, Chongqing
Chi-Han Ai and Oriane Pillet

13. The Formation of Governmental Community and the Closure of Housing Classes
Stephan Feuchtwang, Zhang Hui and Paula Morais

PART IV REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIVENESS OF CHINESE MEGA-CITIES
14. Fiscal Constraints and Their Impact on Financing Urbanization: The Case of Kunming
Hu Ying

15. Evolutionary Process of Shanghai’s Rise to a Global City: Dynamic Dialectics of Localization and Globalization
Du Debin and Huang Li and Xu Wei

Index