A City Is Born: An analytical investigation of Changsha’s urban development in the recent 100 years

In the past century, Changsha has experienced rapid urban growth with significant social changes. This study aims to understand how the historical evolution of the city and the spatial transformations it went through define temporal cause and causal relationships that can explain the urban form. The study uses structural changes in the Chinese political system as intervening variables and defines their social consequences under the view of Durkheimian solidarity. Through spatial analysis of historical and current maps in chosen periods, this paper suggests an interrelationship between top-down orders, social solidarities and economic movements which is dialogic and differentiated in different evolution stages. While arguing that the current Changsha’s spatial form sees a compromise between political and economic factors, the study sets up the discussion which focuses on the historical aspects of the city core and provides recommendations about how to alleviate its pressures for the future historical protection