Planning and Property Development Coursework 2 Individual Report

Planning and Property Development Coursework 2 Individual Report
Name
CDE311 Planning and Property Development
DR Hyung-Chul Chung
Date
Introduction
China’s State Council influences policies on urban planning and development at the state and local level providing guidelines and a framework in the creation of urban areas. However, effective urban design policies have been negatively affected by the unprecedented urbanisation boom, which partly explains cities expanding into rural lands to cater for urban expansion. The General Office of the State Council also influences prioritization of construction projects that result in sustainable development and regulates construction including in urban villages. The Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development (MOHURD) issues guidelines on public housing development and programmes in China. Thus, various authorities work together to influence urban development including in the transitional neighbourhoods as is the case with the urban villages
China has experienced rapid urbanization with increased focus on transforming urban villages that often include old buildings that reflect the areas’ past. The village in the city (ViCs) or urban villages are also known as chengzhongcun reflects urban development where there has been expansion of the urban areas into the villages, where farmland is usually acquired but some residential areas in the villages are not acquired (Lin, Meulder & Wang, 2011). In other words, the urban sprawl swallows the villages, but they are not fully part of the urban areas where they retain the rural and urban structures (Lin, Meulder & Wang, 2011). Guangzhou is the capital of Guangdong Province in southern to China and one of the most important and the Guangzhou sea port has made it easier to trade with the outside world. This is an evaluation the transparency, equity, and efficiency of urban governance in this urban village transformation.
Fairness (equity)
Fairness entails focusing on the needs and requirements of the stakeholders where there is equal access to the resources and opportunities. When focusing on equality in real estate the issues of balancing fairness (equity) and justice arise as there are competing claims on whether to maintain the urban villages’ most important sites and whether to change the area, which helps in revitalization. Impartiality is closely linked to fairness. For there to be fairness there is a need to prioritize transparency and accountability since fair distribution occurs when the authorities and stakeholders are held accountable. While fairness is a contested concept, fairness distribution takes into consideration the legitimate claims and entitlements of different parties
Efforts to ensure that there is affordable housing in the urban villages and surroundings have not always been successful. Affordable housing reflects equity in the real estate market and with more people moving into urban areas in the urban village of Guangzhou, there is rising demand for housing, which pushes the price of houses and rents up. The urban village accommodates the recent rural immigrants, which makes it a good option for the residents, but still there is lower investment in the urban village...