Changes in the urban spatial structure of a Chinese city in the midst of economic reforms : A case study of Guangzhou

Changes in the urban spatial structure of a Chinese city in the midst of economic reforms : A case study of Guangzhou

spatial analysis, urban form, urban space, city politics, economics, urban development, land use

Cities in the world are changing rapidly. In the Western societies, changes are driven by the transformation from Fordism to post-Fordism and postmodernism. In the East, changes are triggered by profound social and economic reforms. Changes in the urban spatial structure of Chinese cities are by no means less significant, yet are left largely unexplored. It is this central theme that this dissertation attempts to examine. Through reviewing theories and studies on urban spatial structures, this study upholds a theoretical perspective that urban spatial structure is a spatial manifestation of the underlying urban process. More specifically, there are tight interlinks among political economy of the city, organization methods of land development and urban landscape. It is found that the changing urban process in China in the midst of economic reforms is characterized by decentralization and localization. The dominance of sectoral departments is replacing by rising localism. The initiation of land reform is a major turning point for the changes in the urban process which have significant impacts on the urban spatial structure. A dual land use system has been set up. Project-specific type of land development has been substituted by comprehensive development and real estate development. It is deduced that urban sprawl, land use restructuring, and formation of suburban centres would be the main features of new urban development in Chinese cities. This study has verified the hypotheses with a detailed study of land use changes and the determinants of land use changes in Guangzhou. This study uses GIS to analyse land use information interpreted from aerial photographs of 1979, 1987, and 1992. Land use conversion matrices are generated. Detailed distributions of land use changes of major types of land uses are analysed. Probability trend surfaces are produced to reveal the changing probability of land developments at the intra-metropolitan scale. Logistic models have been calibrated to reflect the changing determinants of land use changes. It is found that there are obvious changes in the locational tendency of land developments. The distance to the city centre is an important determinant of land use changes. Urban redevelopment can be carried out in the high density areas in the city centre because high land value can afford to relocate the residents. Natural conditions of land are now less restrictive than before, while market considerations are becoming more critical to land development. The function of traditional physical planning is diminishing. It is concluded that the new urban spatial structure bears both sectoral and concentric features. Developments are shifting from the old sector of industrial areas to new sectors of residential areas. City centre redevelopment, growth of urban fringe, and formation of new subcentres are in concentric form. The study concludes that measures should be taken in order to ensure effective and fair development control in the new urban process resulted from economic reforms in China.

Wu, Fulong

The University of Hong Kong

1995

en

Thesis

http://hub.hku.hk/handle/10722/31346

http://lallier.msh-vdl.fr/theses/items/show/1005

http://lallier.msh-vdl.fr/theses/archive/files/f50bbb6db30a17f73e4f68d15f04612d.jpg