Developing and branding a polycentric mega-city: the case of Shanghai

Abstract

Due to the globalization of the economy, and the rapid urbanization in China, Chinese cities in general, and the eastern coastal cities in particular, have grown in size to form large, mega-city agglomerates. Within these agglomerates, there are simultaneous spatial decentralization and governmental centralization processes going on. In this chapter, we focus on the development and governance of these emerging mega-cities and the consequences of their polycentric structure for city branding. Based on a case study of Shanghai, this chapter is divided into four sections. The first section deals with the development of diversified urban spatial forms around large cities in China. The second is a discussion of the forces behind the transformation from big cities to polycentric mega-cities. In the third section, some of the problems and challenges caused by this urban transformation process are discussed. The last section addresses the particular issues involved in branding large polycentric cities.

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