Chinese Urbanization and
the Role of High-speed Railway
A collaborative research between Politecnico di Torino and Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Urban growth in Chinese cities, particularly far from major urban centers, reveal a complex urban-rural binary. Many studies have focused on the social and economic aspects of this territorial restructuring, while the forms and features of this urbanization process have received less attention. This is our contribution.
The project combines quantitative and qualitative methodologies in the analysis of recent urbanization in China, in particular high-speed railway (HSR) new cities, and try to answer questions like: What effects do HSR networks have on urban form? And what effects do they have on the factors determining urban vibrancy?
In addition to that, here we make available other projects related to urbanization in China conducted by the China Room (Politecnico di Torino), the MIT Sustainable Urbanization Lab, and the MIT Senseable City Lab
Publications
Dong, L., Du, R., Kahn, M. & Zheng, S. (2021). Ghost cities versus boom towns: Do China’s high speed rail new towns thrive? Regional Science and Urban Economics, 103682.
Duan, L., Sun, W., Niu, D. & Zheng, S. (2021). Transportation Infrastructure and Capital Mobility: Evidence from China’s High Speed Railway. Annals of Regional Science, 1-32.
Guo, X., Sun, W., Yao, S., & Zheng, S. (2020). Does high-speed railway reduce air pollution along highways?——Evidence from China. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 89, 102607.
Duan, L., Sun, W., & Zheng, S. (2020) Transportation network and venture capital mobility: An analysis of air travel and high-speed rail in China. Journal of Transport Geography, 88, 102852.
Niu, D., Sun, W., & Zheng, S. (2020). Travel Costs, Trade, and Market Segmentation: Evidence from China’s High-Speed Railway. Papers in Regional Science, 99(6), 1799-1825.
Dong, X., Zheng, S., & Kahn, M. E. (2019). The role of transportation speed in facilitating high skilled teamwork across cities. Journal of Urban Economics, 103212.
Zheng, S., & Kahn, M. E. (2013). China’s bullet trains facilitate market integration and mitigate the cost of megacity growth. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 110(14), E1248-E1253.