Urban Agglomeration, Planning and Sustainability in China

China has undertaking a rapid process of development from a planned economy to market economy through decentralization, marketization and globalization and has actively formulating her Agenda 21, both at the national and municipal levels. Several key trends have been identified with the rise of urban agglomeration and sustainability. First, the rise of mega-cities with China’s increasing participation the global economy. Second, autonomy of urban and local governments has been increased, resulting in competition at the urban and regional level. Third, spatial and social polarization has been accelerated in the wake of urban expansion and inter-regional competition. This paper aims to review current policy formulation and implementation in the realm of urban planning and sustainable development. The policy response includes a resource-constraint national economy from a sustainability perspective, the enhancement of national human resources, and the formulation of a comprehensive urban and regional development strategy