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| Jeremy Ball Class of 2017 |
Recently I was given the opportunity to attend a lecture
from the Center for Asian Democracy. This event covered the urbanization of
China throughout the recent decades, and the impact this is having on the
greater community. One thing, however, that was particularly noteworthy about
this lecture was the presenter’s inclusion of the concept of “ghost towns”.
China, which has been a rising power economically, has also been the victim of
over-construction, especially in terms of real estate. In the presentation,
there were photos of “towns” constructed with hopes that individuals and
businesses would migrate and push these places into a viable, local economy.
However, that was note the case. These facilities have gone unused and are
slowly moving into disrepair.
Going forward, it’s apparent that the Chinese government is
working to urbanize rural China, and that this push in construction will move
many from the more agricultural economies to cities. However, the impact of
this is yet to be seen. With athletic facilities, shopping malls, apartment
buildings, and office buildings going unused, and this numbering in the
thousands, it will be interesting to see how the Chinese government will cope
with these blank buildings.
As I prepare for my class’ upcoming trip to China, I am
excited to see this urban environment in person. With planned visits to
Shanghai, Xian, and Beijing, there will be no better examples of the impact of
urbanization on the Chinese economy, and environment. I hope to use this trip
as an opportunity to discuss with local students where they came from, and just
how prominent the impact of urbanization has been in their own lives.
Jeremy Ball is a junior McConnell Scholar at the University of Louisville studying political science and economics.