China’s New Geography

Douglas Webster, Professor Emeritus at Arizona State University, a thought leader on understanding and shaping China’s economic geography, has worked throughout China since 1990. He applies strategic thinking, from the city building to macro policy scale, to the world’s historically most extensive spatial repatterning. He holds a PhD from UC Berkeley.Jianming Cai, Professor Emeritus at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, is a pre-eminent scholar of Chinese regional development. Since the Opening Up, he has significantly influenced rural development and urban policy through his academic leadership, and high-level advice to Chinese and International organizations. He holds a PhD from the University of Hong Kong.Larissa Muller has three decades of experience in Chinese spatial development as Senior Partner in Asiaurb and former Head of the University of Calgary Planning Program. She works on shaping spatial systems to support high-performing economies, with a focus on high-tech regions. She holds a doctorate from UC Berkeley.Feifei Zhang is based at Northern Arizona University. Her research and consulting portfolio focuses on the effectiveness of green initiatives in China, from a built environment-ecological systems interaction perspective. A former Research Fellow in the Chinese Ministry of Ecology and Environment, and EU Erasmus Mundus Scholar, she holds a PhD from Arizona State University.

“China has experienced rapid urbanization and changes in its urban and rural landscapes over the last few decades. This book analyzes key drivers of this change and explores likely land use patterns by 2060. Lucidly written, the book is highly accessible to those interested in China’s future, including policy makers formulating national urbanization policy and strategy.”Dr. Zhi Liu, Executive Director, Peking University-Lincoln Institute Center“Dynamism and change have characterized China in the past half a century. Looking ahead to the next decades, this richly-informed volume considers the interconnected processes of demographic transition, technological advancement, and policy intervention to project the country’s geographic trajectories. Its focus is ambitious and fine-grained at the same time, from pointing to the drastically shifting rural landscape in the interior regions to affirming the resilience of the urban core in cities. A must-read for anyone interested in geography and China studies.”Weiping Wu, Professor, Columbia University in the City of New York“China’s economic transformation has astonished the world. But it is not a ‘miracle’. A miracle cannot be explained. This impressive book goes a long way towards explaining the sources of China’s dramatic growth and associated poverty reduction. Its emphasis on the role of urbanization policy is a major contribution.”Peter Warr, John Crawford Professor of Agricultural Economics, Emeritus, Australian National University

• 1. China’s Dynamic Landscape: Background 2. Drivers of China’s New Geography 3. China’s Shifting Demographic Geography: The Story Told by the 2010 & 2020 Censuses 4. China’s Urban System: Increased Concentration and Specialization 5. The Emerging Urban Landscape: The City Region Scale 6. Rural China: Hollowing Out but Critical to China’s Future Development 7. China’s Uncertain Geographical Future