published_or_final_version / China Development Studies / Master / Master of Arts in China Development Studies

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2001. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references. Available also from UMI/Dissertation Abstracts International.

In China, in the midst of rapid urban expansion, research has been focused on the urban sector. The rural sector is by no means less significant, yet it is left largely unexplored. Losing the land rights for urban expansion, the rural communities suffered from the deterioration of socio-economic conditions. The central government announced a rural resettlement policy in 2005 to pursue an urban-rural balanced urbanization mode. After experimenting with this plan on a large scale for one decade, its effectiveness has not been explored comprehensively. Current studies on urbanization and rural land development in China focused on the central and provincial governments, seldom paying attention to the lower level. This research analyzed and compared the outcomes and equity implications of the rural resettlement policy under different governing modes in Tianjin, where the policy has been conducted on a large scale over a ten-year period. Case studies of seven rural resettlement projects in Tianjin were conducted, mainly using qualitative methods. Different governance modes in the implementation process were explored and categorized according to the network governance concept. Based on the data from a questionnaire survey, interviews and field observation, the outcomes and equity implications of this policy were assessed and evaluated. Working definitions of governance and urban-rural equity were also developed. This study revealed that the underlying objective of the rural resettlement policy was to transfer the rural land ownership from collective-owned to state-owned, though the overt objective is to improve the livelihood of the rural people. Furthermore, the rural communities were differentiated in accordance with their economic conditions. The district and town governments were given autonomy to deal with such complex situations. The competency and the expectations of the stakeholders in the process of project implementation were found to be essential in the formation of the three governance modes. In terms of policy performance, the effectiveness of the re-drawing of land rights was greatly influenced by local economic conditions; the fact that distribution of the compensation was more determined by the governance modes; and that, without considering the characteristics of the rural people, the development of the living environment could not be recognized as efficient. Furthermore, the objective of reshaping the rural people’s economic activities was frustrated by insufficient professional training for the resettled rural laborers. In terms of the policy implications on urban-rural equity, the wellbeing of resettled households, though improved in the aspect of public facility provision, social welfare provision for them was still considered deficient. Furthermore, the rural people’s perceptions of improvement in their lives were found closely related to their general satisfaction with the policy. Therefore, the implementation of the rural resettlement policy in Tianjin has contributed to the clarification of the rural land rights system and improvement of the living standards of rural residents to some extent. However, its efforts were impaired when it failed to consider fully the local conditions and the requirements of the rural communities. Thus, further clarification of the policy objectives and the implementation process open to public consultation are considered essential factors for further improvement. / published_or_final_version / Urban Planning and Design / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

Thesis (M. A.)--University of Hong Kong, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 113-126).

published_or_final_version / Urban Planning / Master / Master of Science in Urban Planning

This thesis analyzed the process of rural urbanization in Mainland China about the driven forces behind it, powerful player within it and impacts from it and seeks to conclude the emergent issues of environment, society and economy regarding the enormously growth of rural urbanization. Based on the research, the thesis concluded that the rural urbanization pattern is leading to a chaotic urbanized future of condensed urban fabric and urban villages and suggests that by creating a new approach of rural urbanization combining ecological concern and economic reformation, the negative impact of rural urbanization can be reduced and terminated. Then the thesis selected case studies in the North China Plain in Beijing Municipality to further examine the impacts of rural urbanization on local communities and ecology and to test the new approach proposed based on the site situations on rural urbanization that is controlled and regulated by landscape facility. The landscape facility is the core idea of new rural urbanization pattern that combines economic reformation and ecological compensation together as well as brings opportunities for different powerful players in the process of rural urbanization to negotiation through spatial design. / published_or_final_version / Architecture / Master / Master of Landscape Architecture

published_or_final_version / Public Administration / Master / Master of Social Sciences

published_or_final_version / Public Administration / Master / Master of Social Sciences

Rural Guangdong before 1949 was characterized by an exploitive system derived from the alliance of wealth and power among the landlords, clans, the rich and the gentry. This network of exploitive relations not only controlled the resources--i.e., land, credit and markets—which were most essential to the livelihood of the peasants, but also created numerous blockages in the system making it impossible to have any input injected from the outside trickle down. Rural development in Guangdong after 1949 began with the land reform movement, but it was only when collectivization was carried out through the establishment of cooperatives and rural communes, such exploitive relations were eradicated. A rural development strategy, however, did not emerge until after the fateful years of agricultural crisis and the Soviet pull-out. This strategy was aimed at the development of infrastructure for both agricultural and rural development through collectivization. It postulated that only when the infrastructure for agriculture was strengthened, could agricultural production be increased and funds and surplus for the development of supportive structure, such as rural industries, health care and education in the rural system be generated. And only when such supportive structure was developed and consolidated could new inputs be created to increase agricultural production further. It was through such a spiral process of generating, reinvesting and retaining rural surplus that rural development was implemented and realized. And it was in such a manner that rural development fulfilled various objectives to become an integral part of a strategy for development. / Arts, Faculty of / Anthropology, Department of / Graduate

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 306-311).