ABSTRACT
This chapter highlights few key aspects including urbanization at the global level, urbanization progress in China, and the importance of sustainable urbanism in both scales. Based on the present projections, by 2050, in most countries the proportion of the urban population will be over 50%. In fact, many countries are expected to be 75% urbanized by then. As engines of economic growth, cities also account for approximately 80% of the global Gross Domestic Product, indicating their significance for global development. China was in fact one of the first urbanizing countries. The achievements of China’s urbanization mainly include the physical expansion of cities, the development of the urban economy, and the evolution of an urbanization concept. For the population growth and urbanization, China’s urbanization growth rate far exceeds that of other countries in the world. The rapid urbanization in China provides opportunities as well as threats.
