It is probably fair to say that most British people's perception of the Chinese economic miracle involves bullet trains, dozens of high-rise apartments and skyscraper office blocks, motorway flyovers, and prestige architectural projects ranging from new airports to facilities for the Beijing Olympics. As indeed it does - and seeing it all in person is a quite staggering experience. The Chinese people are rightly proud of it. Planning is a much revered profession in China. What other country has prestigious urban planning exhibition centres similar to those found in Beijing and Shanghai located right on the equivalents of Trafalgar Square? The permanent display in Shanghai includes significant acknowledgement of the British contribution to planning over the decades, especially that of the Garden Cities and the New Towns.
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