The Urbanisation of China and Australia

What is it about?

The book chapter provide an overview of contemporary Urban China and Australia. In the first decade of the twenty-first century, urban populations in China have grown at unprecedented levels. In 2011, for the first time, the total population of cities overtook that of rural villages. At the same time, many Australians have been moving from crowded and less affordable large cities to more spacious and livable regional towns. The growth in the number of rural villages and towns, paired with the necessity to provide residents with appropriate infrastructure, public services and amenities for the urban life of inhabitants, has required enormous efforts, more accurate planning strategies and consistent urban forms able to sustain the life of renewed or brand-new cities in rural settings.

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Why is it important?

In outlining the major trends of urban and rural expansion in China and Australia, this chapter discusses how political visions and social and economic agendas have driven urbanisation in the rural contexts and links these factors to the urban paradigms (urban forms and regional planning) that have been developed and implemented in the past 30 years.