1. China is implementing a new urban planning trend called "city clusters" (chengshiqun) where two or more cities are combined and connected by transportation systems. 2. The article discusses 19 major Chinese city clusters, dividing them into 3 categories: 3 "hub cities" to become economic zones, 8 "big shots" contributing 3-9% to GDP, and 8 "new stars" in the national 2020 plan. 3. The city clusters are aimed at increasing economic growth, transportation, and influencing migration patterns as part of China's urbanization and will likely impact agricultural land and the environment.

1. China city cluster 城市群 (chéngshìqún)
By Kezala Jere.
With the continuity of China’s urbanization there is a new trend of city planning
called chéngshìqún, literally meaning city cluster. By definition a city cluster is
comprised of two or more cities, combined to become the core of neibhourhoods
connected by a well defined transport system (Frontier Strategy Group, 2014).
This write up is aimed at giving a summary of a blog article written by Frontier
Strategy Group (FSG) a leading information and advisory services firm for emerging
market executives (cite) about the Chéngshìqún . The authors in their article conclude
that China has 19 major city clusters called “chéngshìqún”. The 19 cluster include the
following; Yangtze river delta (长江三角洲), Pearl river Delta (珠江三角洲),
Beijing-Tianjin-Hebe(北京天津河北), Yangtze Mid-river Delta (长江中游三角洲),
Shandong Bayland (山东湾区), Chengdu-Chongqing (成都 - 重庆), Ha-Da-Chang
(哈大昌), Liao Central South (廖中南),West Cost of Taiwan Straights (台),Central(中
央), Guanzhong (关中),Hohhot (
呼和浩特),Taiyuan 太原) ,Beibu Gulf (北部湾) , Diazhong (大中),Lanxi (兰溪),
Qianzhong (钱中), Ningxia (宁夏) and Urumqi (乌鲁木齐).
These 19 clusters are further divided as follows;

2. 1. There are 3 major clusters called hub cities, to become world-class economic
zones. These are Yangtze river delta (长江三角洲), Pearl river Delta (珠江三角
洲) and beijin-tianjin-hebe(北京天津河北) (Frontier Strategy Group, 2014).
2. Then the next 8 (big shots) city clusters are to be called emerging city clusters of
which each contributed 3-9% of the China’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in
the year 2013. These are Yangtze Mid-river Delta (长江中游三角洲), Shandong
Bayland (山东湾区), Chengdu-Chongqing (成都 - 重庆), Ha-Da-Chang (哈大
昌), Liao Central South (廖中南),WestCostofTaiwan Straights (台),Central(中央)
and Guanzhong (关中) (Frontier Strategy Group, 2014).
3. The last 8 (new stars) City clusters are included in the government’s 2020 cluster
master plan. These are ,Hohhot (呼和浩特),Taiyuan 太原) ,Beibu Gulf (北部湾) ,
Diazhong (大中),Lanxi (兰溪), Qianzhong (钱中), Ningxia (宁夏) and Urumqi
(乌鲁木齐) (Frontier Strategy Group, 2014).
Method used to define Cheng shi qun.
The author draws his definitions from the country’s government plans or policies
(Frontier Strategy Group, 2014). As such the 19 clusters are derived from China’s 11th
5 year plan aimed at;
 Bringing economic growth
 Strengthening transportation and,
 Influencing the pattern of migrants in the country’s urbanization process.
The authors further defines the Cheng shi qun by what a calling the cluster go to
market for multinationals struggling in their businesses to grow in a profitable
manner.
There is also a mention of 2020 being the target of implementing the 19 clusters set
from the new national urbanization plan; in this vane businesses are to align
themselves to the future growth of these clusters with well-defined strategies as they
make important decisions to conform to the 2020 plan (Frontier Strategy Group,

3. 2014).
Lastly, the FSG list 20 potential cities that would provide high market of products for
businesses based on a number of indicators to penetrate the market in the 20 listed
cities. For example the FSG mentioned the Chinese government’s high speed railway
development plan and “hukou” reforms as one of those indicators.
All in all these the hub cites would be the start point for the multination the growth
would spread to the big shots and finally they thrive in the new stars.
Implications of Cheng shi qun
Based on the report from the FSG, the following questions arise;
1. What will happen to the agricultural land, seeing that these clusters are to be link
people together?
Based on the governments aim to increase economic growth, strengthen transportation
and influencing the pattern of migration, as per cluster definition (link between two or
more cities) the link between most cities is agricultural land. As such, the land used
for agricultural production will fall prey to the formation of the Cheng shi qun and be
engulfed by it.
2. In terms of environmental sustainable how will these clusters perform as a single
core?
There will be need to carefully consider the environment, for example the
Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei brings so much concern in terms of pollution. Thus, sustainable
ways of heating or finding another alternative to the use of coal will make this city
cluster a better place to live in.
3 what are the benefits of having city clusters?
Despite the negative impact on agriculture and the environment cheng shi qun will
reduce the lose of labour in small towns or villages as these parts of the country with
be brought closer to the big cites thereby bringing more development to them.