As the city's population and street density increase, many local residents are moving into gated communities. The demolition of the lilong, the center of community life, has catapulted many Shanghainese into suburban migration and away from their traditional neighborhood. Zhang and his family live in a three-bedroom apartment and lack the bustling street life. It's hard to imagine how they survive without their communal homes and a community to call their own.
The rise of China's village-in-the-city is a typical case of okonomic development. After opening its economy to the world, rapid land migration and urban growth created an environment ripe for these marginal settlements. This article examines their environmental health risks and the role of various governmental actors in the development of these communities. We conclude by exploring the complex interplay of local and national forces that shape village-city life.
Although the hukou system was supposed to keep the rural population in the countryside and provide resources for urban residents, the country's economic reforms intensified in the 1980s. The cities lacked cheap labour and hundreds of millions of young people were pushed into factory towns and coastal boom towns. In these cities, migrant workers began to outnumber the local population. It was no longer uncommon for thousands of young people to migrate to the city in search of work.
The Chinese government places population and development at the top of its agenda. In addition to balancing economic growth and environmental protection, it also stresses the need for population growth in concert with social development and resource utilization. Since the 1990s, the Chinese Government has convened a National Summit Meeting on population and development every year to adopt important decisions that affect local residents. If this trend continues, it will create a more stable and sustainable future for China.