Mega Urban Projects in China

Book excerpt: This book is the first systematic account of mega urban projects in China, covering their construction, operation and planning. It is a detailed examination of the planning and construction of Hongqiao and its impact on local residents. In short, the aim of this book is to examine the process of planning and development of the Hongqiao transportation and commercial zone, to explore its relationship to urban development and spatial restructuring in Shanghai, and in doing so to comment on and critique the nature of urban change in contemporary China, which is characterized as property- and infrastructure-driven. Mega urban projects are arguably the quintessential symbol of entrepreneurial urbanism, and it is no coincidence that they have become a familiar part of the urban scene throughout the world, not least in East Asia. They can be seen as both a consequence of, and a response to, the deindustrialization of leading cities, first in North America and Europe and then in East Asia, as economies transitioned to globalized neoliberalism. This book provides a comprehensive overview of the main features of the land-based urban growth coalition formed in Hongqiao by introducing the detailed picture of the Hongqiao project, and it outlines the recent example of the competitive rush to urban projects in China's largest cities that has led to the proliferation of new financial districts in Beijing and Guangzhou.