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Abstract Urban gated communities have become increasingly common worldwide in both academic and policy discourse over recent decades. In contrast, gated communities in rural areas, a newer phenomenon, are rarely analyzed. This paper focuses on the unique phenomenon of gated villages that have emerged in the Beijing metropolitan area. We aim to explore the content, mechanism, heterogeneities etc. of gated villages, and how they differentiate from urban gated community. Five gated villages were selected for fieldwork and 27 semi-structured interviews were conducted with villagers, migrant tenants, heads of village committees, local government officers, and academics. Based on the framework of structuration theory, this paper analyzes the mechanism behind the formation of gated villages, which differ from urban gated communities. Based on the case studies, this paper concludes that: (1) the formation of the gated village is the culmination of interactions between complex dynamics of regional elements and the intellectual responses of various actors under the context of transitional rural China; (2) although the gated village appears similar to urban gated communities, it is in essence a new institutional tool of social management rather than a simple transfer of existing gated community structures into rural regions; (3) the consequences of the gated village are in general positive and can be enhanced by restricting physical size and by improvement of government-village co-operation. Highlights • Uncover the causes, mechanisms and consequences of gated village. • Distinguish rural gated village from urban gated community. • Clarify the co-evolution of institutions and actors in the formation and development of gated village. • Suggest that gated village can be an efficient institutional tool to improve rural wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract By virtue of the hukou reform issued by the State Council in 2014, a more people-oriented development path under a 'New Urbanization Model' is implemented during the 13th Five Year Plan. In a new grading regime, migrants' housing tenurial status plays a crucial role in differentiating who are qualified to enjoy the welfare entitlement (e.g. public education) in the host cities. Drawing upon the data from the 2011 and 2016 Migrant Dynamics Monitoring Survey, this paper investigates the rationale of the hybrid tenure continuum, its stratification mechanism among the whole migrant population in Beijing, and its dynamic change and impact on migrants given the undertaking of drastic measures by Beijing Municipality in the early 2010s to address its informality problems. A hybrid tenure structure from an insecure to de facto and to legal titles was proved critical to increase the resilience of housing supply for migrant groups. Policy implication of this paper is about how best to empower migrants as equal citizens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This paper studies the labour force in Beijing in relation to that in London. Through this comparative approach, the paper breaks the current isolation of Chinese studies, crosses the categorical divides in comparative research, and addresses local-global dialects in global cities. A very similar description of the labour force between these two cities is revealed. The labour forces in both cities had a young age profile with that in Beijing being only slightly younger, both shared a male-dominated characteristic with a stronger dominance in Beijing, and comprised primarily highly educated individuals who were slightly less represented in Beijing. Such a dominance of young, male and highly educated individuals in both cities is due to the two cities' similar attraction to these people as both now being a global city. The different extents of dominance in Beijing, however, are influenced by its various institutional practices. Yet with an aging population and a fast-developing urbanisation in China, these practices are very likely to be altered in the near future. It is therefore foreseeable that the labour force in Beijing will become yet more similar to that of London very soon. Based on these findings, it is untenable to claim Chinese cities as being greatly different. To largely exclude such cities from the comparative research is also no longer justifiable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture in peri-urban areas is prone to dynamic changes due to urban influences. Previous studies have explored the impact of urban growth on peri-urban agriculture (PUA), but the active responses of the agricultural sector are rarely examined. This paper investigates recent agricultural development practices in peri-urban Beijing and explores approaches to agricultural transformation in the rapid process of urbanisation. The investigation finds that high-tech precision agriculture, down-stream processing and agro-tourism have emerged as major forms of PUA in Beijing. It also uncovers that the PUA developments are not only economically appealing, but also socially inclusive and environmental friendly. The findings contribute to a better understanding of PUA progress in China. The paper suggests policy implications in facilitating integrated development between urban and rural sectors, which would help improve economic development, spatial planning and local governance in peri-urban areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Commencing in the 1990s, market reforms, high rates of urban growth and dissolution of public-subsidized housing created cumulatively a speculative property boom in Beijing. Economic housing was meant to provide affordable housing to low and middle income residents. But with the state earnest in using property market to promote GDP growth, political commitments were weakened and resources allocated went scarce. Non-target middle class “free riders” were also let into economic housing by developers to generate higher profit. The paper investigates the causes of misallocation of economic housing in Beijing. A housing survey was conducted to look into the competing interests in two starkly contrasted economic housing clusters — inner city resettlement and middle-class neighbourhoods. This paper aims to address the importance of balancing the growth-led policy with social equity and redistribution of public resources. An excessive emphasis of the former would deprive the latter of social justice and more equitable distribution. Short-term and longer term solutions are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite massive new town development in megacities in China, none of the prior studies examined commuting disparities of residents of different income groups living in various types of new towns. Based on established literature on urban structure and commuting and income disparities in commuting, this paper has examined the roles of income and new town types in commuting distance, mode, and time differences. Based on Beijing's new town development context, we categorize its six major new towns into residential, national park-driven industrial, market-based industrial, and satellite new towns. Using descriptive analysis and regressions on 595 new town residents, we find that high-income commuters tend to have longer commuting distances and times and are more likely to drive to workplaces. Those living in the residential new town tend to have longer commuting distances and times. Results also show the transportation resource differences in different types of new towns. Those living in the residential new town are more likely to commute by public transit. Results also show the transportation difficulties for low-income residents who live in satellite towns. Though high-income commuters living in those towns have significantly longer commuting distances, they do not necessarily have longer commuting times than low-income people living in these towns. This study has several implications for future research and policy implications for new town development in China and other transit-dependent cities in Asia and Global South. • This paper examines commuting disparities across different types of new towns and income groups in Beijing. • High-income commuters tend to have longer commuting distances and times and are more likely to drive. • Those living in the residential new town tend to have longer commuting distances and times. • Those living in the residential new town are more likely to commute by public transit. • Results also show the transportation difficulties for low-income commuters living in satellite towns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Generally found in the old city, “urban crack” refers to a narrow area that is hidden behind a prosperous area and was once flourished but no longer full of energy. Street vendors often regard “urban crack” areas as their main working places because they are from lower socioeconomic groups. However, these vendors occupy cities' marginal spaces during unconventional times, which is a strategy of agency. Choosing the Longfu Temple morning market, a street market in old Beijing city as the study area, this study focused on how the vendors successfully conducted their business in the morning market, which is a type of “urban crack”. Inspired by Cresswell's framework (2010) of the six facets of mobility, the paper constructed a framework for agency to explain street vendors' activities, which includes the following six aspects: motive force, route, speed, rhythm, experience, and friction. Relying on the perspective of time and space, this study revealed that disadvantaged groups represented by morning market vendors are flexible and vigorous. By incorporating agency, these vendors' tactics consider time and space in order to support their way of life. Focusing on street vendors is not a unique case to develop the concept of “urban crack”, this study makes an original contribution to provide a research reference for other countries that are faced with similar social realities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Much like other post-socialist cities, Chinese cities experienced dramatic changes after economic reform. The danwei, or state-owned work unit, was once a fundamental building block of Chinese cities. In addition to being the basic form of economic and social organization, danwei communities defined Chinese urban development before reform, taking the form of gated, walled-off combined factory and residential areas. This paper focuses on spatial changes at the neighborhood scale in danwei, by selecting the Tongrentang pharmaceutical factory in Beijing, China during the time period between 1973 and 2006 as a case study. Through archival material and interviews, this paper describes how the community changed from gated, boring, solidified and strictly constrained work units to un-gated, vibrant, mixed-use and flexible urban neighborhoods. This case study in urban China provides implications for planning professionals and policy makers. By properly redeveloping these brownfield, traditional danwei communities many change to become un-gated, livable, accessible, integrated, and sustainable in the post-socialist era. The implication for current transition theory is that despite the similarity to Central and East European countries, urban China has a local context and unique spatial changes that should be embraced in future transition studies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The aggressive industrial upgrade in China's first-tier cities has caused a shift in scholarly attention from peasant migrant workers to skilled migrants. Contrasting with a few elite migrants who are entitled special settlement policies, there is a large group of skilled migrants struggling for permanent homes and settlement amidst the rapid property inflation in the first-tier cities. However, these new floaters' housing experiences and settlement intention have not been studied. This paper fills this gap with a specific focus on skilled migrants' initiatives in expanding access to homeownership from the informal sector and showing how informal homeownership reshapes their settlement intention. Using a structural equation model on a dataset collected from Beijing and Shenzhen, this paper reveals the sorting and enabling effects of informal homeownership (small property rights housing, SPRH) on skilled migrants' settlement intention. The modelling results showed skilled migrants with an intention to settle down in Beijing/Shenzhen tend to buy an informal house as a residence instead of renting a home. Living in owned SPRH encourages migrants' intention to settle down because informal homeownership enables them to offset their structural disadvantages in the formal housing system. Therefore, SPRH serves as a stepping-stone for skilled migrants towards formal homeownership and permanent settlement in China's first-tier cities. Our empirical findings substantiate the socially inclusive nature of SPRH and contributes a new justification to tenure pluralism. • Skilled migrants are struggling for settlement in China's first tier cities. • Their housing experiences and settlement intention have not been studied. • Sorting effects of SPRH: Those with settlement intention tend to buy a SPRH. • Enabling effects of SPRH: Living in owned SPRH encourages settlement intention. • SPRH serves as a stepping-stone for skilled migrants to settle down. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although urban land leasing is supposedly a local government matter, local leaderships' proactive pursual of economic growth for their career advancements can sometimes be at odds with national policies. Yet, how land conveyance decisions are made in midst of the implementation of national policies and land financing has been a rather overlooked aspect in the studies of China's land market. Hence, this paper explores this issue through a study of land conveyance decisions in Beijing and Shanghai's residential and commercial land markets from 2007 to 2018, and their subsequent land price effects. Deploying endogenous treatment effect models, it is revealed that land conveyance decisions in Beijing were highly subject to national policies and the status of its City Party Secretary, but not in Shanghai. Also, the use of Guapai resulted in higher residential and commercial land prices in Shanghai, but lower prices for Beijing's commercial land parcels. The findings indicate that Beijing, due to its closer proximity to the Central Government, appears to have stringently followed the national policy directions, whereas land officials in Shanghai seem to have had a higher degree of autonomy in their decisions. Additionally, the contrasting price effect of Guapai on land prices for residential and commercial land parcels enabled Beijing's government to compensate for the latent losses in land revenue when leasing residential land parcels, due to Nation #10, by leasing commercial parcels at higher prices via tender. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigated the residential locations and residential moves of people with different levels of economic capital and cultural capital between the city centre and suburb in Beijing. This sheds light on the nature and meaning of these two spaces, as well as the processes of suburbanization and urban redevelopment. It was found that people with both high economic and cultural capital were the most likely to live in the city centre in 2020 and to have moved but remained in the city centre during 2010–2020, compared to the other three socioeconomic groups. This group had both the affordability and cultural inclination to stay in the city centre. In comparison, those who could also afford to live in the city centre but with low cultural capital were more likely to have moved from the city centre to the suburb, while those with low affordability but high cultural capital were more likely to have moved from the suburb to the city centre. These contrasts imply a spatial orientation towards the city centre of cultural capital and an orientation towards the suburb of economic capital. People with low economic and low cultural capital were in general more mobile in comparison. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper seeks to understand extreme public transit riders in Beijing using both traditional household surveys and emerging new data sources such as Smart Card Data (SCD). We focus on four types of extreme transit behaviors: public transit riders who (1) travel significantly earlier than average riders (‘early birds’); (2) ride in unusual late hours (‘night owls’); (3) commute in excessively long distance (‘tireless itinerants’); and (4) make significantly more trips per day (‘recurring itinerants’). SCD are used to identify the spatiotemporal patterns of these four extreme transit behaviors. In addition, household surveys are employed to supplement the socioeconomic background and tentatively profile extreme travelers. While the research findings are useful to guide urban governance and planning in Beijing, our methodology and procedures can be extended to understand travel patterns elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the household survey of “household energy consumption and living conditions in Beijing”, in this paper, we estimate the determinants of household carbon emissions and its relation to a community's building, neighborhood and location attributes. We find that a community with energy-saving building attributes and with greater amenities in neighborhood significantly reduces the level of residential household carbon emissions. Meanwhile, a community that is far from public facilities tends to increase the probability of car purchase and results in higher transportation carbon emissions. Given the implications these findings have on eco-communities and urban sustainability, we further discuss the importance of the role of a community when conducting ecological studies and its role for designing strategies for urban ecological infrastructure (UEI) planning toward eco-friendly economy and society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In China, tenants' residential relocations always present diverse spatial-temporal tendencies and are highly influenced by disadvantages of origin (push) and attractiveness of destination (pull). This paper aims to construct a relocation intention (RI) model and estimate the effects of residential push–pull factors on tenants' RIs, such as the household registration system (hukou), homeownership status, and residential dissatisfaction. The empirical research relies on a questionnaire-based survey of 2187 tenants conducted in 2019 in Beijing, China. Our findings confirm that non-local hukou status significantly pushes female and unmarried tenants to relocate, and non-local homeownership noticeably pulls male and married tenants' relocation. These two factors also significantly influence the RIs of tenants without higher education. For tenants younger than 35, non-local hukou status shows a strong pushing force, but non-local homeownership does not present notable differences by age. Additionally, residential dissatisfaction significantly pushes tenants' RIs and has a moderating effect on non-local homeownership. Moreover, for tenants who have explicit relocation intentions, non-local hukou status plays a vital role in shortening their intended stay before their actual relocation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The morphology of a city affects its ecological and socioeconomic functions, and thus how a city is spatially structured has important bearings on urban sustainability. The paper analyzes the spatial pattern of Beijing in relation to its urban functions. Our results show that the 6 concentric ring-roads in Beijing provide a basic framework for the city''s overall spatial pattern, and also give its apparent resemblance to the classic concentric zone theory. The paper identifies 5 concentric zones for Beijing based on a suite of urban functions. However, there are significant differences between the urban spatial pattern of Beijing and that depicted in the classic concentric zone theory. The study sheds new light on the urban morphology of one of the major Chinese cities, and provides needed information for developing plans to diffuse urban functions in Beijing. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Due to rapid informatization and increasing urban sprawl, currently, metropolitan residents are facing challenges regarding spatial imbalance between their home, workplace, and activity locations, which seriously affects the quality of life and subjective well-being of urban residents. However, only a few existing studies have analyzed the relationship between home, workplace, and other activity spaces of urban residents and the influence mechanism of spatial separation of the three locations. In this study, we used the mobile phone signaling data of the residents of Beijing for May 2019 to explore the degree of mutual separation of the three locations, based on the identification of the homes, workplaces, and main activity spaces of over 2.3 million residents in Beijing. Leveraging these data, we discussed the influence mechanism of activity separation, in terms of the built environment and socioeconomic factors. The results indicated that the degree of the home-workplace separation was the highest, followed by the home-workplace-activity space separation, and the home-activity space separation was the lowest. Notably, the three types of spatial separations had significant spatial disparities. Attribution analysis indicated housing price as the dominant factor affecting the spatial separation of the residents, while the accessibility and location also having important effects. Moreover, the interaction of these factors had a stronger explanatory power for the spatial separation of the daily activity spaces of the urban residents. This study is the first to estimate the degree of spatial separation among the homes, workplaces, and other activity spaces of urban residents and analyzed their correlation using geographic context factors. Our results can provide useful scientific insights to explore the spatial characteristics of the home-work-activity relationship with respect to metropolitan residents and optimize the spatial distribution of urban functions. • 2.3 million Beijing residents' homes, workplaces, and major activity spaces were identified based on mobile phone data. • This study is the first paper to estimate the spatial separation among the homes, workplaces, and activity spaces. • The separations of homes, workplaces, and activity spaces had significant spatial heterogeneity at the subdistrict scale. • Housing price is the dominant factor for the spatial separation, and accessibility and location also had important effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the resale prices of housing around the 10 rail stations opened in the last four years in Beijing. The premium effect of rail transit on surrounding residences is compared and analyzed using the hedonic price model. The research shows that the scope of influence, the degree of influence, the range of influence of negative externality and negative impact of transfer stations are greater than that of non-transfer stations, and the difference between transfer stations and non-transfer stations is much greater in the suburbs than that in the city. This research can assist with policy making, subway station planning, housing investment and real estate development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industrial parks have been tested in various regions around the world, in attempt to foster innovation and fuel economic growth. Despite the importance of industry co-agglomerations in regional growth, few studies examine them in regional geographic space. This paper combines exploratory spatial data analysis and input–output method to explore the spatial pattern of key industrial co-agglomerations in Beijing, which is illustrated by location, function, frequency, spatial hierarchy and spacing. The results contribute to linking abstract economic and actual geographical spaces in urban and regional growth, enabling urban and regional planners to judge and evaluate planning initiatives before and after implementation. The failure of sub-center plans and risks of industrial parks schemes in Beijing are addressed. By considering industrial input–output relations including environmental and human resources, urban planners can optimize the development of such co-agglomerations to foster sustainable urban development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental assessment plays an important role in directing urban development towards a sustainable way. Unfortunately the majority of currently available environmental assessment tools emphasize either the regional scale or single-building scale, while giving less attention to the meso-scale. This paper presents a methodology of meso-scale environmental performance assessment for urban commercial districts. It extends both the environmental performance assessment and the environmental efficiency assessment by integrating the indicators from three aspects, i.e. the environmental quality, the social and economic value, and the environmental load. Consumer satisfaction is also incorporated. The Stated Preference survey (SP survey) was introduced for the evaluation to get the preference of the consumers, and weights of the indicators were decided via discrete choice model fitting. Six typical commercial districts of Beijing were sampled to test the viability. The results of our research are proved helpful for understanding the environmental situation of urban commercial districts therefore instructive for city planning and management. The proposed method can also be applied to other meso-scale districts such as industrial districts and residential districts in city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the recent past Beijing has experienced rapid development. This growth has been accompanied by many problems including traffic congestion and air pollution. Understanding what stimulates urban growth is important for sustainable development in the coming years. In this paper, we first estimate a binary auto-logistic model of land use change, using physical and socioeconomic characteristics of the location and its access to major centers within the city as predictors. We find that variables determining regional access, like time distance to the city center, the Central Business District (CBD), industrial centers, employment centers, and the transportation system, significantly impact urban land conversion. By using measures of access to predict land use change we believe that we can better understand the planning implications of urban growth not only in Beijing but other rapidly developing cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper aims to provide a complete picture of the spatial distribution of industries in China, a country which is presently undergoing a transition from a planned economy to a market economy. It also seeks to explore the reasons behind that distribution. We employ the negative exponential function to analyze the spatial distribution of 57 economic sectors in Beijing. Comparison of the preferred location of each sector can reveal the overall industrial spatial pattern, which functions as a spatial reflection of the influence of the government and the market on economic activities. The findings of the study suggest that the governmental force is more powerful than the market force in the urban core, although the overall spatial distribution of industries is found to comply with the laws of the market economy. The power of the government and the market also shape the industrial spatial pattern in other Chinese cities, in ways that are similar to the case of Beijing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper assesses the traditional hutong street system and siheyuan courtyard house as an urban development model in contemporary Beijing by comparing it with the practiced alternative. Official government standards are used as criteria for measuring the performance of the urban form types. Criteria derived from government documents emphasise the efficiency and low-carbon emission of the transportation system and efficiency in land use, via higher densities. Minimum site areas devoted to green space are also specified. We compared the use of land resources in a sample of 9 hutong areas with those of a sample of 22 newly built communities. We collected traffic data and interviewed residents in these areas. We also examined transportation as a user of urban land, as well as the implications for land resources if the 2002 conservation plan is fully implemented. It was found that the hutong development models underperform with regard to building density depending on form type, but achieve much higher population densities than suburban housing. Motor traffic infrastructure in contemporary development takes up 3 times as much of the development area as the hutong do in their development area. The hutong outperform the rest of the urban fabric with regard to sustainable transport with 0.17 of the car mode proportion for all of Beijing. There is heavy dependency on three-wheeled vehicles for goods transport and high levels of walking. Moving the remaining population of the hutong as planned would require about 1800 ha of new residential land more than 30 km from the city centre. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wet markets, recently thrust into the limelight during the coronavirus pandemic, play a necessary role in daily life in Asia. Yet, the value of wet markets has not ever been sufficiently explored. While an increasing body of work has studied the implicit value of urban public amenities through the hedonic price model and traditional measurements of accessibility and density, the subjective perceptions of amenities have been neglected, specifically for consumption amenity. This is especially the case with wet markets: traditional approaches are unable to capture their comprehensive effects. By employing data on Beijing housing transactions in 2019 and online review scores of wet markets, we reduce this knowledge gap by exploring both the amenity and dis-amenity effects of wet markets and capturing the objective and subjective perspectives. Our results indicate a nonlinear relationship between wet market accessibility and urban housing prices. Considering the perceived quality of wet markets, this paper further indicates that housing prices near high-scoring wet markets appreciate while housing prices depreciate near low-scoring markets. Interestingly, the negative influence of low-scoring markets is statistically larger than the positive influence of high-scoring wet markets. Taking the housing price as a reflection of an owner's wealth and income level, we argue that high-income dwellers tend to pay more for perceived quality than for convenience. Our findings, therefore, offer new and refined insights for scholars and urban planning decision-makers. • The effect of wet markets for residents is explored through the lens of urban housing prices. • The physical accessibility and the big data of online customer reviews are employed to capture the objective and subjective perceptions of wet markets. • Both amenity and dis-amenity effects of wet market are detected. • A nonlinear relationship between wet market accessibility and urban housing prices is indicated. • High-income dwellers tend to pay more for subjective perception than for convenience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Tour or trip chain based travel analysis has been a feature of transportation research for several decades, but has largely been the preserve of developed countries. Furthermore, the important associations between urban form and trip-chaining behaviour have received little attention. Based on detailed land use data and an activity dairy survey for workers in Beijing, China, this paper investigates how socio-demographic attributes of households, individuals and urban form characteristics at both residence and workplace, correlate with the tour-based travel decision process. We focus on tour frequency, tour scheduling (type and order of stops made) and tour interdependence mechanisms. Empirical results show that socio-demographic attributes and commuting time strongly correlate with tour decisions, but that there is no significant gender difference in tour frequency, as seen in developed countries, although women tend to make more stops within a tour. Urban form characteristics at home and at workplace are significantly associated with tour frequency, but differ with respect to tour complexity. For example, higher residential density is associated with more home-based tours with fewer stops, while mixed land use at workplaces having higher density and accessibility is associated with more stops within one work tour, or a more complex tour pattern. The research also reveals, for the first time, a tour interdependence effect for workers who undertake multiple tours. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The setting of urban construction boundaries (UCBs) through the imposition of master plans (MPs) is commonly practiced in China and Taiwan. However, the effectiveness of UCBs in containing urban sprawl has been challenged. In this paper, from a property rights perspective, we first explain, theoretically and conceptually, why UCBs in general could cause urban sprawl, rather than stop it. Using the case of Beijing and Taipei in particular, we further examine the effectiveness of the UCBs policy and conclude, as predicted by our analysis, that the urban sprawl in Beijing during the two planning periods from 1983 to 2005 took place mostly outside the UCBs. In contrast to Beijing, the UCBs in Taipei, a counter example for our hypothesis, from 1958 to 1991 were quite effective in containing urban sprawl. The different results between Beijing and Taipei, we argue, lie in the effectiveness of regulations setting. In Taipei, the regulations were effective in restricting developers from searching for land outside the UCBs, but no such evidence was found in Beijing. We argue, therefore, that a successful land control measure, such as UCBs, should take into account developers' behavioral reaction to plans and regulations in order to stop effectively urban sprawl. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Diversity, complexity and change have become the hallmarks of contemporary Chinese rural settlements. However, the literature so far has paid insufficient attention to this phenomenon from the standpoint of functional transition and related land-use change. To fill in this gap, this paper explores the functional transition of rural settlement through analyzing land-use differentiation in a transect of Beijing. Land-use changes are presented along the differentiation of land-use structure and use change of rural housing. The results indicate that there is an obvious differentiation of land-use structure from near-urban countryside to the rural hinterland. Besides that, the use change of rural housing also has regional characteristics. They are different responses to the urban sprawl, respectively from the collective economic organization and single rural resident. The regional differentiation implies a functional transition in some rural settlements, including increases of non-agricultural function and urban servicing function. Quantitative evaluation of the functional intensity and its rules on spatial–temporal evolution still need to be approached in the future. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Since 1958 the hukou (household registration) system has assigned Chinese citizens either a rural or urban status. Some studies argue that the rural-to-urban migrants in China who do not have urban hukou are not entitled to urban social insurance schemes, due to institutional discrimination, which applies differing treatment to urban and rural hukou (chengxiang fenge). Although rural–urban migrants participate less in the social insurance system than their counterparts with urban hukou, a closer examination of recent policy developments shows that migrants actually do have the legal right to access the system. This implies that discrimination between rural and urban workers has been declining, and distinctions based on household registration status are less able to explain China's current urban transition. This paper provides a new way of examining Chinese migrants' social insurance participation, by adopting a framework that includes both rural-to-urban migrants and urban-to-urban migrants, which are an important, but less studied, migrant group. Among our key findings are that urban migrants are more likely to sign a labour contract than rural migrants; urban migrants have higher participation rates in social insurance than rural migrants; having a labour contract has a greater impact than hukou status in determining whether Beijing's floating population accesses social insurance; and urban migrants who have signed a labour contract have higher participation rates in social insurance than either rural migrants or urban migrants without a labour contract. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Despite the rapid transformation of art villages in Beijing, an understanding of their location dynamics has been lacking. This paper will supply that insight by exploring three interrelated questions: What are the location characteristics of Beijing's art villages? How has economic transformation shaped their location? Is there anything unique about the evolution of Beijing's art villages? Analyses of information gathered through field reconnaissance and secondary sources reveal that these art villages have expanded rapidly in the urban fringe of metropolitan Beijing. Major factors influencing its location and relocation include the cost of rental properties, the quality of the creative environment, attributes of the transitional land and art markets, and public policies for Beijing's metropolitan development. Rapid economic transition and urban growth in China have shaped a trajectory of art village evolvement distinctive from that in Western metropolises. The fate of art villages in Beijing is determined by the transitional characteristics of urban development, art markets and state policies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Rapid urbanisation has resulted in a series of urban sustainability challenges. Green infrastructure, with its associated emphasis on multifunctionality, has been advocated by scholars and practitioners alike as a key part of responses seeking the transition to sustainable urban environments. In support of this, a number of assessment frameworks have emerged which seek to assess green infrastructure needs and opportunities. Increasingly it has been recognised that such frameworks will need to provide a greater degree of emphasis upon social and perceptual values and focus more actively upon the neighbourhood scale. This need is particularly apparent within a Chinese context. Research on the role of green infrastructure within China, however, has tended to prioritise comprehensive city-wide or regional assessments. To date, there have been very few studies at the neighbourhood level which have attempted to consider both objective and subjective GI characteristics and how barriers might be mediated. In response, this paper seeks to develop an improved understanding of neighbourhood level GI needs. Through the use of both objective and subjective indicators linked to levels of green infrastructure provision and satisfaction, we outline how strategic responses might be developed to different neighbourhood contexts to aid a more adaptive and spatially sensitive approach to sustainable urbanisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper analyses the duration of housing project sales in the city of Beijing, China. In the housing market, new properties sometimes experience delays before they are sold. Such delays reflect the preferences of buyers with regard to the characteristics of the dwelling. Therefore, it is important for managerial purposes to identify the causes of delays in the sales of housing projects. A survival model with heterogeneity is adopted in the present research. The principal finding of this study is that delays are largely explained by the characteristics and the location of the housing project. Policy implications of the research findings, particularly those related to means of reducing the delays, are discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Using a large-scale household survey and aggregated census data from Beijing, this paper develops a framework to empirically measure the relative impact of location characteristics versus individual characteristics in determining the residential location choices of households. The results provide strong evidence that most location-specific factors, such as local public goods accessibility are found to be significant and of the expected signs in determining the location choice odds of households. In addition, while some individual socioeconomic characteristics such as income, educational attainment, and ownership status have similar effects on location choices as in developed market economies, factors that characterize institutional forces still play significant roles in residential location choices. These findings reveal the coexistence of market mechanisms and socialist institutional forces in shaping the unique location choice decisions of households in this transitional Beijing. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper aims to describe the joint choice of residential location, travel mode, and departure time. First, based on random utility maximization theory, the Cross-Nested Logit model and traditional NL models are formulated respectively. House price, travel time, travel cost, and factors depicting the individual socio-economic characteristics are defined as exogenous variables, and the model choice sets are the combination of residential location subset, departure time subset, and travel mode choice subset. Second, using Beijing traffic survey data of 2005, the model parameters are estimated, and the direct and cross elasticity are calculated to analyze the change of alternatives probability brought by factors variation. Estimation results show the Cross-Nested Logit model outperforms the three kinds of NL model. It is also found by estimation results that decision makers will change first their departure times, then their travel modes, and finally their residential locations, when exogenous variables alter. Moreover, elasticity analysis results suggest that, for long-distance commuting, it is difficult to decrease car travels even if additional charges are imposed on car users. The effect on choice probability by variations in travel time of other travel mode can be considered as negligible for alternatives within 5km commuting distance, and this effect are greatest for alternatives between 10 and 20km commuting distance. These findings have important implications for transport demand management and residence planning. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper contributes to the study of planning for low-carbon cities by providing empirical evidence on the relationship between planning parameters (i.e., density, land use mix, accessibility to public transportation and jobs-housing balance) and household carbon emission in Beijing, China. Five neighborhoods representing different levels of carbon emission are selected using a household survey dataset that includes 1227 sample households; these neighborhoods are analyzed using the survey dataset together with land use data provided by the Beijing Municipal Urban Planning Commission. Findings confirm that higher population density, mixed land-use patterns, better accessibility to public transportation, and job-housing balance are important planning parameters that reduce household carbon emission in Beijing. This research provides the first empirical evidence from a large Asian city that can assist planners and policy makers in estimating the impact that planning principles can have on reducing household carbon emission. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: For decades through the 1980s, housing units in major Chinese cities were “bonded” to jobs as they were located together with or very close to places of employment within large, walled danwei compounds. From the 1990s, accelerated suburbanization of population in major Chinese cities fueled by urban redevelopment, urban land reform and urban housing reform has fundamentally altered the jobs–housing spatial relation. The “spatial bond” that existed between urban jobs and urban housing for decades has dissolved and is being replaced by a prominent “spatial mismatch” when the jobs–housing relationship becomes increasingly imbalanced in space. This paper examines the new jobs–housing imbalance by assessing the extent of employment–residence spatial mismatch in Beijing. This analysis based on statistical data shows that the spatial imbalance between employment and population has become increasingly pronounced over time across urban districts. It is especially evident in the inner city where the loss of residents continues and the concentration of employment persists. The analysis of survey data, which focuses on people’s commuting patterns and travel behaviors, also provides strong evidence of spatial imbalance. Meanwhile, it reveals some of the impacts on job accessibility and other aspects of urban life. This study contributes to the understanding of how suburbanization has been unfolding in major Chinese cities and how it has been transforming urban development and urban life. It also adds to the understanding of the spatial dynamics of employment–housing relationship based on Beijing’s experience and sheds lights on the multifarious nature of the spatial mismatch problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: As the result of rapid and incomplete transition from a planned economy to a market one, urban housing market has been seriously distorted in China. In order to ensure the appropriate supply of housing, housing size regulations have to be established, which necessitates good knowledge on the preferential size of housing. This paper proposed an empirical framework to identify the preferential size of housing perceived by people. A hedonic approach was adopted to analyze the willingness of urban households to pay for the size of their accommodations. With the transaction price data of second-hand apartments in Beijing, the marginal benefits of urban households in relation to housing size were investigated, which revealed that 50–60m2 and 80–190m2 (including shared public space) were more highly valued than other sizes of apartment housing in Beijing. Further examinations of the market balance of supply and demand as well as the impact of bubble effect on market conditions demonstrated that the results were reliable. Based on the implications of the results, suggestions were made for the implementation of housing size regulation and relevant policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper developed a method to evaluate the efficiency of urban structure with a focus on public transportation systems. Taking Beijing as an example, the factors of the accessibility of public transportation were identified from perspectives of public transportation services, local economics, and road constructions. Then, people''s satisfaction with public transportation as well as factors of accessibility and people''s personal attributes were analyzed with a Multi-level logistic regression model, and the significant factors of the satisfaction were identified. It was found that the number of bus stops within the vicinity of 800 m, the accessibility to the main places of the city through one ride by public transportation, as well as people''s socio-economic attributes have significantly affected the satisfaction of residents with public transportation services. Based on the results, the urban structure of Beijing in terms of public transportation system was evaluated and proposals were made to improve the transportation environment of Beijing. For example, it was proposed that there should be new bus stops passing the blank areas out of the 800 m service areas of bus stops; bus lines to the main places should be improved; and policy measures should be taken in response to the spatial distribution of residents with different socio-economic features. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The peri-urban area of fast growing Chinese cities is under great pressure from the land demands of urban expansion, resulting in the loss of arable land, environmental deterioration and social exclusion of village communities. The recent development of agro-tourism enterprises in peri-urban areas, as a form of commercial urban agriculture, offers a means to promote integrated urban and rural development in a manner that can counteract some of the negative impacts of urbanization. This paper describes and analyzes the performance of a large-scale agro-tourism enterprise, Xiedao Green Resort in Beijing, over the period 2004–2008. The business model combines agricultural production and tourism services fostering a demand-supply relationship between urban and rural areas. It offers a way to improve the quality of agricultural products and services, while developing multiple functions of agro-tourism which have wider economic, environmental and social benefits, creating opportunities for integrated and sustainable urban–rural development. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The effect of urban expansion on transportation in growing megacities has become a key issue in the context of global climate change as motorized mobility is a major source of domestic greenhouse gas emissions. The management of forms of urban development on the city fringe in order to encourage a sustainable transport system is usually overlooked in China, although it is increasingly attracting attention in developed countries. Examining the case of Beijing, this paper aims to reveal the policy implications of urban growth management for sustainable transportation in China''s megacities. The analysis shows that in the rapid urban expansion process there has been obvious urban sprawl on the fringe of Beijing, characterized by low density and dispersed development in its physical aspect and a low degree of local mixed land use in its functional aspect. Trip distance and car use for travel on the city fringe have increased greatly due to urban sprawl. The results of the analysis suggest that urban growth management designed to curb urban sprawl would contribute to containing the growth in vehicle miles travelled in the suburbs. In addition, since urban sprawl has been greatly fuelled by increasing local government autonomy and fiscal responsibility, the negative effects of sprawling development on transportation certainly reflect the government''s failure to manage growth in the current transformation process. To achieve sustainable urban expansion, stronger metropolitan development management measures should be enforced to control local development on the city fringe and promote sustainable transportation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Deterioration of the urban traffic environment is one of the main external effects brought by the agglomeration of population and industry in metropolitan areas. The effect is accompanied not only by reduced efficiency of transportation systems, environmental problems, public health and safety problems, but also by severe social inequity. This paper presents an empirical analysis of the traffic problems in Beijing. With a large-scale survey data of the residents’ degree of satisfaction with the traffic environment, spatial differentiations were identified across space and social groups. The results of analysis revealed that Beijing''s traffic problems are closely linked with land-use planning and public policies; therefore, it is necessary to adjust urban planning in order to realize sustainable urban transport, and the incorporation of social policies for vulnerable social groups living in remote suburban areas is critical. In addition, specific engineering and technical solutions suitable for multi-modal structure, including a combination of public transportation, cars, and bicycles, should be emphasized in the future. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Different from the socialist model of urbanization in the pre-reform period, Beijing is going through a more divergent path of urban change bearing similarities to western cities and cities in other developing countries. Urban sprawl and spatial segregation are taking shape along with the social polarization and the inflow of millions of rural migrants. One significant force of urban change is the large-scale inflow of rural migrants in the reform period. Migrants from various origins are typically specialized in particular activities and business. Spatial concentration of rural migrants has formed many migrant villages. This paper examines the above urban changes in Beijing and calls for a re-consideration of whether there is a unique mode of urbanization in China. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper examined both the macroeconomic and hedonic determinants of housing prices in Beijing. The vector autoregression (VAR) model was used to explain the dynamic impacts of macroeconomic indicators on housing prices, and the geographical weighted regression (GWR) model was used to reveal the spatial variations in the effects of hedonic attributes on housing prices. The VAR results suggest that shocks to the macroeconomic indicators produce different dynamic changes in housing prices. Both an increase in the money supply and a decrease in the mortgage rates lead a rise in housing prices in the long term. Therefore, monetary policies and mortgage rates could be used as long-term financial tools to regulate the dynamics of housing prices. The GWR results show that the effects of hedonic attributes vary spatially. The size of a house has a negative impact on housing prices, especially in the downtown areas. The age of a house also has a negative impact on housing prices, especially in the suburbs. The effect of the number of bedrooms changes from positive in the downtown areas to negative in the suburbs. Furthermore, convenient accessibilities to critical amenities such as commercial centers, metro stations and high-quality schools contribute greatly to high housing prices in the downtown areas. The hedonic analysis of housing prices provides great implications for forming policy on urban planning, building design and public services construction. The core problem concerning urban planning, building design and public services construction in Beijing is the mismatch between working and living spaces. Therefore, relevant policy makings should focus on reducing the mismatch between working and living spaces, which is conductive to alleviating the spatial imbalance between housing supply and demand, narrowing the development gap within the city, and solving the urban diseases. Therefore, one important policy suggestion is that urban planning and public services construction should be upgraded to introduce more governmental offices, job opportunities, high-quality schools, commercial facilities and infrastructures into the suburbs. Another important policy suggestion is that the design for the floor area ratio and internal structures of new residential buildings should be planned to accommodate more residents and form better living environment in the downtown areas. Those suggestions can provide some guidance for solving urban problems in China and in other countries. • Monetary policy and mortgage rate have long-term impacts on housing prices in Beijing. • The effects of hedonic attributes on housing prices change over space significantly. • Relevant policy makings should focus on reducing the mismatch between working and living spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The industrial restructuring in China has led to constant adjustments in employment. Migrant workers play an important role in the labor market, and the relationship between migrant employment and industrial evolution is worthy of attention. Previous studies have revealed the negative impact of industrial restructuring on the employment of migrant workers, but few studies have paid attention to the employment choice of migrant workers under the background of industrial evolution, and how these choices affect their lives. Based on data from Beijing, this study empirically finds that, compared with the control group, migrant workers are more likely to work in industries in which the proportion of value-added in GDP continues to decline. After controlling individual characteristics, the wage level, social integration, and settlement intention of migrant workers employed in declining industries are significantly lower than those in non-declining industries. This paper contributes to the literature on understanding the integration and stability of migrant workers from the perspective of industry choice. The findings provide insights for improving the employability of migrant workers and their adaptability to China's industrial restructuring as well as for promoting the process of migrant citizenization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most existing studies on urban planning implementation (UPI) evaluation examine the conformity between planned and observed spatial urban development. The results are, however, typically too general to provide adequate policy recommendations for planners and researchers. The stages between creating a plan and its outcome are seldom discussed in detail, primarily because of the absence of an applicable analytic framework and data. In the paper, we propose a framework for UPI evaluation from spatial dimension which provides an in-depth and accurate application to show how the conceptual framework can be applied for assessing conformance and performance (sequential conformance) of plans proposed by Hopkins (2012) could be applied in practice. We examined the degrees of conformance and sequential conformance between an urban master plan, detailed plans, development permits and observed development outcomes, using Beijing as an example. The results reveal discrepancies between all basic stages of plan implementation, and the poor planning implementation was primarily due to the existence of large areas of development without development permits. These results suggest that the poor match between a plan and its outcomes may result from poor plan using, not poor planning. Therefore, attention needs to be paid not only to creating plans but also to monitoring the performance of various levels of plans and development permits in the UPI. • Establish a framework for the evaluation of urban planning implementation. • Provide an application to show how to assess conformance and sequential conformance of plans from spatial dimension. • Use detailed construction land use planning permits (CLUPPs) to assess urban planning implementation. • Identify urban redevelopments as an important supplement to the traditional urban expansion data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2014, China launched its latest urbanization strategy, the National New-type Urbanization Plan, to promote scientific and reasonable urbanization modes. China's new-type urbanization policy not only affects urban development, but will also have significant impacts on the lives of hundreds of millions of Chinese farmers as well as on the use modes of rural settlements. A thorough analysis of the impacts of new-type urbanization policies on the pattern evolution of rural settlements is therefore critical for developing and proposing a science-based layout scheme of rural settlements and for guiding the development and evolution of rural settlements in a reasonable manner. In this paper, we use the Tongzhou District of Beijing, one of China's new-type urbanization pilot areas, as an example. Applying the CLUE-S model to analyze the impacts of new-type urbanization policies, we simulate the potential influences of the implementation of these policies on the pattern evolution of rural settlements. Based on the results, the implementation of new-type urbanization policies has significant influences on both urban and rural population migration, mainly through the reform of the household registration system. The results further suggest that these policies have significant impacts on the land use scale as well as on the spatial patterns of rural settlements. By 2030, under the scenario of new-type urbanization, the land use scale of rural settlements in Tongzhou District would increase by 0.79% compared with that under the scenario of conventional urbanization. In terms of spatial distribution under new-type urbanization, land use of rural settlements would mainly compete with that of urban land and grassland. We conclude that the spatial distribution of rural settlements in Tongzhou District can be improved and better regulated via reasonable planning. • Simulated rural settlement pattern evolution in the Tongzhou District of Beijing. • Contexts and policies of China's new-type urbanization plan (NUP) were reviewed. • CLUE-S was used to analyze the impacts of NUP on rural settlement. • Household registration system reform impacts the utilization of rural settlement. • Rural settlement increase by 0.79% under NUP compared to conventional urbanization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A top-down rural sustainable strategy via rural tourism has been recently advocated as a feasible and appropriate option to engage Chinese peasants of scenic mountainous areas to revitalize the local economy. The northern and western hilly Beijing being protected from urban expansion has turned out to be an ideal choice for its proximity to a potentially large middle-class clientele. We explore theoretically and empirically the contradictory unity between local peasants' entrepreneurial undertakings (decentralized competition) and top-down tourism development plan (monopolistic centralization) in a mixed-governing "common-pool resource" (CPR) situation in local rural tourism in China. This paper contributes towards a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms of local land use regulations on rural tourism development and the conflict-resolution in benefit sharing negotiations between local communities with public authorities and mega tourism project developers in the land expropriation and heritage conservation process. Supported by field surveys, two cases of tourism business are analyzed using the argument on CPRs and multilateral monopoly relating to access and rights of use of collectively owned rural land, and how this monopolistic power has been established in rural tourism development. Our study highlights the importance of the village autonomy in deploying their contestation and bargaining power in safeguarding their land rights and sustaining a vast ecological system and rural tourism commons, while accepting tourism as their newly established livelihood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]