This book answers the call for New Urbanization, and proposes a "5+9+6"
national spatial layout plan for the urbanization of the 770 major
cities in China. This macro pattern is based on a few major metropolises
at the center, and other cities supporting and benefitting from these
metropolises to form a pyramid-like urban hierarchical system. The book
also presents a comprehensive regionalization plan for China's New
Urbanization and strategic approaches to improving the quality of this
New Urbanization.
Currently, China is aggressively promoting a so-called New
Urbanization, which has been regarded as one of the primary ways to
build a moderately prosperous society, to address critical issues
related to agriculture, rural regions and farmers, to expand domestic
demand and promote industrial innovation, and to realize the China
Dream. From a systematic perspective and using recently released urban
data, the authors analyze the current status of New Urbanization in
China and also investigate the various potential problems and obstacles
to its concrete implementation. Based on the analyses and
investigations, the authors propose strategic directions, paths and
basic principles for China's New Urbanization. In addition, they clearly
identify the three different modes of New Urbanization, namely, the
general mode, differentiated mode, and gradual mode.
Today, many scholars argue that China's urban regions are experiencing a
highly unsustainable mode of development. Chinese cities are heavily
burdened by the so-called "urban diseases," which are characterized e.g.
by congested traffic, polluted water and air, and a lack of open and
green spaces. Traditional urbanization, which primarily focuses on
economic development, must be fundamentally reformed. New Urbanization,
which focuses on integrated economic development, social integration and
space/environmental sustainability, or simply put, on the quality of
urbanization, has been called for to provide a potential "cure" for
these urban diseases. Due to the vastness of China's population and its
rapidly growing economic, political and cultural relationships with the
rest of the world, the book demonstrates that the success of this New
Urbanization is critical not only to the future of urban China, but also
the future of urbanization worldwide.
The book offers a valuable reference work for all researchers, graduate
student and policy makers interested in China's urban development.
