Search

As the problem of urban-rural inequality in China becomes increasingly severe, urban-rural integration has become a hot topic among both researchers and policymakers. However, to achieve urban-rural integration faces the challenges from dualism in institutional arrangements, diversity in territorial contexts, and uncertainty in development environments. In response to these challenges, this research employs the idea of ‘economic linkages of small towns’ to develop a rural-centred, place-based, and process-oriented approach towards urban-rural integration. This research examines the functions, patterns, and dynamics of economic linkages of small towns under the wider economic-spatial restructuring process brought by rapid economic growth and urbanisation in China. More specifically, this research explores the implications of small towns’ economic linkages for integrated development of urban and rural areas. Based on the idea of ‘problem-solving’, this research develops the conceptual framework of ‘Learning-based Territorial Economic System (TES)’ which includes ‘knowledge system’, ‘organisational system’, and ‘territorial system’. This conceptual framework conceptualises ‘economic linkages’ as interactions between economic actors who participated in various ‘interactive situations’ in solving local development problems. This research carried out two case studies of successful small town and rural development in Kunshan, Jiangsu and Shunde, Guangdong. The empirical findings demonstrate that economic linkages are crucial in identifying local development problems, getting access to key economic resources, and coordinating economic activities in uncertain circumstances. Based on the empirical findings, this research develops two development models of Learning-based TES – the Kunshan Model and the Shunde Model – as coherent systems of economic linkages in problem-solving processes. Explicitly, the Kunshan Model features interactive situations of competitive positioning, elite coalition-building, and synchronised operation and the Shunde Model features interactive situations of reflective monitoring, skill matching, and communicative mediation. In application of these two development models, this research formulates a ‘3-step formula’ as key policy implication, including assessment, experiment, and institutionalisation. Such ‘3-step formula’ can contribute to build up local problem-solving capacities that lead to more substantial urban-rural integration.

This thesis investigates and discusses the current design approaches and development trends of urban streets in China. As the methodological focus, multiple case studies and interviews are used to examine actual street design practice to identify the development policy bias of local governments. Since the 1990s, the great economic achievement in most Chinese cities has evoked significant growth in the number of automobiles, as well as the increasingly serious problems of road casualties and congestion. The traffic-engineering-based design approach which used to be widely adopted and implemented in western countries has dominated the development patterns of urban streets in modern China. The conventional paradigm exclusively focuses on the traffic function in urban streets resulting in morphological changes to the urban circulation environment and keeps on neglecting non-vehicular movement and non-traffic needs. The automobile- dominated urban circulation environment has had negative economic, social and public health impacts. Thus, a paradigm shift which calls for a more inclusive design approach for urban streets which balances functions of place and movement is urgently needed in China. To determine the challenges and opportunities for the new paradigm, this research identifies the cultural, political and technical factors for the traffic-centred design trends and the policy bias. Based on this, policy recommendations and an agenda for revolutionary change for achieving better design practice for urban streets in post-modern China are suggested.

This thesis discusses the governmental institutional dynamics that structure the formulation and coordination of spatial policy within the federal Canadian intergovernmental system and presents methods to improve it. The research utilises the three traditions of new institutionalism - historical, rational choice and sociological - to develop a crosscutting assessment of intergovernmental spatial policy coordination. An embedded case study approach is then used to discuss intergovernmental spatial policy coordination between the governments of Canada, British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan. Research findings highlight the uniqueness of the institutional environments that exist within each government, and to a lesser extent each department, which structure policymakers’ understandings of intergovernmental spatial policy coordination. Policymakers demonstrate a distinct awareness of spatial issues, but they are often constrained in their ability formally to articulate this in the development of public policy, particularly in relation to intergovernmental interactions. The decentralised federal nature of Canada is shown to be a highly influential reason for this, with issues of history, equity, politics and strong regional government cultures playing important roles in impeding intergovernmental spatial policy coordination. The thesis explores these constraints, discussing how both formal and informal institutional structures interact to discourage the use of spatial policy, and discusses the ways in which intergovernmental spatial policy coordination could be enhanced in the specific context of Canada. The institutional framework developed in this research is shown to be a useful method for conceptualising the competing federal principles of unity and diversity in the study of intergovernmental spatial policy coordination. Ultimately this thesis argues that while intergovernmental spatial policy coordination is poorly developed in Canada, policymaker awareness of spatial issues influences the decision-making processes employed to develop and coordinate public policy.

After being neglected for two decades, rural areas in China are experiencing another wave of reform. There has been increasing attention from central government on rural issues and a series of rural resurgence policies were published with a central idea of ‘urban-rural integration and New Socialist Rural Construction Programme’ (State Council, 2010b). Planning as a policy tool to guide development has just began to cover rural areas in China. There is a need to develop a framework, both theoretically robust and deliverable, to guide rural planning in China. ‘Spatial planning’ has been widely adopted as a planning approach in Western Europe, including the UK, to achieve sustainable development. Hence, the research aims to use the concept of ‘spatial planning’ to identify potential ways to integrate rural areas into the complex planning system that currently exists in China. The research was carried out through a case study approach in three municipal cities in Jiangsu province, China. The newly developed rural planning system in Jiangsu province mainly focuses on the development control of towns and villages, physical landuse regulation and the renovation of settlements through town and village distribution planning and village planning. There is a lack of development planning for rural areas. The findings also show that the new urban and rural planning system generally fails to integrate urban and rural development, though in some developed areas more attention has been put on urban-rural integration planning. Moreover, it is found that, in many areas, the new urban and rural planning framework tends to be urban-centre-led and economically driven, which has led to the loss of rural landscape and characteristics. The research also identifies the weakness of planning at the local scale in coordinating policies and projects of different sectors. In addition, local government plays a leading role in the making and delivery of rural planning in China and, in some areas, local government activities in rural development and planning are much more a political response to the national and provincial government’s policy rather than the local demands. Based on these findings, the research provides some policy recommendations for modifying the current rural planning framework in China to overcome these problems in the short and long term by making reference to some of the key ideas of the spatial planning approach.

This research is intended to examine the institutional structure of the Malaysian residential development industry with a specific focus on the nature of interaction between developers and the state. On this basis, this thesis aims to examine the institutional role of developers and their interaction with the state to improve the housing delivery system. Ball’s (1998;1986) Structure of Provision theory (SoP) and Wong and Madden’s (2000) North West Housing Assessment model were adapted to explore developers’ views and aspirations in various aspects of the residential industry in Malaysia. Case study research with extreme case scenarios were carried out in Kuala Lumpur and Johor to ascertain robust findings to contrast and compare. The institution of the Malaysian residential development industry is severely plagued with a high level of bureaucracy, a multiplicity of approving agencies and tight planning legislations. These are the main impediments to a responsive housing delivery system. In addition, research findings indicate inherent tensions in the interaction between developers and the state which is caused by the weak influence of developers in shaping government policy. There was evidence of an informal culture, particularly extensive relationship building between developers and the state and in their application for planning permission. In some extreme cases, there was some evidence of malpractice. The state, professionals and homebuyers are found to be in tension and conflict with developers. Developers are seen to be extremely profit-driven to the extent of flouting the regulations which they claim to be excessive and outmoded. The Malaysian residential industry has weak institutional capacity as it is characterised by a lack of trust and suspicion between developers and the state, and between developers and professionals. Hence, this thesis attempts to address the hindrances to effective implementation of legislative frameworks and to propose ways to overcome the present weaknesses. It also identifies some future directions for similar research to be carried out in Malaysia.