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Urban development at its most extra-ordinary

Urban development at its most extra-ordinary
By Massimo Roj -

Over the last 30 years, urbanization in China has expanded at an incredible speed. The city of Shenzhen is a clear example of this process.

Located in Guangdong province, Shenzhen lies at the northern border of Hong Kong. It holds an important position in the so-called Pearl-River Delta region, the world’s largest manufacturing center, with an impressive percentage of the urban population. According to the latest figures, the city area of Shenzhen currently has a population of over 10 million people, while the population of the metropolitan area exceeds 18 million (unofficial datum). The municipality covers an area of 1,992 square kilometers.

In terms of speed and extension, Shenzhen’s development in recent years is certainly one of the most remarkable examples of urban growth in history. From 1979 to 2015, the total population of the city went from 300,000 to over 18 million and its urban area expanded more than 300-fold. The huge process that transformed Shenzhen from a small fishing village into a modern metropolis is summed up in a series of political and economic reforms that shaped the city into the place we know today. The former village was chosen at the end of the 1970s as the first Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in China to benefit from the reforms launched by Deng Xiaoping to boost the economic recovery of the country. 

Special economic measures were adopted to attract more foreign investment to the SEZ and create an environment better suited to the needs of the foreign business community. The new policies proved successful and huge investment were allocated to Shenzhen, refueling its economy and expansion. It is estimated that from 1979 to today the city’s GDP increased at an annual rate of about 25%. Today it stands at $270 billion, making the city fourth of China’s 659 Chinese cities (behind Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou) in terms of economic output. Secondary and services industries are the...

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