Revisiting and Rethinking Regional Urbanization in Changjiang River Delta, China

Key words: 
• urbanization /
• local characteristics /
• influence factors /
• major challenges /
• Changjiang (Yangtze) River delta /
• China

Abstract: China is entering a critical and accelerating phase of urbanization. As one of the most urbanized regions in China, the
Changjiang (Yangtze) River Delta has experienced dramatic urbanization and urban transformation. However, in the recent years, many
changes have taken place in this region and there is limited attention to the regional urbanization path evolution, its problems and the
way to solve these problems. Therefore, we should revisit the urbanization process in the Changjiang River Delta again. In this paper, we
revisited urbanization paths of the Changjiang River Delta by data analysis, influence factors of urbanization by the Gray Relational
Analysis, and major challenges to urbanization of the Changjiang River Delta by theoretical considerations. We found that the urbanization
of the Changjiang River Delta had experienced several stages of large-scale spatial and urban system restructuring. Within the Changjiang
River Delta, Shanghai, Zhejiang and Jiangshu had experienced different urbanization path with local characteristics. But with their
development model gradually converging, their urbanization model is also converging. We also found that the major influence factors
affecting the Changjiang River Delta urbanization were dynamic change and urbanization was driven by different key factors in different
socio-economic development stages. Meanwhile, the Changjiang River Delta urbanization is facing many problems such as existing
institutional arrangements, including the hukou (household registration) system and others which can not meet the needs of current
socio-economic development and urbanization. Therefore, it is imperative to promote institutional innovation and adopt a new
urbanization development strategy for the sake of the orderly and sustainable urbanization development in the Changjiang River Delta.