The Heat: Urbanization changing China

The Heat

Anand Naidoo

Anand Naidoo

Beijing Urbanizaton
Published August 8, 2018 at 6:05 PM
Updated August 10, 2018 at 11:19 AM

According to government figures China’s urban population has grown to more than 813 million people – that’s nearly 60 percent of the country.

It’s all part of a plan to expand cities, modernize the countryside and build urban centers in rural regions.  China’s urbanization could mean new markets, investment opportunities and a shift away from an export-driven economy to one based on domestic consumption. But such rapid urbanization is not without its challenges.

To discuss:

  • Weiping Wu is the director of Columbia University’s Masters Urban Planning program and the co-author of “The Chinese City”, focusing on China’s urbanization.
  • Uwe Brandes is the director of the Masters program in Urban and Regional Planning at Georgetown University.
  • Stefan Al is an urban designer and Senior Associate Principal with Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates. 
  • Yan Song served as an urban planning and transportation consultant in China, and is currently the director of the Chinese Cities program at the University of North Carolina.

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