Utopia as a model? Developments, background and prospects of urban developments in China

27.04.2011

Over the last few decades China’s cities have developed at a breathless pace, and urbanization continues. Population growth, real estate speculation, and regional competition drive these developments. At the same time, the social gap is consistently widening and environmental problems in the cities are becoming increasingly evident. New urban utopias are oriented toward the concept of ‘Eco-Cities’ and new models for growth, but their sustainability is yet to be proven.

In her lecture Dr. Doris Fischer discussed the trends, contexts, and future perspectives of urban development and examined the notion of utopia as a model.

Dr. Doris Fischer is an economist at the German Development Institute in Bonn. Her work focuses on the topics of “innovation systems and sustainability” and “the challenges of the process of economic overhaul in China”.