Urban Villages in the New China : Case of Shenzhen

Focusing On Shenzhen As A Representation Of The General Urban Village Phenomenon In China, This Book Considers The Impact Of China's Economic Reform On Urbanization And Urban Villages Over The Past Three Decades. Shenzhen's Urban Villages Are Some Of The First Of Their Kind In China, Unique In Their Diversity And Organizational Capacity, But Most Notably In Their Ability To Protect Village Culture Whilst Coexisting With Shenzhen, One Of The Fastest Urbanizing Cities On Earth. Providing A Study Of Regional Contrast Of Urban Villages In China With Newly Collected Fieldwork Materials From Guangzhou, Beijing, And Xi'an, This Book Also Considers Recent Developments Within Urban Villages, Including Attempts At Marketization Of The So-called Xiao Chanquanfang (the Quintessential Urban Village Apartment Units). It Also Addresses The Corruption Scandals That Engulfed Some Urban Villages In Late 2013. Through Cutting Edge Fieldwork, The Author Offers A Cross-disciplinary Study Of The History, Culture, Socio-economic Changes, And Migration Of The Villages Which Arguably Embody Chinese Social Mobility In An Urban Form.-- Machine Generated Contents Note: 1. Urban Villages In Words And Senses -- 2. The Origin Of Shenzhen's Urban Village: Policies And Backgrounds -- 3. The Villages And Shenzhen City: History, Transition, And Coexistence -- 4. Migrant City And Migrant Villages -- 5. Urban Village Inc. -- 6. Urban Renewal And The Rise Of Shenzhen's Real Estate Developers -- 7. Stereotypes And Self-government -- 8. Urban Villages In China: A Regional Comparison -- 9. Conclusion. Da Wei David Wang. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 183-196) And Index. Acknowledgements 5 Contents 6 Glossary of Chinese and OtherNon- English Terms 8 Chapter 1: Urban Villages in Words and Senses 13 Defining Urban Villages 16 Slums, Shanties, and Urban Villages 21 High Modernism and Shenzhen’s Urban Village 26 The Urban Village Experience at a Glance 28 Baishi Zhou: An Exemplary Urban Village 32 Chapter 2: The Origin of Shenzhen’s Urban Village: Policies and Backgrounds 37 Paths Toward Urbanization 42 The Hukou System and Migrants 44 The Great Economic Reform and Great Urbanization 45 From Natural Villages to Urban Villages 46 Natural Rights and Laws 48 Troublesome Coexistence 49 Chapter 3: The Villages and Shenzhen City: History, Transition, and Coexistence 54 The Historical Shenzhen Region 55 The Agrarian Past of the Shenzhen Region and the Rural Villagers 58 Shenzhen Villages Since the Foundation of the People’s Republic 60 Political Fervor in the Villages 62 The Hong Kong Exodus 64 Economic Reform and the Rise of Shenzhen since 1979 SEZ 69 The Birth of Shenzhen SEZ 70 A New City on Top of the Villages 72 Farmers of Informal Buildings 75 Contestation Over Land and Regulation 77 Chapter 4: Migrant City and Migrant Villages 82 Populating Shenzhen with Migrants 84 To Live and Work in the Urban Villages: Stories of Migrants 87 Regional and Provincial Culture Melting Pot 94 Migrant Crimes and Gang Activities in the Urban Village 95 Not-So-Harmonious Relations 98 Chapter 5: Urban Village Inc. 102 Emergence of Urban Village Inc. 104 Cultural and Lineage Obligations of the Urban Village Company 107 Land Development and Real Estate Developers 109 Examples of Urban Village Companies 112 Possible Shortcomings of Urban Village Company 116 Chapter 6: Urban Renewal and the Rise of Shenzhen’s Real Estate Developers 119 The General Structure of Urban Renewal 120 The Urban Renewal Process in the Urban Villages 122 The Rise of Shenzhen’s Real Estate Developers and Their Impacts on the Villages 126 The Actual Chai qian Ground and Nail Households 128 Urban Renewal Stalemate 130 Chapter 7: Stereotypes and Self-Government 135 Fire Safety Concerns 138 Chaos Reflected in Crime 139 Farmers and the New Urban Rentier (Landlord) Class 141 Self-Government Beyond Stereotypes 143 Chapter 8: Urban Villages in China: A Regional Comparison 151 Guangzhou’s Urban Villages: Close Cousins of Shenzhen’s Urban Villages 152 Guangzhou’s African Villages 158 The Urban Village of Zhuhai in the Pearl River Delta 160 The Urban Villages of Wenzhou in Zhejiang Province 162 The Urban Villages of Beijing, Ant Tribes, and More 164 The Urban Village of Xi’an 168 Chapter 9: Conclusion 172 Lessons from Shenzhen’s Urban Village 173 Reflecting on the Dual Identity of Urban Villagers 176 Urban Village and High Housing Prices 177 Urban Villages as Potential Shenzhen Tourist Sites 179 Minor Property Houses in the Urban Village 180 Potential Future Developments 182 China Dream and Shenzhen Dream 184 Optimism on Future Development 187 Notes on Interviewees 190 Bibliography 192 Index 206 "Focusing on Shenzhen as a representation of the general urban village phenomenon in China, this book considers the impact of China's economic reform on urbanization and urban villages over the past three decades. Shenzhen's urban villages are some of the first of their kind in China, unique in their diversity and organizational capacity, but most notably in their ability to protect village culture whilst coexisting with Shenzhen, one of the fastest urbanizing cities on earth. Providing a study of regional contrast of urban villages in China with newly collected fieldwork materials from Guangzhou, Beijing, and Xi'an, this book also considers recent developments within urban villages, including attempts at marketization of the so-called xiao chanquanfang (the quintessential urban village apartment units). It also addresses the corruption scandals that engulfed some urban villages in late 2013. Through cutting edge fieldwork, the author offers a cross-disciplinary study of the history, culture, socio-economic changes, and migration of the villages which arguably embody Chinese social mobility in an urban form."-- Provided by publisher Focusing on Shenzhen as a representation of the general urban village phenomenon in China, this book considers the impact of China's economic reform on urbanization and the urban villages over the past three decades. Shenzhen's urban villages are some of the first of their kind in China, unique in their diversity and organizational capacity, but most notably in their ability to protect village culture whilst coexisting with Shenzhen, one of the fasted urbanizing cities on earth. Providing a study of regional contrast of urban villages in China with newly collected field work materials from Guangzhou, Beijing, and Xi'an, this book also considers recent developments within urban villages, including attempts of marketization of the so called xiao chanquanfang (the quintessential urban village apartment units). It also addresses the corruption scandals that engulfed some urban villages in late 2013. Through cutting edge field work, the author offers a cross disciplinary study of the history, culture, socio-economic changes and migration of the villages which are arguably embody Chinese social mobility in an urban form Front Matter....Pages i-xiii Urban Villages in Words and Senses....Pages 1-24 The Origin of Shenzhen’s Urban Village: Policies and Backgrounds....Pages 25-41 The Villages and Shenzhen City: History, Transition, and Coexistence....Pages 43-70 Migrant City and Migrant Villages....Pages 71-90 Urban Village Inc.....Pages 91-107 Urban Renewal and the Rise of Shenzhen’s Real Estate Developers....Pages 109-124 Stereotypes and Self-Government....Pages 125-140 Urban Villages in China: A Regional Comparison....Pages 141-161 Conclusion....Pages 163-180 Back Matter....Pages 181-203