Forces of Change in Urban China: Geography and the “New” Chinese City

Piper Rae Gaubatz, professor at the University of massachusetts, speaks on urbanizing "change" throughout China.

“Change” is a common theme in the analysis of contemporary Chinese cities. From rural-to-urban migration to urban sprawl, the destruction of old neighborhoods to the construction of gleaming highrises, China scholars have focused on the changes wrought by the economic reforms implemented from the early 1980s onward. This paper focuses on several key themes in understanding contemporary urban change in China with an emphasis on the differing regional and spatial dimensions of urban change and urban planning. It analyzes the ways in which different conceptualizations of change alter interpretations of China’s urban future, especially in the contexts of urban environmental management and urban form. Case studies will be drawn from both the booming cities of the east, especially Beijing and Shanghai, and hinterland cities including Xining and Hohhot.

Featured Speaker: Piper Rae Gaubatz, Geography, University of Massachusetts

Panelist/Discussant: You-tien Hsing, Geography, UC Berkeley