Compaction or dispersion: sustainability implications of Guangzhou’s urban form

Abstract

Rapid urbanization and economic development in China take place when environmental protection and sustainable development dominate the global trends of urban planning. Consequently, sustainability principles are emphasized in the urban planning strategies of many Chinese cities, including Guangzhou, China's forerunner in economic reform. However, the positioning of Guangzhou as a car production centre, the rising affluence of the local people, the spatial specialization policy and the marketization of the housing system have resulted in large scale car-dependent suburban living in this city. This is in contrast to the pursuit of more compact urban forms to achieve better urban sustainability by many Western cities. Thus, this paper aims to investigate the sustainability implications of Guangzhou's urban form development since the 1990s. The first issue investigated is the major features of Guangzhou's urban form development in terms of the spatial distributions of population, housing development and employment. Second, the analysis will identify factors accounting for the urban form development, namely, the influence of urban planning, land policy, housing policy, transport policy and urban governance. Finally, the sustainability implications of the urban form development will be investigated by applying the compact city model concept. This paper argues that a rudimentary polycentric urban form is in the making in Guangzhou because of its wide economic base. However, its residential spatial structure is segregated because of the mushrooming of highly gated communities in the sub-urban areas. The strong reliance on private cars also brings negative sustainability impacts.