China City Planning Review (No.3, 2014)

♦Stages and Characteristics of Metropolitan Administrative Division Adjustment in China Since 1997

Author: Zhendong LUO, Xin WANG, Lei GENG

Abstract: Administrative division adjustments (hereinafter referred to as ADA) proceed throughout China’s rapid urbanization, especially during the process of metropolitanization. It has become an integral part of the transformation of China’s urban and regional governance. Based on an analysis of ADA cases at the metropolitan level since 1997, this paper suggests that the stages and characteristics of ADA in China are closely related to the metropolitanization process. The internal dynamics and external constraints jointly created two stages of ADA at the metropolitan level in China, namely, a first stage from 1997 to 2007 and a second stage from 2008 to now. In the first stage, ADA primarily aimed at turning counties into districts, to meet the metropolis’ demands for expansion. In the second stage, local governments laid equal stress on the two approaches of ADA, i.e., turning counties into districts and district restructuring. Such a change corresponded to the diversification of development demands of the metropolitan area. The evolution of ADA from the first stage to the second not only reflects the changing characteristics of metropolitanization at different times, but also demonstrates the viability of ADA as a means to improve the governance structure of the metropolitan area. ADA at the metropolitan level in China since 1997 basically accommodates the development of space and governance in the metropolitan area, which promotes the rapid development of a large metropolitan area.

Keywords: metropolitan area; administrative division adjustment (ADA); stages; characteristics

♦The Dilemma and Way-Out of Urban and Rural Planning Management in China’s Small and Medium-Sized Cities

Author: Dawei WANG, Yandong WANG

Abstract In China, for small and medium-sized cities, urban and rural planning management should play an important role during the process of urbanization. However, it failed to do that in reality due to a series of limits, such as local fiscal deficiency, scarce human resources, incomplete management systems, historic planning defects, inadequate supervisions, and imperfect regulations, etc. This paper made a comprehensive analysis on the dilemma of urban and rural planning management in China’s small and medium-sized cities and the interests and status of the government, enterprises and public in space resource allocation and put forward the methods to improve the quality of planning management in China’s small and medium-sized cities from the view of systems and mechanisms.

Keywords: small and medium-sized cities; planning management; innovation practice

♦The Community Transformation and Residential Space Restructuring Strategies of Small Towns in the Pearl River Delta Region

Author: Yuting LIU, Xiaocan ZHU, Jiajing LI

Abstract: After analyzing the current characteristics and problems of residential space in small towns in the Pearl River Delta Region (PRDR), combined with the New Urbanism theory and community construction methods, this paper puts forward a restructuring strategy of residential space, which includes the reorganization of residential space using the “community – residential quarter – neighborhood” model, the reform of the community management mode based on the “transformation from village council to resident committee,” the restructuring of the multi-level community service system to meet the diversified social needs, and the construction of a mixed community addressing the issue of residential segregation and the aim to achieve community integration.

Keywords: residential segregation; community transformation; residential space restructuring; small town

♦Particularities and Interpretations of Gated Communities in China

Author: Chengjiang DUAN, Yaping HUANG, Xi ZHANG

Abstract: Most scholars have recognized gated community as a new kind of negative and unacceptable defensive residential pattern in the context of globalization and neoliberal ideologies. However, widely different from the West, China’s gated communities are mainly promoted by China’s endogenous culture and social restructuring, which has also aggravated urban problems in recent years, such as spatial privatization, social segregation, residential discrimination, and traffic inaccessibility. According to some surveys and local experiences in China, the government reform of opening gated communities has actually failed since 2005. The objectives of this research therefore are to explain the paradox between maintaining culture and opposing policies, and the disputes between government, developers, residents, and experts relating to gated communities in China. By analyzing its evolution, characteristics, mechanism, and trend, the research finds that gating is represented as distinct symbols for various groups carrying different targets and values, and the solution to eliminate its negative influences is not to find an alternative residential pattern, but to make and implement new estate policies and design specifications.

Keywords: gated communities; China; collectivist culture; particularities; attitudes of various groups

♦Evaluation of Community Plan Implementation from the Perspective of Public Space: An Empirical Study on the Case of Caoyang-Xincun in Shanghai

Author: Ye YUAN

Abstract: Based on related theories on the evaluation of city plan implementation and the empirical study on Caoyang-Xincun, a residential quarter in Shanghai, the paper explores the community plan implementation from the perspective of public space. And with the differences and conformities between the plan’s blueprint and the reality as the breakthrough point, the paper points out that in terms of differences, the implementation of the Caoyang-Xincun plan has neglected the construction of public space, which influenced the general quality of public life of the residents, while in terms of conformities, the implementation of the plan has produced a positive impact on current public life in the community.

Keywords: public space; community; evaluation of plan implementation; Caoyang-Xincun

♦The Role of Third-Party Participation in Urban Planning: A Case Study on the Enning Road Neighborhood Renovation Project in Guangzhou

Author: Zuquan WU, De WANG, Chasong ZHU

Abstract: Taking the Enning Road Neighborhood Renovation Project in Guangzhou as a case, the paper aims to illustrate, based on the materials collected from interviews and news media, the dilemma of public participation in China’s urban planning, as well as the role of a third party in urban planning. It argues that, within the current public participation framework, neither the “bottom-up” active participation nor the “top-down” passive participation can generate satisfactory effects or mediate multiple interests, whereas a professional third party could effectively promote public participation by bridging the public with the government. Besides, the third party plays an increasingly significant role in maintaining public interest, particularly in a context where the government often overemphasizes economic interests and there is a ubiquitous lack of awareness among the general public.

Keywords: third party; urban planning; public participation; Enning Road Neighborhood

♦The Role of Greenery, Layering, and Landmarks in the Regulations on Urban Skylines 

Author: Tatiana Orekhova, Jiang LIANG

Abstract: Many scholars have conducted visual analyses of urban skylines, but little attention has been paid to the quantitative measures regarding specific design elements within the skyline. This article aims to help urban designers and regulators improve the skyline and investigate which factors can make urban skylines more pleasant for people. Computer generated images of skylines are tested for three factors including greenery, layering, and landmarks. For the data collection, a questionnaire was used, as one of the simple and effective methods to gather results. The authors use statistics as a method of measuring the degree of people’s preferences. The study finds that the proportions of landmarks in the overall skyline, the height of layers, and the percentage of greenery deserve special attention. The authors also discuss the current problems of skyline design in typical Chinese cities according to the above findings.

Keywords: urban skyline; greenery; layering; landmark; visual analysis; standardized mean difference

♦A Historical Analysis on the Public Transport Development in Shanghai’s Concessions43 

Author: Song ZHANG, Liang DING

Abstract: Set in modern Shanghai’s concessions, this paper reviews and identifies the evolution of public transport in Shanghai’s concessions from such perspectives as the distribution of public transport lines, the growth of passenger volume, and traffic management. Then, by using quantitative analysis and superposing related statistical data with historical maps, it analyzes the relationship between the density of the public transport network and the land price zoning. The paper concludes that public transport has great influences on the modernization of urban space and public life in modern Shanghai.

Keywords: public transport system; land price zoning; modernization; Shanghai’s concessions