Megaregional China

This book explores China's new megaregional structure, planning, governance, and planning system, drawing from cases such as the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region, Yangtze River delta region, and Greater Bay Area. It challenges the official notion of 'top-level design' and emphasizes the importance of engaging nongovernmental stakeholders, rebalancing government-market relations, and enabling grassroots ingenuity for integrated, balanced development.

Format: Hardback
Length: 98 pages
Publication date: 16 February 2024
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This book delves into the intricate details of China's emerging megaregional structure, planning, governance, and regional planning system. Drawing upon a diverse range of megaregional cases, including city clusters in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta region, and the Greater Bay Area, as well as metropolitan circles in Chengdu, Hangzhou, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Zhengzhou, it provides a comprehensive exploration of this evolving landscape.

Megaregions are emerging as a novel form of urbanization in China, driven by the country's pursuit of high-quality development and new-type urbanization. This shift in discourse is reshaping China's megaregional strategy, emphasizing the need for integrated, balanced development across these regions. However, the diversity of megaregions presents both challenges and opportunities. Developed or developing, coastal or inland, megaregions exhibit varying levels of economic development, infrastructure, and social dynamics.

The central goal of megaregional planning and governance is to address these imbalances and fragmentation, fostering integrated, sustainable development. In this regard, the book challenges the traditional notion of top-level design that often dominates the planning, governance, and development of China's megaregions. Instead, it advocates for a more inclusive approach that involves engaging nongovernmental stakeholders, rebalancing the government-market relationality, encouraging bottom-up initiatives, and enabling grassroots ingenuity.

The volume offers a comprehensive and pioneering study of megaregional China in the context of both national development and urban development. It provides valuable insights into the complex dynamics, challenges, and opportunities that characterize these regions, making it an essential resource for scholars, policymakers, and practitioners interested in urban and regional development, as well as Chinese studies.

Weight: 246g
Dimension: 145 x 226 x 12 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367621995