Perspective on the problem of the Chinese urban space homogenization and identity creation in the era of globalization

摘要

Era of globalization, the homogenization of Chinese cities has become reality, how to understand and face this? How the cities varied from the metropolis, inland cities, tourist cities, to deal with the issues of the city style? With the methods of interdisciplinary study, this article applied the important contemporary globalization theory into urban studies, and explained the causes of contemporary Chinese urban space" homogenization" with government institutional perspective. In consequence a classification for the urban characteristics in the era of globalization was made. Then a scientific definition of the urban context was argued out through the dialectics, the article concludes that globalization has led the homogenization of contemporary people demands along with the recessive context of political, economic, and cultural environment, eventually determined the result of urban homogenization. This article pointed out that there is still urban characteristics and differences in the era of globalization, the city's characters can also be shaped. But more autonomous and more pragmatic strategy should be adopted such as urban style combination views. Our protection for historic towns and buildings is necessary, but it isn't a valid path to create the contemporary urban identity. We should fully explore the diversity of the harmonious coexistence of city buildings, by managing and creating different levels of urban identity.