Megalopolis Development and governance in China

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SHEN Bing

Institute for Spatial Planning & Regional Economy, National Development & Reform Commission, China

Oct 8-9, Brussels

Contents

I. Mega-trend of Urbanization in China

II. Managing and governing the megapolitan regions

III. Challenges for megalopolis development and management / governance in China

I. Mega-trend of Urbanization in China

1. Mega-trend of urbanization• Urbanization level reach to the turning point >30%

--S-shaped curve--explosively take off

05

1015

2025

3035

4045

50

1980年 1985年 1990年 1995年 1996年 2000年 2005年

urbani zt i on l evel

• Large cities grow faster The amount of cities in China: 324 in 1985 661 in 2005

the ratio of the cities with urban district population > 500 thousand to the total cities

16% in 1985 33.4% in 2005

I. Mega-trend of Urbanization in China

I. Mega-trend of Urbanization in China

• 2. Megalopolis varies in the stages of evolution

• megalopolis in Lower Yangtze Delta and Pearl River Delta relatively mature:

urbanization level > 70%;

closer economic connection: 50% production raw materials from the megapolitan region in LYD ;

distribution of the cities is balanced;

I. Mega-trend of Urbanization in China

• 2. Megalopolis varies in the stages of evolution

Liao Dong Peninsular Megalopolis, Shan Dong Peninsular Megalopolis, Zhong Yuan Megalopolis middle stage of formation:

with a relatively higher town density; the functional connection begin to intensify;

I. Mega-trend of Urbanization in China

• 2. Megalopolis varies in the stages of evolution

Megalopolis in the western region, like Guan-zhong, Chengdu-Chongqing seems to be a very early stage of development:

I. Mega-trend of Urbanization in China

3. Driving factors for development of megalopolis

For the Coastal Region, FDI plays an important role: (in 2005, FDI in LYD and PRD accounts for 60% of national total)

Division systems among large-medium-small sized cities made by the large international enterprise agglomeration and dispersion of urban function

Economic development zones built-up areas expanding

I. Mega-trend of Urbanization in China

• 3. Driving factors for development of megalopolis

• For the inner region, the investments from govn’t play important role

e.g airports and light-weight track construction was key projects for implementing the western region development strategy

I. Mega-trend of Urbanization in China

4. The role of the megalopolis

Beijng-Tian-Hebei, Lower Yangtze Delta, and Pearl River Delta: national principal economic power house

megal opol i s GDP/ nat i onal GDP

0. 0

10. 0

20. 0

30. 0

40. 0

50. 0

1990年 1995年 2000年 2005年

Lower Yangtze Del ta Pear l Ri ver Del taBei j i ng- Ti anj i n- Hebei The three megal opol i s

II. Managing and governing the megapolitan regions

1. Direction, policies and actions from the central government

• in the national 11th five year plan, megalopolis is regards as the major spatial form of urbanization in the future 5-10 years.

• starting from 2004, NDRC began to organized the regional planning the in LYD and BJH megapolitan regions

II. Managing and governing the megapolitan regions

• Conducting functional regionalization Four types of regions based on their

principal functions to be defined. optimal development areas, key development areas, restricted development areas, and forbidden development areas.

megalopolis belongs to the former two types and concrete policies are being formulated

.

II. Managing and governing the megapolitan regions

2. Management / governance in the megapolitan regions

• Institutional mechanism and arrangement: provincial chiefs or municipality chiefs coordination mechanism + regular meeting + standing body

e.g. Annual summit of mayors of 16 cities in LYD; Leading group for Zhong yuan megalopolis developm

ent in Henan province, with the governor as the group leader;

II. Managing and governing the megapolitan regions

• Prompting connection of major infrastructure ---expressway, road, communication network, city transportation banking system, and port construction

e.g. Shanghai and Wuxi unified the city transportation carding system;

Xian and Xianyang unified the telephone system;

II. Managing and governing the megapolitan regions

• Prompting industrial collaboration --- to realize the advantage complementary bas

ed on the city functions

e.g. Collectively develop tourism market by the 16 cities in LYD;

Beijing and Tangshan city in HeBei province collectively build the Steel Production Base in Caofeidai Port;

III. Challenges for megalopolis development and management / governance in China

1. Fiscal and taxation system

2. Infrastructure financial/investment system

3. Population administrative system

4. Planning system

5. Metropolitan region/ megapolitan region defining problem

Conclusion

• Megalopolis has been developing rapidly in China

• The importance of megalopolis in Chinese urban system is further strengthened• Further development of megalopolis

depends on institutional innovation in such fields as fiscal/taxation, investment, population management, and properly defining

Thank You

2007.10

Institute for Spatial Planning & Regional Economy, National Development & Reform Commission, China