Introduction: The urbanism of ambition -- Thunder from the south -- Reclaiming Shanghai -- The politics of the past -- Capital improvements -- City of chai -- The country and the city -- Suburbanization and the mechanics of sprawl -- Driving the capitalist road -- Theme parks and the landscape of consumption -- Epilogue: China reinvents the city
Summary
"Thomas J. Campanella examines the driving forces behind China's urban revolution and traces both the historical precedents and increasingly globalized flow of ideas, trends, and information that have combined to create a brave new Chinese cityscape. He provides a critical overview of Chinese urban development in light of both China's past and previous experiences of rapid urbanization elsewhere in the world - especially that of the United States, a nation that itself once set global records for the speed and scale of its urban ambitions."--BOOK JACKET
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages [303]-325) and index
