Are Local Residents Benefiting from the Latest Urbanization Dynamic in China? China’s Characteristic Town Strategy from a Resident Perspective: Evidence from Two Cases in Hangzhou
The Characteristic Town (CT) program is one of the most notable strategies in China’s urbanization process in recent years, responding to the drawbacks of the past decades of crude urbanization development model and maintaining and promoting capital accumulation and economic growth with innovative a...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-02-01
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| Series: | Land |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/2/510 |
| _version_ | 1797619899447640064 |
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| author | Yi Yang Tetsuo Kidokoro Fumihiko Seta Ziyi Wang |
| author_facet | Yi Yang Tetsuo Kidokoro Fumihiko Seta Ziyi Wang |
| author_sort | Yi Yang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Characteristic Town (CT) program is one of the most notable strategies in China’s urbanization process in recent years, responding to the drawbacks of the past decades of crude urbanization development model and maintaining and promoting capital accumulation and economic growth with innovative approach to space production. However, no studies have been conducted to examine whether residents actually benefit from it. Therefore, we combined desk research, participatory observation, in-depth interviews, and questionnaires to evaluate its influence on residents in two representative cases in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, where the program originated. The results show limited improvement in public benefits: a general but insignificant improvement in the living standard of the residents; residents’ public participation is generally lacking; residents’ cognition of self-identity has begun to appear deviation, and barriers between them and foreign workers have begun to emerge; residents’ assessment of the new development strategy varies from case to case. Compared to other urban and rural redevelopment, renewal, and construction practices around the world, the CT program does not seem to appear to be overly special or advanced in terms of securing and enhancing public benefits. To this end, this study concluded that it is necessary to consider the need to adopt an official evaluation system that attaches equal importance to economic, environmental, and social factors, further strengthen the supervision of local financial expenditure, effectively strengthen the role of the public, improve infrastructure and public service facilities, and enhance the comprehensive training of indigenous people. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T08:33:32Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6c8f337119d6445ba88d4fc622b1df85 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-445X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T08:33:32Z |
| publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Land |
| spelling | doaj.art-6c8f337119d6445ba88d4fc622b1df852023-11-16T21:38:18ZengMDPI AGLand2073-445X2023-02-0112251010.3390/land12020510Are Local Residents Benefiting from the Latest Urbanization Dynamic in China? China’s Characteristic Town Strategy from a Resident Perspective: Evidence from Two Cases in HangzhouYi Yang0Tetsuo Kidokoro1Fumihiko Seta2Ziyi Wang3Department of Urban Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8656, JapanDepartment of Urban Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8656, JapanDepartment of Urban Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8656, JapanDepartment of Urban and Rural Planning, Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, ChinaThe Characteristic Town (CT) program is one of the most notable strategies in China’s urbanization process in recent years, responding to the drawbacks of the past decades of crude urbanization development model and maintaining and promoting capital accumulation and economic growth with innovative approach to space production. However, no studies have been conducted to examine whether residents actually benefit from it. Therefore, we combined desk research, participatory observation, in-depth interviews, and questionnaires to evaluate its influence on residents in two representative cases in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, where the program originated. The results show limited improvement in public benefits: a general but insignificant improvement in the living standard of the residents; residents’ public participation is generally lacking; residents’ cognition of self-identity has begun to appear deviation, and barriers between them and foreign workers have begun to emerge; residents’ assessment of the new development strategy varies from case to case. Compared to other urban and rural redevelopment, renewal, and construction practices around the world, the CT program does not seem to appear to be overly special or advanced in terms of securing and enhancing public benefits. To this end, this study concluded that it is necessary to consider the need to adopt an official evaluation system that attaches equal importance to economic, environmental, and social factors, further strengthen the supervision of local financial expenditure, effectively strengthen the role of the public, improve infrastructure and public service facilities, and enhance the comprehensive training of indigenous people.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/2/510Characteristic Townresident benefitsHangzhouZhejiangChina |
| spellingShingle | Yi Yang Tetsuo Kidokoro Fumihiko Seta Ziyi Wang Are Local Residents Benefiting from the Latest Urbanization Dynamic in China? China’s Characteristic Town Strategy from a Resident Perspective: Evidence from Two Cases in Hangzhou Land Characteristic Town resident benefits Hangzhou Zhejiang China |
| title | Are Local Residents Benefiting from the Latest Urbanization Dynamic in China? China’s Characteristic Town Strategy from a Resident Perspective: Evidence from Two Cases in Hangzhou |
| title_full | Are Local Residents Benefiting from the Latest Urbanization Dynamic in China? China’s Characteristic Town Strategy from a Resident Perspective: Evidence from Two Cases in Hangzhou |
| title_fullStr | Are Local Residents Benefiting from the Latest Urbanization Dynamic in China? China’s Characteristic Town Strategy from a Resident Perspective: Evidence from Two Cases in Hangzhou |
| title_full_unstemmed | Are Local Residents Benefiting from the Latest Urbanization Dynamic in China? China’s Characteristic Town Strategy from a Resident Perspective: Evidence from Two Cases in Hangzhou |
| title_short | Are Local Residents Benefiting from the Latest Urbanization Dynamic in China? China’s Characteristic Town Strategy from a Resident Perspective: Evidence from Two Cases in Hangzhou |
| title_sort | are local residents benefiting from the latest urbanization dynamic in china china s characteristic town strategy from a resident perspective evidence from two cases in hangzhou |
| topic | Characteristic Town resident benefits Hangzhou Zhejiang China |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/2/510 |
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