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Theorising Chinese urbanisation: A multi-layered perspective

Author

Listed:
  • Chaolin Gu

    (Tsinghua University, China)

  • Christian Kesteloot

    (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium)

  • Ian G Cook

    (Liverpool John Moores University, UK)

Abstract

Urbanisation in China and its rapid increase in recent decades as a result of industrialisation and globalisation are often conceived as a simplified process. Moreover, the speed of the present day process yields the impression that the traces of previous forms of urbanisation are erased for good. Both of these assumptions are challenged in this paper. The built environment resulting from this urbanisation process is to be conceived as a series of layers that reflect different modes of productions and related logics of production of space. Hence, we try to comprehend the spatial arrangement of the city, which can be thought of as a geological metaphor. The social groups that have to be sheltered in urban residential space also radically change in each of these periods. We proceed to analyse these layers and how they combine and interact over time with the concept of socio-spatial configuration, which denotes a precise type of residential environment related to a specific social group in the city. Chinese cities are made up of five types of urbanisation, reflected in five layers and their related socio-spatial configurations: the traditional, proto-globalisation, socialist, market-led and globalisation layers.

Suggested Citation

  • Chaolin Gu & Christian Kesteloot & Ian G Cook, 2015. "Theorising Chinese urbanisation: A multi-layered perspective," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 52(14), pages 2564-2580, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:urbstu:v:52:y:2015:i:14:p:2564-2580
    DOI: 10.1177/0042098014550457
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Gordon G. Liu & Xiaodong Wu & Chaoyang Peng & Alex Z. Fu, 2003. "Urbanization And Health Care In Rural China," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 21(1), pages 11-24, January.
    2. Dennis Tao Yang, 2008. "China's Agricultural Crisis and Famine of 1959–1961: A Survey and Comparison to Soviet Famines," Comparative Economic Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Association for Comparative Economic Studies, vol. 50(1), pages 1-29, March.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Dobruszkes, Frédéric & Wang, Jiaoe, 2019. "Developing a low-cost airline in a semi-protected regime: Comparing China to Europe and the US," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 48-58.
    3. Wu, Haitao & Hao, Yu & Weng, Jia-Hsi, 2019. "How does energy consumption affect China's urbanization? New evidence from dynamic threshold panel models," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 127(C), pages 24-38.
    4. Frédéric Dobruszkes & Jiaoe Wang, 2019. "Developing a low-cost airline in a semi-protected regime: Comparing China to Europe and the US," ULB Institutional Repository 2013/286424, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    5. Qi Liu & Zaiyi Liao & Yongfa Wu & Dagmawi Mulugeta Degefu & Yiwei Zhang, 2019. "Cultural Sustainability and Vitality of Chinese Vernacular Architecture: A Pedigree for the Spatial Art of Traditional Villages in Jiangnan Region," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(24), pages 1-27, December.

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