The Transition of Chinese Cities

Spatial form and spatial restructuring are key concerns of all the papers in this issue: at the macro-scale, the transformation of metropolitan structure; at the intra-urban level, the configuration and transition of social space; and at a finer scale, the architectural representation of mega-projects. Following the editors’ introduction three papers consider the transition of governance in Chinese cities. The next two papers describe changes in the built environment, namely spatial restructuring and the transformation of city-regions. Then two papers deal with social space and the changing living environment of various social groups. Finally, two papers focus on the representation of the built environment and the implications of urban form for sustainability.

 

As the editors conclude, while the papers here illustrate profound market re-orientation in China, they do not suggest a definitive trajectory towards the retreat of the state. In fact, Chinese cities depict a very complex picture of re-orientation towards the market while strengthening state regulation in urban processes. It will be interesting to see how the Chinese built environment evolves in the era of neoliberalization.

 

• The Transition of Chinese Cities 
  Fulong Wu and Duanfang Lu
• Designing to Govern: Space and Power in Two Wuhan Communities 
  David Bray
• Regional Cooperation in the Pan-Pearl River Delta: A Formulaic Aspiration or a New Imagination? 
  Anthony G.O. Yeh and Xu Jiang
• Kunshan Model: Learning from Taiwanese Investors 
  Shiuh-shen Chien and Litao Zhao
• Spatial Restructuring in Urban China amid Globalization and Economic Reform: The Case of Guangzhou
  Lachang Lu and Linda Mccarthy
• From Suburbia to Post-Suburbia in China? Aspects of the Transformation of the Beijing and Shanghai Global City Regions
  Fulong Wu and Nicholas Phelps
• From Homogenous to Heterogeneous: The Transformation of Beijing’s Socio-Spatial Structure
  Jian Feng, Fulong Wu and John Logan
• Rural Migrants, Urban Migrants and Local Workers in Shanghai: Segmented or Competitive Labour Markets?
  Yu Chen and Caroline Hoy
• Architecture as Branding: Mega Project Developments in Beijing
  Xuefei Ren
• Shanghai’s Rapid Urbanization: How Sustainable?
  Rebecca L.H. Chiu
• Publication Review