China's Urban Champions: The Politics of Spatial Development

The rise of major metropolises in China since the 1990s has been a double-edged sword, leading to regional inequalities, governance challenges, and social tensions. Chinas Urban Champions explores the development paths of different provinces and asks why policymakers favor big cities in a way that reinforces spatial inequalities. Kyle Jaros combines in-depth case studies with quantitative analysis to show how provincial development strategies are shaped by competition and political strength.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 360 pages
Publication date: 23 July 2019
Publisher: Princeton University Press

The emergence of significant metropolitan centers across China since the 1990s has presented a complex and multifaceted challenge. On the one hand, these cities have emerged as powerful economic engines, driving growth and innovation. However, the rapid concentration of urban growth has also led to increased regional disparities, governance challenges, and social tensions. Recognizing the potential risks associated with top-heavy urbanization, China's national leaders have taken steps to curb this trend. Nevertheless, the implementation of urban and regional development policies at the subnational level has varied, with some provinces prioritizing the growth of large cities while others aim to reduce spatial inequalities.

Chinas Urban Champions delves into the development paths of four key provinces: Hunan, Jiangxi, Shaanxi, and Jiangsu. Through a combination of in-depth case studies and quantitative analysis, the book seeks to understand why policymakers in many cases favor the growth of large cities, inadvertently reinforcing spatial inequalities rather than mitigating them. Kyle Jaros, the author, draws on a wealth of Chinese-language written sources, including government documents, media reports, and extensive field interviews with officials, policy experts, urban planners, academics, and businesspeople. By examining the horizontal relations of competition among different provinces and the vertical relations among different tiers of government, Jaros sheds light on how provincial development strategies are shaped.

One of the key findings of Chinas Urban Champions is that metropolitan-oriented development strategies tend to gain traction when economic performance lags, prompting provincial leaders to focus on boosting regional competitiveness. In such cases, provincial governments have the political strength to impose their policy priorities over the objections of other actors, leading to the prioritization of large cities as centers of economic activity. However, this approach can exacerbate existing inequalities and create new ones, particularly in terms of access to resources, services, and opportunities.

Another important aspect of the book is its recognition of the critical role of provincial units in determining the nature and trajectory of urban and regional development. Provincial governments have the authority.

Weight: 586g
Dimension: 158 x 234 x 29 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780691190730