Qu Lei - Beijing: Socio-spatial Transformation 20/04/2010 Faculty of Architecture TU Delft, The Netherlands qu,"lecture series",sichuan,"urban emergencies",lei

1. 北京
Beijing
Socio-spatial transformation
Lei Qu, RP&S, Urbansim

2. Social production of urban space is fundamental
to the reproduction of society
Henri Lefebvre, The Production of Space
Natural space Social space
Spatial Human Society
Transformation
Compactness Economic
Land use Transformation
Land condition
Natural
Environment Consumption
Mobility Social
Energy Driving
Transportation Transformation
forces
condition

3. Questions
• Driving forces behind socio-spatial transformation?
• New spatial strategies?

4. • Globalization:
• 1 Economic transformation:
• 1.a Decomposition and re-composition of world economy: New accumulation
geography / Global institutions/ Core, semi-periphery, periphery
• 1.b Deconstruction and reconstruction of production/distribution system:
Distribution chain / Global dispersion of network firms/ Intensification of
production,trade and flows
• 1.c Decentralization and centralization of financial capital: Capital flow /
Privatization /Tertiarization / Labor flexibility/ Outsourcing/ JIT/ Maquilas
• 2 Socio-cultural transformation:
• 2.a Social transformation: Demographic changes / National and int. migration /
Social differentiation / Social inequality /Absolute and relative poverty
• 2.b Cultural transformation: Cosmopolitan changes of cultural entities /
Cultural phenomenon / Multi ethnical diversity/ Creative city / Cultural
production
• 3 Spatial and environmental transformation:
• 3.a Spatial transformation: Large agglomeration/ Conurbation/ Metropolisation
/ Sprawl / Network city
• 3.b Environmental transformation: Environmental depletion / Non- renewed energy
resources/ Environmental downgrading/ Urban-rural relations

5. Flow of capital
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in China 1983-2002
1800
FDI (hundred million U
1600
1400
1200
1000 Contracted FDI
800 Utilized FDI
600
400
200
0
97
99
01
91
93
95
89
85
87
83
20
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
Year

6. Employment Structure in China(%)
Industrial structure changes in Beijing: 1997 VS 2001

7. Flow of people: Internal Immigrants
Rural Immigrants
Knowledge Immigrants

8. Socio-Spatial Transformation Processes in
Chinese Mega Cities: Metropolization
Inwards: Intensification, Densification, Gentrification
Outwards: Deconcentration, Suburbanization, Urban expansion
Changes of urban-rural relationship
Formation of functional networks

9. Beijing
Data:
Metropolitan Area: 16807.8 km²
Population:16.95 million (2008)
urban population: 77.54%
Density: 805 inh/km²
Average Household Size: 3.21
GDP: US$ 34.07 billion
Per capita GDP: US$ 3060
Source:
Beijing Annual Statistics 2001
City Profile
Historical city:
> 3000 years’ city history
< 800 years’ capital city
Socio-economic transformation:
from planned to market economy
internationalization
fast economic development

10. Limited land resource
mountain area (62%)
agriculture + urban (38%)
Water: 1/8 national average level
1/30 world average level
Water shortage

11. Problems
-Overcrowded central urban area(traffic, function)
-Fast urban expansion
-Duality: The gap between the rich and poor/ urban and
rural areas

12. -Overcrowded central urban area

13. Industrialization (1950S)
Debate on location of the “center”

14. Beijing in the period 1949 ~ 1978
socialist planned economy,
Housing shortage, strict (low) housing standard,
Urban reconstruction

15. Decay
Of
The
Inner
City

16. Housing renewal project (Dongnanyuan, 1980s)

17. Economically affordable Housing Projects (1990s)

19. Densification (1990s)
1
2

21. Socio-spatial transformations led by housing
renewal projects in Beijing inner city (1990s)
3
1 2

22. city of 90s
city of 80s
city of 50s-70s

23. Mobility
Road System

25. -Fast urban expansion

26. Housing construction/ housing consumption/ household size

27. Limited land in central urban area
Expenses for relocation and resettlement kept increasing
Tax and fees kept increasing
Urban expansion

29. Rural Urban
Rural
Urban
Periphery Periphery
a) Beijing: urban expansion under mono-centric urban structure
Environment Economy Society Tranffic flows Network
the models of urban-rural relationship

30. Conurbation due to Urban expansion
1975 2002

31. -The gap between urban and rural areas

32. Economic development in suburban area
Gap between urban and rural area
Income and consumption gap between Beijing urban and rural area
Net Income (Per Capita) Increased Consumption (Per Capita) Increased
Urban 15637.8 Yuan 12.6% 12200.4 Yuan 9.7%
Rural 7172 Yuan 10.4% 4886 Yuan 5%
Source: Beijing Statistic Bureau, 2005

33. New Spatial Concepts
• Regional Level: Regional Networks, comparative advantages
• Urban Level: new centralities, land use changes
• Instruments: Large urban projects, Land management, PPP

34. Regional development/
Regional cooperation
Jing-Jin-Ji Region/
Bohai Bay Region
Core area:
Beijing-Tianjin Corridor

36. From mono-centric to
polycentric spatial structure
Beijing Master Plan
1993

37. Changing relationship between city and periphery
New strategies of economic development for Beijing suburban areas
1) High and New Technologies will be actively promoted
through structural adjustment of the second industry
sector: electronic communication, new materials,
ecological engineering, new medication and so on.
2) The third industry sector of suburban area will be
developed, with emphasis on fostering new types of
services: cultural heritages and natural sights, landscape,
production process and village culture, tourism integrated
with restaurants, hotels, recreation and shopping as a
industrial system.
3) Urbanization of countryside independent from the central
urban area will be considered as an alternative way of
urban growth. Satellite towns are the future economic
centralities to be promoted, to partake urban functions
like science and technology, education, culture, logistics
and so on.

38. Railroad System Planning Accessibility

39. Large Urban Projects
39

40. CBD

41. Transformation of Land Use

42. Beijing Olympic 2008
International Sports Event & Urban Development
42

43. Distribution of Stadiums and Gymnasiums of Olympic

44. Image upgrading
Image upgrading
Image upgrading

45. Urban Renewal Shichahai

46. Urban Renewal Nanchizi

47. Urban Renewal
Nanchizi

49. Strengths/Opportunities
Booming economy, working opportunities, image upgrading,
infrastructure improvement, urban growth…
Weaknesses/Threats
Social polorization, Gentrification, socio-spatial segregation,
spatial fragmentation, urban expansion, energy consumption…

50. social, economic and environmental Sustainability
Economic Economic
Ecological Social
Ecological Social

51. Social production of urban space is
fundamental to the reproduction of society
Henri Lefebvre, The Production of Space
Natural space Social space
Spatial Human Society
Transformation
Compactness Economic
Land use Transformation
Land condition
Natural
Environment Consumption
Mobility Social
Energy Driving
Transportation Transformation
forces
condition