Research on the Development of Towns in the Suburban Areas of Shanghai

Author: Zhou Jianjun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-06-01
Features: Since the Reform and Opening-Up, especially since the 1990s, Shanghai has entered a new historical period of rapid development and transformation. The city's socio-economy has significantly advanced, with notable changes in the urban-rural economic structure, industrial layout, population and employment distribution, as well as the scale, composition, and spatial arrangement of the built environment. On one hand, while the central urban area has experienced sustained high economic growth, its comprehensive service functions have also rapidly developed and improved during the process of industrial upgrading and optimization. The urban built environment has undergone significant internal restructuring while simultaneously continuing its outward expansion. On the other hand, the traditional suburban areas have also seen remarkable development, with their GDP accounting for one-third of the city's total and industrial output reaching half of the city's total. Correspondingly, the built environment, dominated by industrial production and residential functions, has expanded significantly in scale. Overall, this remarkable development and transformation process in Shanghai has clearly altered the traditional urban-rural binary division between the central urban area and suburban areas, as well as the different spatial levels within the suburbs, across various dimensions such as society, economy, ecological environment, and urban construction. Meanwhile, the suburbs of Shanghai are increasingly integrating into the city's overall development, and will exert a more profound influence on Shanghai's future development. Against this backdrop, the editorial team of "Ideal Space" has planned and published the special issue "Urban Development Research in Shanghai Suburbs," introducing the planning and construction of Shanghai's suburban areas from different perspectives, including regional development, new city development, new towns, and characteristic planning.