China's Urban Development: A Case Study of Luoyang and Guiyang

Abstract

The growth of Chinese cities is often explained by their industrial development. This study relates city growth instead to the 1950s and later government urban directives and the economic policies of the pre-reform era which emphasised heavy industries. These government actions are examined locally, in Guiyang and Luoyang; both cities are ranked low by socio-economic indices. This study reveals that government directives have shaped the functions and land use of the two cities and are the sources of some of the cities' current problems. Indeed, once the economic structure of a city was determined, it was difficult to change. The study also shows that the more rapid population increase of Luoyang is due to its high rate of natural increase as well as its industrial development. A broad approach that considers both common influences and unique local conditions is required in the analysis of Chinese urban development.