Description
The focus of published narrative on the great Chinese urbanization wave was always going to sharpen - away from the general fascination, assertions, theories and commentaries to specific issues and specific regions. Well here is a first class example of the next generation of urban china books, focusing on topic and city. Chengdu, a city on the foothills of the Himalayas in Western China, has enacted a bold experiment with the institutions and organizations that shape urban-rural interactions. The world, not just China, should be interested in the results as a city-region multi-level government hierarchy grapples with new models for harmonizing property rights between urban and rural areas, allocating government competencies to appropriate levels, constructing strategic infrastructure; and by these and other means, attempts to coordinate growth of urban activities into the countryside while preserving agricultural capacity. Ye and LeGates do a fine job in marshaling data and making sense of it through clear text and compelling arguments. A must read for students and researchers of urban China.'
- Chris Webster, University of Hong Kong
'This extraordinary case study of Chengdu, China breaks new ground in the understanding of 21st century urbanization. Its detailed coverage of critical policy changes and practice illuminates our understanding of the rapid changes and important adaptive responses that China has forged to accommodate massive demographic and economic shifts that this country and many others around the world are experiencing. Its impeccable scholarship and clear explanations make this book the key guide and authoritative reference on this topic.'
- Eugenie Birch, University of Pennsylvania, US
This detailed study offers a succinct yet comprehensive introduction to China's crucial policy to coordinate urban and rural development. It describes the theoretical, political, and economic reasons why China allowed a large gap between urban and rural incomes, public services, and quality of life to emerge, and the recent national and local government efforts to narrow this inequality.
The authors draw primarily on extensive field research and experience in Chengdu, China's leading pilot region for the policy. They describe and explain Chengdu's governmental, administrative, economic, political, and planning system reforms and their accomplishments in clarifying land use rights, rationalizing industrial zones, modernizing agriculture, implementing regional planning, and equalizing infrastructure and services. Coordinating urban and rural development is one of the most pressing problems facing developing countries today. This book places China's experience in context and explains what other cities in China and throughout the developing world can learn from Chengdu as they develop and urbanize.
This important book will appeal to academics and policymakers interested in urban planning, economics and development in China, Asia, and elsewhere. It will undoubtedly become an indispensable resource for urbanizing countries throughout the world.
Contents: Preface 1. Urban-Rural Development in an Urbanizing World 2. China's Urban-Rural Relationships and National Modernization 3. The Chengdu Model of Coordinated Urban Rural Development: Framework and Strategy 4. Governance and Public Administration Reform 5. Urban and Rural Planning and Development in Chengdu 6. Equalizing Public Services 7. Grassroots Democracy: The Foundation of Rural Modernization 8. Functional Zones and Economic Growth 9. Restructuring Land, Labor, and Capital Markets 10. Chengdu Experience's Value for China and the Challenges for its Wider Application 11. What the World Can Learn from Chengdu 12. Conclusion Appendix: Concepts and Terms Related to Coordinated Urban-Rural Development References Index
