Urbanization in China: Stages and Spatial-Temporal Dynamics
https://doi.org/10.7868/S2658697526010024
Abstract
The dynamics and territorial differences in the level of urbanization in the context of 34 provinciallevel administrative regions and 337 cities in China according to Yicai Global business attractiveness for 2000–2023 are analyzed in the article using a set of methods (mathematical and statistical, cartographic, geographical systematization, cluster analysis), GIS tools and SPSS Statistics 27 and ArcGIS10.8 software. The analysis of the dynamics of the urban population’s share in China for 1950–2020 period made it possible to establish, in the context of the theory of “urbanization transition,” that the country passed through two phases during this period, adolescence and youth, and the onset of the phase of urban maturity since 2011. The analysis of the annual population growth rates in China, performed for the first time in the context of city classes by population for 1950–2022 period, indicates the manifestation of stages of differentiated urbanization. It has been proven that the annual urban population growth rate in China has decreased from 4.8% in the late 1980s to 2.4% in 2010–2022, the population growth rate in large cities (over 5 mln people) has decreased, and the growth rate has increased in small cities (less than 0.5 mln people) in 2000–2020. The spatial differentiation of administrative regions by share, annual urban population dynamics, population concentration in large cities and economic power established at the mesogeographical level made it possible to identify three types of provinces in China by the level of urbanization: (1) agglomerated large-city with a high level of urbanization and high economic power, represented by municipalities under central jurisdiction; (2) medium-sized city with medium level of urbanization and medium economic power, which formed the central-eastern coastal zone; and (3) smallsized city with medium and above average level of urbanization with low economic power, represented by the vast north-eastern, western-central and southern zones, the dominant structure (53% of provinces).
About the Authors
E. A. Antipova
Belarusian State University
Belarus
Belarus
Minsk
Liu Yang
Belarusian State University
Belarus
Belarus
Minsk
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For citations:
Antipova E.A., Yang L. Urbanization in China: Stages and Spatial-Temporal Dynamics. Izvestiya Rossiiskoi Akademii Nauk. Seriya Geograficheskaya. 2026;90(1):17-32. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.7868/S2658697526010024
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