Living in a Chinese Industrial New Town: A Case Study of Chenglingji New Port Area

Abstract

Building new industrial towns has become a popular strategy for the Chinese government, as part of its aim to disperse the population and create new concentrations of activity. However, relevant studies have shown that these development strategies often struggle to provide appropriate infrastructure and public services to residents. In this paper, we explore the case of Chenglingji new port area, which is an industrial new town in Yueyang City, Hunan Province. To understand the provision of public services in the area, we analyzed the construction of public service facilities using GIS software, while 939 questionnaires were distributed and collected from local residents and workers. The survey results confirm the low level of satisfaction with the livability of the area, and the lack and unevenness of public services to meet the needs of local residents and foreign workers. It further emphasizes that the provision of public services should be considered in the future planning of the Chenglingji new port area. We also provide some suggestions on the construction of industrial new towns of the same type as Chenglingji and other developing countries.