Urbanization in China

This article on China's urbanization examines the main drivers behind China's urban transformation, its impact on the society, and how the impact is unevenly spread across populations and geography. It begins with a brief historical summary of China's urbanization focusing on the post-Liberation period, that is 1949 onward, and moves on to discuss some of the major factors that have contributed to people's migration and urban physical expansion. Three key characteristics are paid particular attention: (1) industrial production and uneven development; (2) land-based accumulation; (3) local state building and state entrepreneurialism. The article further examines some of the important sociospatial outcomes and challenges that China's urbanization poses.