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Since the 1980s, rapid urbanization in China has been accompanied by city shrinkage. Identifying shrinking cities and clarifying the spatial and temporal patterns are of great significance for formulating policies and realizing smart shrinkage. City shrinkage characterized by population loss is a difficult challenge for urban planning and regional development policy-making. This paper uses 2012–2020 nighttime light (NTL) data to identify the spatial and temporal distribution patterns of shrinking cities in China and excavates the shrinking cities' trend of agglomeration and dispersion further. The following results are obtained. (1) About 34.9% of prefecture-level cities are shrinking across the country but most severely in northeast and northwest China; (2) the number of shrinking cities fluctuates over time (2015 and 2020 are the peak shrinkage years). Shrinking cities in China show a northeast-to-southwest spatial distribution. (3) From 2012 to 2020, the aggregation degree of shrinkage continuously decreased (Low-Low) and the aggregation degree of growth continuously increased (High-High), indicating that shrinkage in northeast China was slightly alleviated and that the radiative effect of the growth pole was further enhanced. These findings help us better understand the trend of city shrinkage in China. Future work needs to be focused on the potential causes of the shrinkage. Furthermore, long-term trends also need to be investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large-scale land creation projects involving the cutting of mountains to infill gullies for construction have been carried out in Lanzhou New District (LZND). However, there is an urgent need for comprehensive and detailed research on the spatiotemporal evolution of ground deformation in LZND. Based on Sentinel-1A SAR data, combined with the urban geological background, the ground deformation in LZND from 2017 to 2019 was analysed. Two independent, multi-temporal techniques, persistent scatterers interferometry (PS-InSAR) and the small baseline subset (SBAS-InSAR), were used to calculate the deformation time series, and the results were cross-verified. The time series-monitoring results of the SBAS and PS calculations exhibited strong consistency in LZND and verified the high reliability of the experimental results. The results showed the whole surface of the LZND from March 2017 to October 2019 maintained stability, and the deformation rate was primarily in the range of −10 to 10 mm/year. However, ground deformation in the Xicha area was evident. The maximum annual deformation rates monitored by SBAS-InSAR and PS-InSAR were −52.48 mm/year and −56.35 mm/year, respectively. The most typical deformation areas include the built-up area and the land creation area. The surface subsidence area was concentrated in the filling area. The ground deformation range of LZND kept expanding and accelerating from 2017 to 2019. Land creation, urban construction, geology and precipitation were the primary factors contributing to local severe ground deformation. The results of this study provide reference for the regional urban planning in LZND. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the late 1990s, there are growing studies on the development of cellular automata (CA) as a simulation tool for assisting urban and regional planning in China. Rapid urban development is the main reason that this country has become one of the best places to test the methodology of CA and analyze the effectiveness of using these models. This paper attempts to summarize the experiences and issues of using CA to solve various environmental and planning problems in China. The analysis is based on the literature review using the search engines of ISI Web of Science and Google Scholar. These experiences could be important for those who want to apply CA in developing countries. For example, which environmental and ecological problems can be solved by using this bottom-up approach? What are the data inputs to these models and how can they be calibrated? Our analyses indicate that CA have the great potential to support land-use planning and policy analysis for fast-growing regions. Some specific features of using CA in China are also identified in the literature review, including delineation of urban growth boundary, prevention of illegal development and formulating zoning schemes. The CA studies in this fast-growing country provided valuable experiences for other developing countries to solve a series of simulation and planning problems by using this bottom-up approach. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Urban and regional planning is a complex decision-making process that often involves multiple objectives, especially concerning the purpose of balancing the protection of ecosystems and economic development. We aim to establish a quantitative approach to the recent integrated regional planning in China, known as major function zoning (MFZ), by developing a spatial decision support system (SDSS). The SDSS is developed on the basis of the geographical information system (GIS) which offers powerful functions in spatial analysis and visualization. SDSSs can not only evaluate a variety of geographical features, such as the suitability of land use, but also support the decision makers in choosing, with the participation of stakeholders, between multiple alternatives. This system was applied in a case study of the Beijing – Tianjin metropolitan area by establishing an integrated assessment model of regional development and an index system. Through spatial analysis of different indices developed in group workshops, two alternatives were proposed according to development-oriented and protection-oriented objectives. In the protection-oriented alternative, a higher proportion of area was sited in prohibited zones (28.6%) than in the development-oriented alternative (21.5%); after negotiations with the stakeholders, the former was adopted as the final scheme for MFZ of Beijing – Tianjin metropolitan area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reflecting upon China's current path of regional urbanization, this research studies the polycentric structure of China's megaregions. It defines the concept and measurement for megaregional polycentricity and utilizes the spatial statistics tool--standard deviational ellipse of directional distribution--to measure the demographic spatial pattern of individual megaregions. The result reveals that most megaregions in China do not have significant polycentricity. They are either dominated by a single major center or by a number of major centers clustered closely. A challenge for China's megaregional development is to explore the potential policy instruments that can promote a more polycentric megaregional spatial pattern and more balanced spatial development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper consists in three parts. The first part deals with theory. We evaluate the pros and cons of government involvement in urban housing and of renting versus ownership. In the second part, we summarize the different housing policies that have been implemented in the United States, Europe and Asia. We draw some conclusions. In particular, we show that there is a tradeoff between encouraging home ownership and social housing since countries that have favoured the former have neglected the latter (like Japan, Spain, etc.). In the third part, we use the theory and the international policy parts to address housing policy issues in China. One of the main concerns in Chinese cities is the rise of poverty mainly by 'illegal' migrants (who are Chinese rural residents) living in 'urban villages'. We propose two steps to fight against poverty in Chinese cities. The first one is to require that the Chinese government recognizes these 'illegal' migrants by helping them becoming 'legal'. The second step is to encourage social housing that directly or indirectly subsidizes housing for the poor. In that case, to fight against poverty, one can either implement place-targeted policies (like the enterprise zone programmes in the US and Europe and/or housing projects in the US, UK or France) or people-targeted policies (like the moving to opportunity programmes in the US). We also discuss other issues related to poverty. In particular, we suggest that the government could also try to keep migrants in rural areas by attracting firms there and/or introduce a microfinance system that helps them become entrepreneurs. Resumen. Este artículo consta de tres partes. La primera parte trata aspectos teóricos. Evaluamos las ventajas y desventajas del involucramiento gubernamental en temas de vivienda urbana y de arrendamiento versus propiedad. En la segunda parte, resumimos las diferentes políticas de la vivienda implementadas en los Estados Unidos, Europa y Asia. Extraemos varias conclusiones. En particular, mostramos que hay un conflicto entre fomentar la adquisición de viviendas y promover políticas de vivienda social, pues aquellos países que han favorecido lo primero han descuidado lo segundo (p.ej. Japón o España). En la tercera parte, empleamos las secciones de teoría y de política internacional para explorar temas relacionados con políticas de la vivienda en China. Una de las mayores preocupaciones en las ciudades chinas es el aumento de la pobreza debido principalmente a inmigrantes 'ilegales' (residentes en la China rural) y que viven en los llamados 'pueblos urbanos'. Proponemos dos pasos para la lucha contra la pobreza en la ciudades chinas. El primero es exigir que el gobierno de China reconozca a estos emigrantes 'ilegales', ayudándolos a convertirse en 'legales'. El segundo paso es el fomentar políticas de vivienda social que, directa o indirectamente, subvencionen viviendas para los pobres. En ese caso, y en pro de la lucha contra la pobreza, se pueden implementar tanto políticas dirigidas a un área en particular (como los programas de zonas de fomento empresarial - enterprise zones- en los EE. UU y Europa y los proyectos de vivienda social de los EE. UU, Reino Unido y Francia), como políticas dirigidas a ciertos grupos de población (p.ej. los programas de Avance Hacia la Oportunidad / Moving to Opportunity, en los EE. UU.). Se discuten también otros asuntos relacionados con la pobreza. En particular, sugerimos que el gobierno podría intentar asimismo el mantener a los inmigrantes en sus áreas rurales, ya sea atrayendo empresas hacia dichas zonas y/o introduciendo sistemas de microfinanciación que los ayuden a convertirse en empresarios emprendedores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In geographical analysis, spatial simulation and optimization are usually separate processes tackling different problems. It is, however, increasingly necessary to integrate them. Particularly in a fast developing area, the development to be simulated is seldom inertial (i.e., strictly following the historical trend); instead, it is likely to be interfered by new planning measures. Meanwhile, in such an area an optimization plan might not be even meaningful if it only addresses a snapshot of a highly dynamic landscape. In this study, we explored the possibility of integrating cellular automata (CA), a widely used method for simulating urban development and land use changes, and ant colony optimization (ACO), an advanced technique for solving complex path optimization problems. We named the resulting integrated system the geographical simulation and optimization system (GeoSOS) and applied it to a case study concerning finding the optimal path for a planned expressway in Dongguan, a fast-growing city in one of the most economically active regions of China. In the case study, the CA component of the GeoSOS generated simulations of the industrial land use changes for some years in the next decade. The ACO component of the GeoSOS, which had been revised from the conventional ACO to work on raster surfaces, took the simulations as input and completed raster-based path optimizations. In terms of the cumulative utility, a measurement used to evaluate the performance of the optimization, the coupling method surpasses the noncoupling method by 10.3 percent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green space plays an important role in complex urban ecosystems and provides significant ecosystem services with environmental, aesthetic, recreational and economic benefits. Beijing is the capital city of China and has a large population of about 15.81 million. Construction of green spaces is an important part of sustainable development in Beijing. To attain the sustainable development of Beijing as a capital city, an international city, a historical cultural city, and a living amenity city, this article attempts to develop a comprehensive plan of green space development both at the municipal and regional levels. At the municipal level of Beijing, based on the study of green space changes, and taking physical geographic conditions and historical context into account, we propose to establish green barriers in the mountainous area, and plan a comprehensive green space pattern composed of one city, two rings, three networks, eight water areas, nine fields, and several patches in the plain area. At the regional level of the Capital Circle Region, integrating the characteristics and causes of main environmental issues, we design a macroscopic pattern-'barriers by mountains in the northwest,' 'seaward open spaces in the southeast,' 'grassland-forest-field-coast zones,' and 'green-blue symphony'-for ecological restoration and green space construction. Finally, we discuss the principles necessary to implement green space planning considering adaptation to local conditions, composite function exploitation, interregional equity and integrated planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the last half of the 20th century, China experienced a period of extraordinary growth and change. In just over 50 years, the country has been transformed from a semi-feudal society dominated by foreign interests to an economic superpower wielding authority throughout the world. A particularly feverish pace of intense urbanization has been underway since the 1980s when the Chinese government instituted a program of economic reforms under the direction of Deng Xiaopeng, Mao Zedong's successor. This 'fever' is causing an increasing pace of physical change to the nation's urban landscape. While many industrial cities in western countries developed over a period of two centuries, China's cities have been radically transformed or established in just two decades. This paper frames the socio-economic and political context within which China's urban landscapes are now being modernized; its focus is on the post-Mao transitional period. Through a set of field observations the paper comments upon the effects of international design influences on the nation's urban landscapes. These observations raise important questions concerning the present development of the contemporary Chinese urban fabric. While it is possible to find examples of sensitive and appropriate approaches to the development of urban landscape design supported by enlightened policy-makers, such examples are rare and the norm is a 'cosmetic' approach to the formulation and implementation of local planning and design activities. Critical issues are raised and suggestions are made to help curb these activities that are increasingly destroying the ecological, socio-cultural and historic urban fabric of China's cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors assessed the willingness of residents to pay for urban green-space conservation in Hangzhou, China, using the contingent-valuation method. The aim of the study was to provide policy makers with information that would be useful for making informed decisions in urban-development planning. The findings of the study are as follows: 1) The willingness of residents to pay for urban green-space conservation was positively correlated with their perceptions of the benefits of green spaces and negatively correlated with perceptions of the annoyances. 2) The willingness to pay a higher premium for green-space conservation is directly related to gender, income level, and residential-ownership status. Age and education level are not significantly correlated with willingness to pay. 3) A majority of respondents view the conservation of urban green spaces as a very important function of the city, and most of them are willing to pay additional taxes for this conservation. 4) The total value per year to the public of the conservation program in Hangzhou is about $15.4 million. These qualitative and quantitative findings can be used in the policy-making process for urban-development plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This paper shows the importance that urban planning plays in the development of Hong Kong. This leads to a reassessment of the role of the government, which is the sole proprietor of the land, in the economy – while it acknowledges the importance of market forces. The first part shows how, since 1945, Hong Kong authorities have been obliged to intervene more in urban planning and local development, despite their liberal ideology. The second part focuses on the interaction between government action and market forces, and their influence in this development. The third part deals with the question of the economic integration between Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta (PRD) after China started its economics reforms in 1978. The deconcentration of Hong Kong industries to China was mainly due to market forces, but provided a new role for the government. This role is analyzed through its transportation policy – the domain with the most visible governmental intervention before and after 1997. It indicates the preference of the government to develop the territory rather than better integration with the PRD, because of the internal economic problems that may emerge from this integration. Nevertheless, for political and economic reasons, this integration is also seen as necessary. The future of Hong Kong’s economy lies in the answers the authorities will give to this dilemma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the espoused and actual achievements of government urban planning in Hong Kong in terms of the ideas of Hayek and Mises. With reference to observed facts, it is argued that it is indeed the spontaneous forces of the land market predicated on a leasehold system, a system of ‘planning by contract’ or ‘planning by consent,’ that have attained what the government planner in Hong Kong has not been able to deliver. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ancient China attached great importance to urban ecology, which is reflected in the selection of urban sites conforming to nature and the natural attributes of cities.The rulers of the Ch'ing Dynasty paid full attention to the cities of the Ming Dynasty, took the military as the driving force and paid attention to the urban ecology, and built a large number of military and national cities accordingly. In order to consolidate the monarchy and colonize new territories, the Ch'ing Dynasty implemented the Eight Banners Garrison System and built Manchu cities in the interior and parts of the border areas. This paper is based on the official documents of the Ch'ing Dynasty, investigating the history of overall planning of the Manchu City, gradually collecting and analyzing its analogical biological evolution from the northeast region to the whole nation of the Ch'ing Dynasty. Besides, the paper argues that the spatial pattern of Manchu city is characterized by its hierarchy, defensiveness and connectivity, and summarizes the integrated planning of Manchu city, and reveal the intrinsic correlation between its planning and the changes of territory in the Ch'ing Dynasty. The planning and construction of Manchu cities implied the use of natural and social attributes of historical cities.At the same time, the military and urban planning of the Ch'ing Dynasty also provide useful insights and historical thoughts for homeland space security and land planning nowadays. • Ch'ing Dynasty implemented the Eight Banners Garrison System. • Built Manchu cities in the interior and parts of the border areas. • The spatial pattern of Manchu city is characterized by its hierarchy. • Planning and construction of Manchu cities implied natural & social attributes of historical cities use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the complexity of multi-tier decision-making in the planning and development of High-Speed Rail (HSR) stations in China, where relationships between central and local governments have been reformed whilst the HSR system has been built at a fast pace. By analysing field interview data and secondary information, the research addresses a key question about whether multi-tier governments play a concerted role in station area planning and development decision-making. The findings reveal that the siting of the station, the planning of the station area, and the development of the different sectors of the HSR station and its vicinity are outcomes of the interplay between the central and the local governments, each of which has their distinctive logic in discharging responsibilities and pursuing interests associated with the projects. In the siting of the Wuhan HSR station, the municipal and central governments interacted actively with each other to safeguard their visions of development, whilst in the planning and development of the station vicinity, both the municipal and the central administrations were passive to collaboration thus foregone an opportunity to develop an integrated HSR station project. • HSR stations and their vicinity were products of negotiations between multi-tier governments. • Governments had specific roles and distinctive interests associated with HSR stations. • Central and local government interacted through formal and informal institutions. • Existing formal institutions discouraged parties from collaboration. • Informal institutions helped resolve conflicts but not develop an integrated station area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]