This project investigates one of the most profound changes in human history - the world-wide surge of urbanization. According to a 2007 UN report, the world became more urban than rural in 2006, with more people living in cities than in the countryside. A more recent UN report estimates that the world urban population will increase by 72 percent by 2050, from 3.6 billion in 2011to 6.3 billion in 2050. This unprecedented global urbanization is profound in three ways. First, such an urban revolution signifies the deep reorganization of local and national politics and economy. It entails massive displacement of people and production, the shattering of existing social and economic networks, and the gradual formation of new governance schemes. Second, the rapid growth of cities relies on vociferous consumption of resources and produces increasing pollution. It, as a result, poses serious threats to the sustainability of human society. Third, such rapid urbanization would not have happened without equally fast globalization of the market. Cities now are much more inter-connected.
Yet urbanization is highly uneven across the globe. China, with its spectacular economic rise, is now the fastest urbanizing region and the world's largest construction site. How do Chinese cities contribute to global urbanization and in so doing shape the global movements of capital, resources and ideas? Moreover, most of China's urbanization occurs in the newly created towns. In the process, millions of farmers are displaced and an immense amount of resources is invested. However, many of the new towns remain 'ghost towns' or 'sleeping towns', where few people live and work during the day. How do these new (ghost) towns come into being? How should we understand China's rapid urban growth? Using the Hexi New Town in Nanjing in eastern China as a case study site, the research examines how different forces (domestic and foreign, social and material) collaborate or come into conflict with each other and collectively shape these new towns. It employs extensive archival research, semi-structured interviews, and participant observation. Theoretically, the research will integrate three strands of critical urban theory - urban political economy, urban political ecology, and ordinary urbanism. This project will not only provide a more nuanced and comprehensive understanding of China's urbanization but also will create a dialogue between Western urban theory and the Chinese experience. The results of the research will be distributed in both academic and media venues in the West as well as in China. It will help local residents better understand the forces affecting their lives, especially civil groups whose interests are impacted by development. Moreover, the research will help ordinary observers outside of China, including those in the US, better assess the dramatic urban changes in China that influence their own lives from afar. Last, as a Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement award, this project will provide the necessary support for a promising student to enrich her dissertation, complete her PhD Degree, and provide a solid foundation for her future research career.
