Importing growth management strategies to curb urban sprawl in the Pearl River Delta, China

Abstract

As China has opened its doors to capital from the West, especially Hong Kong, during the past twenty years, problems not encountered under the strictly socialist system have appeared in regard to land use in the Pearl River Delta area of Guangdong province. Urban sprawl with uncoordinated land uses has sprouted around Guangzhou, as well as other smaller cities. This urban development has occurred mostly at the expense of agricultural lands in the Delta. Estimates have been made claiming that one third of the Delta's agricultural land has been. encroached upon. Preservation of agricultural land is a stated goal of the Chinese central government for reasons of food security. With the population forecast to double by 2020 and the distinct possibility of increased motorization, the threat of sprawl and severe degradation of agricultural land is great. Other places have encountered similar issues as cities have grown in market economies. This thesis explores the experiences of American jurisdictions with the growth management strategies of urban growth boundaries and concurrency to observe which aspects of these growth management strategies have worked well and whether any can be applied to the Pearl River Delta context. Additionally, it explores which liabilities of the programs might be successful in the different context and what institutional barriers exist to creating programs similar to these in China. This thesis also explores where in the PRD a growth management program might be successful and locations in the Delta where such programs should not be attempted.