Chapter 37 9. Rapid Urbanization

Urbanization in China started as early as 4,000 years ago. In 1940, China had 69 large cities, but by 2007, due to the increase of rural immigrants and the expansion of small towns, this number has more than doubled tenfold! The trend of urbanization in China is very significant. By 2025, China will have 221 megacities.Until 2015, tens of millions of rural people migrated to cities every year. Such large-scale changes will lead to the subversion of people's lifestyles: workplaces, transportation methods, living environments and consumption concepts will all change. This will be an important strategic tool to accelerate urbanization while maintaining quality of life.That is to say, it is necessary to create a good environment, maintain long-term, stable and rapid economic development, establish a new relationship between urban and rural areas, promote urban construction, and build a harmonious society.

To face this challenge, China must successfully complete the urbanization process.This requires attaching great importance to urban planning, saving energy, following new urban development concepts, using modern infrastructure to provide citizens with a comfortable environment and convenient transportation, and creating a better life. In 2008, China's urbanization rate had reached 45.68%.Forecasts show that this ratio will exceed 52% in 2015, 57% in 2020, and 65% in 2030! China's rapid urbanization is expected to continue until 2016 and then continue, but at a significantly slower pace. The rate of urbanization in 2030 corresponds to a population growth of 1 percent: 14 million people per year.

That means creating a big city every year!Or build a city like Moscow, Istanbul or Buenos Aires every twelve months... This expectation also presents real challenges, as such rapid urbanization is bound to be expensive and lead to skyrocketing housing prices. On the other hand, competition among cities will intensify.At the same time, China's development goals also need to be taken into account: improving the quality of life, developing infrastructure, maintaining environmental sustainability... Four success factors for urbanization in China: Local decentralization policy, decentralization of public utility rights to local governments;

The proportion of the urban poor population and the unemployment rate remain at a low level, about 4% of the total population; The slums that are so numerous in cities and towns in developing countries do not exist in China; Use land sparingly. China's cities occupy about 4% of the country's land area. Key factors and decisions related to future super-urbanization are inextricably linked to government actions.How to rationally allocate resources and costs?And what are the costs of social security, administration and housing prices? To be successful and achieve the set goals, China must ensure eight levels of control in the process of rapid urbanization:

Reduce administrative costs; Ensuring a balance between large cities; Promoting infrastructure development and developing modes of transportation; Establish a social security system throughout the country; Build affordable housing; Create a harmonious living environment in the city; Continue to pursue bold environmental policies; Reduce the gap between rich and poor. The regulation of real estate will provide a more stable basis for economic growth. Policies to limit the rapid rise of housing prices will continue to be implemented, and may even increase.In order to implement new policies and transform China's current real estate business model, China will take some incentives and implement housing subsidies so that young people can also afford houses.

Liu Zhifeng said: "China's urbanization level lags far behind the industrialization level." Indeed, in the process of urbanization in some areas, land may still be requisitioned, and some cultivated land may even be requisitioned.This will also lead to land urbanization ahead of population urbanization, resulting in an imbalance and waste of available land or arable land. Without planning and town management, the urban environment will be under enormous pressure on issues such as building quality, materials, resources and pollution. Excessive urbanization has caused many problems: cost problems, water and electricity problems, traffic congestion and so on.At the same time, supporting measures must be taken to solve rural problems.

China's new cities are impressive.They often stretch for kilometers, with straight roads and graceful towers that are dizzyingly beautiful. The implementation of major projects extends to the most remote areas... Successful urbanization requires great attention to planning, saving energy, following new development concepts, creating a better life and more convenient transportation.This is a bet made by China!