Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

China’s Urban Construction Land Development

The State, Market, and Peasantry in Action

  • Book
  • © 2020

Overview

Authors:
  1. Tao Liu

    1. College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China

    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

  • Situates urban land development in the pluralistic model of Chinese urbanization and broader political economic processes

  • Develops a dual-track political ecology framework to examine state–peasantry interactions in formal and informal processes of land development

  • Demonstrates the quantitative and functional importance of informality in facilitating urbanization in developing economies

  • Compares the processes and efficiency of urban land development in Beijing and Shenzhen

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this book

Log in via an institution
eBook USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 169.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access

Licence this eBook for your library

Institutional subscriptions

Table of contents (12 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xxvii
    Download chapter PDF

  2. Introduction

    • Tao Liu
    Pages 1-9

  3. Interpreting the Development of Urban Construction Land in China

    • Tao Liu
    Pages 11-30

  4. Understanding Land Developments in a Globalizing World: Theoretical Alternatives

    • Tao Liu
    Pages 31-60

  5. Making Sense of China’s Urban Construction Land Development: Towards Dual-Track Political Ecology

    • Tao Liu
    Pages 61-97

  6. Methodological Issues

    • Tao Liu
    Pages 99-121

  7. The Changing Geography of China’s Urban Construction Land

    • Tao Liu
    Pages 123-167

  8. Changing Institutions for the Development of Urban Construction Land

    • Tao Liu
    Pages 169-199

  9. Formal Development of China’s Urban Construction Land

    • Tao Liu
    Pages 201-240

  10. Informal Development of China’s Urban Construction Land

    • Tao Liu
    Pages 241-277

  11. Urban Construction Land Development in Beijing

    • Tao Liu
    Pages 279-350

  12. Urban Construction Land Development in Shenzhen

    • Tao Liu
    Pages 351-408

  13. Conclusion

    • Tao Liu
    Pages 409-420

  14. Back Matter

    Pages 421-474
    Download chapter PDF
Back to top

Keywords

About this book

This book examines the nature and internal dynamics of China’s urban construction land (UCL) development, drawing insights from the recently developed theory of regional political ecology. Based on the author’s original research, it identifies two different types of UCL development in China, namely top-down, formal development in the legal and regulated domain, and spontaneous and informal, bottom-up development in the semi-legal, poorly regulated gray domain. Presenting a systematic analysis and comparison, it reveals a scale and speed of informal land development no less significant than that of formal land development, although informal land development tends to be scattered, pervasive, difficult to track, and largely overlooked in research and policy formation. Contrary to the popular perception of the peasantry as passive victims of land development, this book uncovers an intriguing dynamic in which the peasantry has played an increasingly (pro)active role in developing their rural land for urban uses in informal markets. 
  
Further, based on an investigation of UCL development in Beijing and Shenzhen, it shows an interesting trajectory in which the uneven growth and utilization of UCL are contingent upon the various developmental milieus in different places. China’s land institutions, based on an urban–rural dual land system, are not conducive to the ultimate goal of saving and efficiently utilizing land. Accordingly, an urban–rural integrated land market and management system is highly advisable. 
  
The theoretical and empirical enquiry presented challenges the perceived notion of China’s UCL development as the outcome of market demand and state supply. Further, it argues for an inclusive treatment of the informality that has characterized urbanization in many developing countries, and for a reassessment of the role played by the peasantry in land-based urbanization.
  


Authors and Affiliations

  • College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China

    Tao Liu

About the author

Tao Liu joined the College of Urban and Environmental Sciences at Peking University (China) from The University of Hong Kong, where he received a Ph.D. in Geography. Before that, he earned a master’s degree in Human Geography and bachelor’s degrees in Urban Planning and Economics from Peking University, China. His main research focus is urbanization, migration, urban land development, and urban and rural planning. Dr. Liu has published 2 books and more than 60 research articles in respected national and international journals. He has accumulated extensive experience from various urban consulting projects. 
  




Bibliographic Information

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Back to top

Search

Navigation