Abstract
This study uses data from 69 Chinese cities covering the eleven years 2003–2013 to examine factors that drive urban development in China. Previous work has examined standard international measures of urban development such as GDP, population density, and average income. Population density, GDP, and average annual income are considered as alternatives to the typical Chinese measure of urbanisation level to represent urban development. In particular, the study asks whether traditionally used economic factors (education, environment, cultural industry, infrastructure, FDI, and government spending) are most closely associated with urban development in the major cities of China during this time period. Linear regressions are estimated with each of the measures as the dependent variable. The results are presented and discussed with implications for studying Chinese urban development.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References
Anderson, C., Lee, J. Y., & Wang, B. (2014, May 24). What drives urban development in China? Paper presented at Korean Association for Policy Studies, Seoul National University.
Anderson, C., Lee, J. Y., & Wang, B. (2015). Determinants of foreign direct investment in Chinese cities: Evidence from Liaoning province. Korean Journal of Local Government & Administration Studies, 29(4), 409–421.
Bin, H. U. (2003). Research on connotation of city network developing model in Changjiang Delta Region. China Industrial Economy, 10, 004.
Bluestone, B., Stevenson, M. H., & Williams, R. (2008). The urban experience: Economics, society, and public policy. New York: Oxford University Press.
Bruegmann, R. (2005). Sprawl: A compact history. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Castells, M. (1996). The information age: Economy, society and culture, vol. i: The rise of the network society. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers.
Clark, T. N. (2004). The city as an entertainment machine. Amsterdam: Elsevier.
Clark, T. N., Anderson, C., Byun M., Jang, W., Kim, S., Yoshiaki, K., Lee, J. Y., Navarro, C. J., Silver, D., & Wu, D. (2014). Karaoke together vs. bowling alone: Scenes illuminate how western rules can be transformed to drive development and democracy. In T. N. Clark (Ed.), Can Tocqueville karaoke? global contrasts of civic participation, the arts and development (pp. 15–30). Howard House, UK: Emerald.
Dai, H. Z. (2001). Study on the type of urban scale distribution and it’s developing mechanism in China. Human Geography, 16(5), 40–43, 57.
Deng, C. H., & Li, G. P. (2012). Research on the impact of information upon urbanization: Positive analysis based on provincial panel data. Journal of Xian University of Technology, 28(1), 121–125.
Florida, R. (2002). The rise of the creative class. New York: Basic Books/Perseus.
Florida, R. (2007). The flight of the creative class. New York: Harper Collins.
Han, R. B., & Wang, L. N. (2013). Challenges and opportunities facing China’s urban development in the new era. China Perspectives, 2, 15–27.
Hong, Y., Shen, K., & He, X. (2000). Study on the transformation of the economic growth mode. Jiang Su Social Science, 2, 71–79.
Jacobs, J. (1969). The economy of cities. New York: Random House.
Ladd, H. F. (1992). Population growth, density and the costs of providing public services. Urban Studies, 29(2), 273–295.
Lee, J. Y. (1997). Jutaeggagyeoge michineun yeonghyangyoinbunseog. Hangughaengjeongnonjib, 9(2), 337–351.
Lee, J. Y. (2012). Urban sprawl index and the factors affecting it: A comparison of Korea and China. Hangug Geobeoneonseuhaghoibo, 19(3), 67–86.
Lee, J. Y., & Wang, B. (2013, April, 19). Impact of policy on urbanisation in China. Paper presented at Korean Association for Policy Studies Conference at Myongji University, Seoul.
Lee, J. Y., Tao, J. L., & Anderson, C. D. (2012). Urban administration: Issues and practices. Seoul: Daeyong Moonhwasa.
Lee, J. Y., Anderson, C., & Wang, B. (2013, December 9). Drivers of urban development in China: Measuring development and comparing models. Paper presented at Public Policy in the Asian Century, Melbourne School of Government, The University of Melbourne.
Lee, J. Y., Anderson, C., & Wang, B. (2015, July 17). What determines cultural expenditures in local Chinese government in Liaoning? KAPA International Conference, Cheonan.
Li, M. (2011). The rise of the working class and the future of the Chinese revolution. Monthly Review, 63(2), 38–51.
Lin, L. (1995). Urbanisation and economic development. Wuhan: Hubei People’s Publishing House.
Lin, Y., Hu, X., Wu, M. C., & Shen, Y. L. (2004). Comparative studies on science and technology competitiveness of 18 cities of China. Science & Technology and Economy, 17(3), 7–10.
Lucas, R. E. (1988). On the mechanics of economic development. Journal of Monetary Economics, 22, 3–42.
Luo, Q. (2008). Effect of FDI on urbanisation of China. Research on Development, 4, 19–23.
Mehedi, H., & Lee, J. Y. (2014). What affects urban development in Bangladesh? Korean Journal of Local Government and Administration Studies, 28(2), 1–19.
Meng, X. (2006, May). Urbanisation procession study-economic analysis on urban, urban group’s development and the affecting factors based on space-time background. Ph.D. Dissertation, Beijing Normal University Institute of Economics and Business Administration.
OECD. (2015). National accounts at a glance. Retrieved from http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/economics/ national-accounts-at-a-glance_22200444.
Renaud, B. (1981). National urbanisation policy in developing countries. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Roh, J. Y., & Lee, J. Y. (2013). Urban industrial structure and its impact on development: The case of Incheon. Journal of Korean Policy Studies., 13(4), 21–35.
Schultz, T. W. (1990). Human capital investment and urban competitiveness. Beijing: Beijing Economic College Press.
Silver, D., Clark, T. N., & Rothfield, L. (2006). A theory of scenes. Available from http://sites.google.com/site/tncresearch/atheoryofscenes.
Small, K. A. (2002). Chinese urban development: Introduction. Urban Studies, 39(12), 2159–2162.
Song, S. F., & Zhang, K. H. (2002). Urbanisation and city size distribution in China. Urban Studies, 39(12), 2317–2327.
Tiebout, C. M. (1956). A pure theory of local expenditures. Journal of Political Economy, 64(5), 416–424.
Wang, B. (2015, December). Three faces of urban development in China: State, market, and reform. Ph.D. Dissertation, Incheon National University, Department of Public Administration.
Wang, B., & Anderson, C. (2016). The cultural contents industry in the development of Dalian. Asian Journal of Cultural Policy, 3(1), 18–31.
Wang, J. H. (2003, April). Research on social security system of urban-rural under population flow conditions–an empirical analysis of the floating population of Shanghai. Ph.D. Dissertation, Fudan University Institute of Population, Resources and Environmental Economics.
Wu, F. (2008). China’s great transformation: Neoliberalization as establishing a market Society. Geoforum, 39, 1093–1096.
Wu, F. (2012, February 6). Urbanisation and its concerns. China Daily, 9.
Xue, F., & Yang, C. (1995). Urbanisation affected by foreign capital–case of Pearl River Delta of China. City Planning Review, 6, 21–27.
Zhang, H. C. (2005). Industrial factors promoting the competitiveness of city. Commercial Economy Studies, 12, 65–68.
Zhao, Z. J. (2008). The evidential analysis about the promoted effect to scientific and technical investment on GDP in China. Mathematics in Economics, 25(1), 58–63.
Zuo, X. G., & Li, Z. C. (2003). Analysis of the relationship between the development level of the third industry and per capita GDP and the proportion of agricultural population. Statistics and Decision, 1, 50–51.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Copyright information
© 2018 The Author(s)
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Lee, J.Y., Anderson, C., Wang, B. (2018). Urban Development in China: Moving from Urbanisation to Quality of Urban Life. In: Bice, S., Poole, A., Sullivan, H. (eds) Public Policy in the 'Asian Century'. International Series on Public Policy . Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-60252-7_8
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-60252-7_8
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-137-60251-0
Online ISBN: 978-1-137-60252-7
eBook Packages: Political Science and International StudiesPolitical Science and International Studies (R0)