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A Walk Through China’s New Model Countryside

Contributions from individuals with unique perspectives to share. Hear from everyone, from experts and commentators to those whose voices are often marginalized.

VOICES & OPINION

The eastern province of Zhejiang has invested heavily in rural areas — part of a national rural revitalization push. But what does that mean in practice?

Why Urban Villages Are Essential to Shenzhen’s Identity

Neighborhoods of densely packed ‘handshake buildings’ house the poor and add to the city’s vitality.

Reusing ‘Mega Events’ Venues Requires a Smart Strategy

Large-scale projects like the Olympics and the World Expo titillate urban planners, but are they any good for the country’s urban areas?

China’s Cities: Exotic, Modern, Dynamic — But Never ‘Livable’?

Western-centric metrics focusing on the lifestyles of a wealthy global elite ignore the real reasons why people love living in cities like Shanghai.

How Feature Towns Reduce Rural Life to a Gimmick

Villages regenerated to showcase ‘unique features’ are becoming unlivable, inauthentic, and increasingly profit-oriented.

How Tearing Down Walls Will Open Up China’s Cities

Barriers between individual housing estates isolate residents from the urban communities around them.

Why ‘Urban Labs’ Hold the Future for Chinese Cities

Embracing innovation is allowing designers to dream up avant-garde building solutions.

How China’s ‘Mall Mania’ Destroys Local Communities

Gleaming monuments to consumerism are sapping urban neighbourhoods of their vitality.

Developers Draw Shanghai Residents Back to the Waterside

Once clogged with industrial and human waste, the city’s rivers and canals are being reimagined as attractive public spaces.

Beloved by Westerners, Shanghai’s ‘Lilong’ Fail to Attract Locals

A change in attitude is needed to protect Shanghai’s traditional neighborhoods.

Why China’s Cities Must Maintain Ties With the Countryside

Many Chinese metropolises retain rustic elements, which are important for keeping the balance between rural and urban areas.