Urban Planning in China: Continuity and Change: What the future holds may surprise you

Abstract

Although professional planning in China is relatively new, Chinese urban planning has roots in governance practices that predate both Mao and the current era of market-oriented reform. Government and social responses to the unprecedented contradictions caused by current reforms suggest some likely future directions for planning in China. I expect the discipline of planning will diversify from the current emphasis on enabling economic growth to include a stronger regulatory function, greater emphasis on maintaining environmental quality, and stronger analytical, communicative, and advocacy roles. Efforts to revive and strengthen property rights and reformulate urban communities will affect planning practice, but I expect politics to be more influential than institutional or bureaucratic changes.