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Urbanisation processes and new towns in contemporary China: A critical understanding from a decentred view

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  • Francesca Governa

    (Dist and Full, Politecnico di Torino, Italy)

  • Angelo Sampieri

    (Dist. Politecnico di Torino, Italy)

Abstract

The article discusses the results of research on Chinese new towns focusing on three places: Tongzhou New Town, located in the eastern suburban expansion of Beijing; Zhaoqing New Area, currently being built approximately 20 km from the old city of Zhaoqing (Guandong Province); and Zhengdong New District, located near Zhengzhou (inland Henan Province). Tongzhou, Zhaoqing and Zhengdong have absolutely nothing in common: location, size, spaces, economies, inhabitants, or when and how they were built. However, studying these places allowed us to identify two issues that still seem to be in need of investigation both empirically and theoretically: the spatial features and regional scaling-up of the Chinese urbanisation processes. While presenting these issues, on the one hand, the article emphasises their specificity in the investigated contexts and, on the other, it transcends these specific cases in order to question urban studies beyond the (alleged) exceptionality of Chinese urbanisation. By adopting this approach, Chinese new towns become an object of study as well as a specific viewpoint from which to examine contemporary urbanisation and radically re-discuss old categories, conceptualisations and even the epistemology of the urban.

Suggested Citation

  • Francesca Governa & Angelo Sampieri, 2020. "Urbanisation processes and new towns in contemporary China: A critical understanding from a decentred view," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 57(2), pages 366-382, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:urbstu:v:57:y:2020:i:2:p:366-382
    DOI: 10.1177/0042098019860807
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    3. Fulong Wu, 2016. "China's Emergent City-Region Governance: A New Form of State Spatial Selectivity through State-orchestrated Rescaling," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 40(6), pages 1134-1151, November.
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    6. Xuewen Tan, 2010. "New-Town Policy and Development in China," Chinese Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 43(3), pages 47-58, May.
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    Cited by:

    1. Yun Song & Dominic Stead & Martin de Jong, 2020. "New Town Development and Sustainable Transition under Urban Entrepreneurialism in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(12), pages 1-20, June.
    2. Naji Akbar & Ismaila Rimi Abubakar & Adel Saleh Bouregh, 2020. "Fostering Urban Sustainability through the Ecological Wisdom of Traditional Settlements," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(23), pages 1-19, December.
    3. Bin Liao, 2024. "Does New Urbanization Promote Urban Metabolic Efficiency?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(2), pages 1-20, January.
    4. Yishao Shi & Haoran Ren & Xiatong Guo & Tianhui Tao, 2020. "Implementation and Advancement of a Rural Residential Concentration Strategy in the Suburbs of Shanghai," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(10), pages 1-17, October.
    5. Yin, Xu & Wang, Jing & Li, Yurui & Feng, Zhiming & Wang, Qianyi, 2021. "Are small towns really inefficient? A data envelopment analysis of sampled towns in Jiangsu province, China," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 109(C).

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