This paper has analysed the inequalities that can be observed in the city of Shenzhen, and illustrated their relationship with the hukou system. Furthermore, the paper has explained the correlation between the growth of inequalities and the competiveness of the city. Chinese migrants do not possess the urban hukou of the city they arrive in, and, therefore, they are excluded from 'the right to the city'. Moreover, they are usually paid lower wages than urban residents. The paper has shown that the floaters in Shenzhen have limited access to highly paid jobs, for instance in State Owned Enterprises, in comparison to urban residents. Consequently, they have low access to the standard housing market: most of them, in fact, live in urban villages, especially in Non-Sez districts. In order to analyse the relationship between the growth of the city and the growth of inequalities, the labour trends from 1979 to 2009 have been taken into consideration. These show that the increase of Shenzhen Gdp and the presence of foreign investments are linked to the growth of the so called Non-Zhigong labour, which is characterized by low income positions, mostly involving migrants. The paper has also shown that there is an increasing polarization in absolute terms (increasing number of migrants) and a decreasing one in relative terms (decreasing proportion of migrants respect to the total of the population). The narrowing of the gap in relative terms could be explained by thinking about the economic shift of the city, especially in connection to the return of Honk Kong to China as a Sar, and its partial deindustrialization. The growth of the city has been accompanied by an increasing densification of the urban villages. The urban villages represent a spatial manifestation of social inequalities: the low cost of living in these areas makes it possible to keep low wages in the industrial and service sectors that, in turn, encourage the competiveness of Shenzhen. The role played by policies has proved fundamental in enhancing both the growth of the city and the presence of disparities. The most important involves the hukou system and the regional development policies (such as the setting of the Special Economic Zones). Moreover, the land market reforms and the strategy in respect of the urban villages have also contributed to the spatial expansion of the city and to the growth of inequalities. Further possible analysis may concern the relationship between the changes in the housing market after the reform of 1988 and their impact on the redevelopment of urban villages, which are now attracting speculative interests. Moreover, an interesting issue emerged which could deserve future investigations: the relationship between the changing proportion and numbers of migrants and resident population in relation to polarization, professionalization and the chances for the development of a middle class. Copyright © Franco Angeli.
Social inequalities and their spatial expression in the city of Shenzhen
Geroldi, Chiara
2013-01-01
Abstract
This paper has analysed the inequalities that can be observed in the city of Shenzhen, and illustrated their relationship with the hukou system. Furthermore, the paper has explained the correlation between the growth of inequalities and the competiveness of the city. Chinese migrants do not possess the urban hukou of the city they arrive in, and, therefore, they are excluded from 'the right to the city'. Moreover, they are usually paid lower wages than urban residents. The paper has shown that the floaters in Shenzhen have limited access to highly paid jobs, for instance in State Owned Enterprises, in comparison to urban residents. Consequently, they have low access to the standard housing market: most of them, in fact, live in urban villages, especially in Non-Sez districts. In order to analyse the relationship between the growth of the city and the growth of inequalities, the labour trends from 1979 to 2009 have been taken into consideration. These show that the increase of Shenzhen Gdp and the presence of foreign investments are linked to the growth of the so called Non-Zhigong labour, which is characterized by low income positions, mostly involving migrants. The paper has also shown that there is an increasing polarization in absolute terms (increasing number of migrants) and a decreasing one in relative terms (decreasing proportion of migrants respect to the total of the population). The narrowing of the gap in relative terms could be explained by thinking about the economic shift of the city, especially in connection to the return of Honk Kong to China as a Sar, and its partial deindustrialization. The growth of the city has been accompanied by an increasing densification of the urban villages. The urban villages represent a spatial manifestation of social inequalities: the low cost of living in these areas makes it possible to keep low wages in the industrial and service sectors that, in turn, encourage the competiveness of Shenzhen. The role played by policies has proved fundamental in enhancing both the growth of the city and the presence of disparities. The most important involves the hukou system and the regional development policies (such as the setting of the Special Economic Zones). Moreover, the land market reforms and the strategy in respect of the urban villages have also contributed to the spatial expansion of the city and to the growth of inequalities. Further possible analysis may concern the relationship between the changes in the housing market after the reform of 1988 and their impact on the redevelopment of urban villages, which are now attracting speculative interests. Moreover, an interesting issue emerged which could deserve future investigations: the relationship between the changing proportion and numbers of migrants and resident population in relation to polarization, professionalization and the chances for the development of a middle class. Copyright © Franco Angeli.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
