ABSTRACT
Introduction The visible change to many Chinese cities over the past two decades has been the ultra-rapid emergence of high-density, high-rise built forms, a phenomenon that has led to the term ‘instant’ cities. This chapter discusses the process of forming the ‘instant’ city of Pudong, a large area within Shanghai, and analyses the present environmental, economic, social and cultural impact of its phenomenal pace of development. It is argued that ‘instant’ cities in China do not reflect regionalism, but are a product of intense competition to reach world city status. This chapter suggests that while these forms of rapid development seem to be becoming a model for future development, the process of urban growth occurs with apparent disregard for sustainability.
