ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of the outcomes expected of the GBA along with the agglomeration processes the plan is intended to harness. It is a regional development example important on the world stage and as model for other emerging mega-city regions. The creation of the Shenzhen and Zhuhai special economic zones is foundation stone of the GBA's regional purpose and plans, and they were rapidly followed by allowing of foreign investment and free trade through much of the GBA. While the GBA lags in indicators such as per capita GDP and innovativeness, it is larger in land area and far larger in population. This multi-dimensional benchmarking lends credence to the assertion that in the not-too-distant future, the GBA will surpass its peers in terms of absolute production and influence. The GBA's institutional evolution has been primarily a process of conscious innovation, and the ambition of the GBA plan is to further utilise that capacity to spur technological innovation.
