Urbanization and Utopian Community in Beijing

Urban Intervention

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Introduction

Urban villages have proliferated major cities of China over the past few decades. Economic and population factors drive this major development. Urban areas are known to serve as centers for trade and commerce, research and culture, education, and government. As a result, urban areas are bound to face significant growth in population, especially in developing nations. Approximately 41 percent of the global population lives in urban areas, and by 2025, the United Nations estimates that roughly 60.1 percent of the global population will be residing in urban areas. However, the growth of urban villages has also brought about various challenges. More specifically, urbanization has resulted in social and infrastructure problems, as well as environmental and ecological issues. As cities continue to develop, more people migrate from rural to urban areas in search of a better livelihood. This results in population growth in urban areas, which then leads to an acute shortage of housing units. Because of the shortage in housing, urban areas are bound to have issues of overcrowding and poor living conditions.

Urbanization also results in a poor state of infrastructure as cities face shortages in power supply, water, and even basic amenities. The lack of affordable housing is also another challenge brought about by urbanization as the majority of migrants lack enough money to pay for urban houses, mostly because of the low-income levels. Eventually, a large number of migrants unwillingly end living as squatters or in urban slums. An increased number of the urban population lives in slums, and in 2003, the numbers were estimated to be close to 924 million individuals. As a result, these living conditions can reflect on the quality of the workforce and productivity in these urban areas. Besides the living conditions, urbanization also increases health risks.

The Case of Beijing ...