ABSTRACT
The Royal Government of Cambodia has devoted its new modern urbanization focus on the capital city of Phnom Penh and, with China's One Belt One Road Initiative, to development of the seaport town of Sihanoukville. This chapter analyzes the strengths, weaknesses and projected unintended consequences of such ambitious plans, manifested as at least eight satellite cities in various phases of construction within or on the borders of expanding Phnom Penh. Diamond Island is a case study representing a pattern of development in Cambodia that produces complex issues. Tom Percival's research finds Phnom Penh's satellite cities have features associated with postmodern urbanism. Between 2002 and 2005, the Phnom Penh Municipal Authority bought out or forcefully evicted all families on Diamond Island under the pretext that the island was their land that is "state private land," earmarked by the municipal government for development. The rapid urbanization of Phnom Penh has increased the expansion of urban poor settlements, which often lack public amenities.
