China’s Evolving Urban Landscape

2011: China’s urbanisation rate – the proportion of people living in urban areas – exceeded 50% for the first time in 2011.

2020: Another 100 million rural citizens will join their urban counterparts fuelling the rise of seven inland megalopolises – cities or a network of clustered cities with a population of more than 10 million – and an expansion of medium and large sized cities across China’s inland provinces. Urbanisation will reach 60%.

2025: Forecasts put China with 221 cities each with a population over one million, compared with 35 in Europe today.

This expansion will directly drive demand for construction materials and investment in public infrastructure, forcing government to implement energy efficiency targets and sustainable urban development solutions.

Local and national leaders will also be confronted with myriad social and economic challenges as a result of this population explosion, including strained social services, environmental degradation and energy insecurity.

Numerous opportunities will arise in energy-supply infrastructure, mass transit systems, water resource management and green buildings as Beijing seeks viable solutions to upcoming challenges.

China’s future is entwined with urbanisation and will require continued infusion of knowledge and capital from both the private and public sectors.