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The structure of cities in the LDCs
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Urban development in China
"³ China¡¦s inland cities have served and controlled particular rural areas over thousands of years.
North: walled cities had social districts
South: with commercial centres, lots of small streets and craftsmen¡¦s houses
- 19th century: European intrusion created CBDs of shanghai and Guangzhou ¡V> serve commercial interest, financed railways: ind. Cities could develop on the coalfields and iron ore deposits
"³ Today: urban-industrial growth is carefully planned
population increase threatened to swamp crowded cities -- > migration into cities restricted and young people from urban families -- > employment outside the city
today still employment and housing controlled
one-child family to control population
positive urban planning aims to prevent overcrowding
-- Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin are part of a planned municipality (-- urban area with local self-government)
-- include much open countryside with rural areas ¡V supply with vegetables
new towns there: make people move there from the city
reservoirs there control water supplies
- recently created SEZ (Special Economic Zone), based on urban centres with private industrial investment and joint ventures with foreign firms
- Shenzen: developed modern city with high-tech industry
1997 linked with industrial towns and Hong Kong¡¦s CDB
- China¡¦s booming economy: in the east and inland areas ¡V create wealth and spread it into low developed areas
- Village suburbs: industry alternates farming, but much of the old character remains there
- also, cities vary according to history and function
the structure of cities is not uniform and conditions vary from district to
district
- but poverty zones are not predictable, but they appear in so many cities
- controls are strict and authorities are anxious to avoid the urban problems
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