Composed Essay — “China’s Slum”: Urban Village Overview

Shipai Village marks the beginning of my systematic investigation into urban villages. Its unignorable presence in the central business district of my city captured my attention. Initially, I set out to investigate it with the intention of justifying its demolition, but I soon became fascinated by the diversity and vitality it embodies.

As I delved deeper into understanding its formation, I was presented with an opportunity to witness the interplay of China's forces of globalization, industrialization, and urbanization in one village. This led me to explore the evolution of China's land policy, the lasting rural-urban division, and how this uneven development was actually the engine of China’s miraculous economic growth…

This Urban Village Overview, written during Year 9, provides a detailed description of Shipai Village. It covers its formation, the overlooked benefits it offers, and potential drawbacks to the urban environment. I end this overview by proposing an inquiry into perspectives from which these drawbacks are seen, offering an alternative to undifferentiated demolition by focusing on infrastructure improvement - the genuine promotion of a better life for people.

China's Slum：Urban Village Overview.pdf