ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book offers a detailed analysis of recent census data, with special attention to small urban centres. It describes how the increase in employment opportunities in urban services and international tourism attracts growing numbers of young unmarried women who are no longer prepared to work on their family’s farms with little prospect of inheriting any of the land. The book focuses on the previous work and draws on recent empirical literature to examine whether planners’ assumptions on the roles of small towns in regional rural development are supported by evidence. It provides a detailed critical review of past spatial planning strategies, and describes China’s urban policies since 1978 with special attention to small towns. The book describes the finding ways to attract rural migrants to local towns rather than the larger cities which has long been an objective of regional development planning.
