Date of Award
2012
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelors
Department
Social Sciences
First Advisor
Hicks, Barbara
Keywords
China, Urban Studies, Social Geography
Area of Concentration
International and Area Studies
Abstract
Since Deng Xiaoping initiated economic reform in the late 1970s, Chinese cities have quickly urbanized and modernized, becoming important centers of the globalized world. Two major factors�institutional forces and urban residents�shape Chinese cities. The institutional factors of land-use policy, urban planning policy, and housing policy were heavily influenced by the reform era, and therefore reflect most vividly the effect of economic reform in shaping Chinese cities. On the other hand, urban residents also have an informal hand in shaping cities, which has heavily contributed to their modern day manifestations. These two forces comprise the sociospatial dialectic that creates a city's social geography. To examine how these two forces have shaped Chinese cities, five case study cities were chosen: Beijing, Chongqing, Nanjing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. Analysis of the effects of reform-era policies, people, and the market on Chinese cities since the beginning of the Deng era found that historical purpose played an important role in laying lasting foundations from which these cities have urbanized, modernized, and developed. In addition, similar urban phenomena such as sprawl, socioeconomic stratification from redevelopment, migrant villages in the city, and developer-led urbanization were found, indicating the emergence of some predominant trends in Chinese urban social geography. Despite these similarities, each city presents its own rich urban social geography, worthy of individual examination.
Recommended Citation
Sigmon, Lacey, "The Social Geography of Post-Mao Chinese Cities How Policy, People, and the Market Shape City Space and Urban Lives" (2012). Theses & ETDs. 4679.
https://digitalcommons.ncf.edu/theses_etds/4679