Abstract

China's urbanization: Past, present, and the challenges ahead

China is urbanizing rapidly for past few decades. With the drive to urbanize cities rapidly, old urban structures in China are reformed and urban administrative boundaries are re-defined. One of the effects of urbanization is huge demographic shift. On the one hand, there is massive movement of rural population towards urban areas in search of better livelihood; and on the other, there is substantial displacement of populace due to beautification of existing infrastructure. Besides, the robust drive to achieve high rate of urbanization has resulted in blind expansion of cities and redefinition of urban boundaries without qualifying rural populations with equal status and equal privileges. This has amassed a huge presence of populace in "villages in cities" (城中村 Chengzhongcun) as well as created new concentrated communities of rural migrants in city centers, thereby, dividing the groups in a multi-layer society within an institutionalized framework. The issue is of significance with the increased discontent among certain groups and raised voices from certain sections of the society. The study is based on the premise that the large presence of rural population in urban centers has pressurized the state to devise strategies for urban planning incorporating the population of "villages in cities" as part of the urban population, providing them with low-cost housing and other basic facilities. The proposed study examines relevant changes in administrative redefinition as well as the future challenges to rapid urbanization in China.

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