Emerging Land and Housing Markets in China

Land and housing policies are of fundamental importance to sustainable economic growth and the well-being of the rapidly growing Chinese population. Therefore, research on land and housing policy reform has long been of interest to many scholars and institutions around the world. The very title of this book—Emerging Land and Housing Markets in China—reflects an important strategic shift in China’s recent history. Since 1949, China has been pursuing a centrally planned economy and for many years was reluctant to inject market mechanisms into its policy framework because of debates over socialist orthodoxy or other political issues. Today, much has changed. China’s reform efforts since 1978 have been considered a successful example of addressing land and housing policy issues, and a careful analysis of these reforms may pertain to other countries. The results of research on China’s reforms have not yet been documented comprehensively, but it is possible to address the following areas: the impacts of reform on urban development, resource management, and quality of life; an historical policy review to support understanding of both accomplishments and flaws in the reforms; and proposals of innovative measures to address problems and issues that remain.

One of the few records of its kind available in English, this book organizes current research on China’s land and housing policy reforms in a way that is accessible to a wide audience of decision makers, nongovernmental organizations, and academics. Most of the chapters are based on the proceedings of sessions sponsored by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy at the World Planning Congress held in Shanghai, China, in July 2001. The chapters have been edited and updated to incorporate a review of the history of China’s reforms, evaluations of the present situation, and outlooks for the future.

About the Editors

Chengri Ding works in the Chinese Land Policy Program at the University of Maryland's National Center for Smart Growth.

Yan Song is a professor in the Department of City and Regional Planning at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.