Spatiotemporal dynamics of urban villages in China

Abstract

Since the introduction of economic and social reforms in the late 1970s, China has experienced a huge influx of people into its cities, coupled with massive urban expansion. As a by-product of these processes, urban villages (chengzhongcun) have emerged and evolved rapidly to satisfy the increasing demand for low-cost housing and a variety of social and economic activities. In many cities, the spatial growth of urban villages represents a very large share of total urban growth and has significantly shaped the cities’ land-use patterns and residential profiles. However, in both planning practice and research the urban village phenomenon has often been viewed as a relatively simple, static and homogeneous stereotype of migrant enclaves. Moreover, as the urban village generally has a negative image encompassing many environmental and social problems, urban policies aim foremost at their demolition and redevelopment. This causes large-scale displacement of residents and, if current programs are maintained, may give rise to a shortage of low-income housing.