THE INFLUENCE OF CHINESE REFORM AND PRE-REFORM POLICIES ON URBAN GROWTH IN THE 1980s

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Abstract
In the 1980s, China experienced a period of coexistence of reform policies with pre-reform policies. These coexisting policies played an influential role in the growth of Chinese cities. This paper seeks to examine the role of these various coexisting policies of the 1980s and to explore the underlying factors that affected the pattern of Chinese urban growth. Data for a random selection of 66 cities from mainland China and some 16 variables were tested and analyzed by both parametric and nonparametric statistics. The results of the statistical analyses suggest that pre-reform policy conflicted with reform policies of the 1980s and that the various policies acted as countervailing forces on Chinese urban growth. Small cities showed significant rapid growth, whereas super-large cities indicated slow growth. Industrial development was the dominant factor accountable for the rapid expansion of Chinese cities, whereas the balanced growth between the inner-city nonagricultural population and the built-up area was a result of the interplay of city planning policies.