Urban morphology of the Chinese city: Cases from Hainan.

摘要

After the 1978 economic reforms, post-socialist China entered a period of rapid urbanisation with intensified economic activity and institutional restructuring. The evolutionary process of urban morphology, otherwise known as urban form or urban landscape, appears to be “unique” and different from the trends in other countries. As little systematic research has been done on this cross-disciplinary subject, this study attempts to investigate its changing pattern in an historical context.; Based on a review of literature, a theoretical framework, “urban form as an outcome of the urbanisation process” with an emphasis on political economy issues, is established. Within the framework, the concepts and methods of morphological analysis and environmental behavioural studies are adopted for analyzing the physical aspects of cities at both micro and macro scales. General discussions and evaluations are combined with empirical research, field surveys and an examination of practical planning experiences in cities in Hainan, China. As the biggest Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in China, Hainan is undergoing rapid development. The complexities and dynamics associated with the growth of the cities are valuable for examining and restructuring urban morphological theories and improving the level of understanding of urban morphology.; Information generated by this study highlights urban form, its changing regulations and inherent strengths and limitations in the Chinese cities. The formation and transformation of the urban fringe belt which is comprised by various development zones is a principal feature in forming the new urban landscape. Danwei (“walled community”) and “gated community” are identified and examined as fundamental morphological units in contemporary urban China. By analysing “the components and the wholeness” and “the evolutionary process” of the cities, this study explores two aspects of urbanisation: the shaping of the city and the forces creating the process itself.; Generally, the immediate benefactors of this study will be the local governments as well as planning and design organizations in Hainan. The results of this research are also expected to be of use and importance to planning agencies and specialists in urban development, management and research throughout China. Academically, theoretical contributions are derived from the application and testing of related urban morphological theories taken from both the English and Chinese literature. A better understanding of the position of urban morphology within planning, geography and urban design theory is attained. Finally, this study also demonstrates the significance of applied urban morphological research in urban design and planning activities.