China's grand urbanization plan

I was in Shanghai in 2010 to visit the World Expo and one day ventured into the central themed pavilions area. There were five such premises, named Urban Footprints, Urban Planet, Urbanian, City Being and Urban Future -- the last one was particularly alluring and a young guide elaborated on its theme. I was told that China was planning to build hi-fi residential structures where up to 100,000 people would be able to live. What was amazing for me was that none of the residents would be required to go out, as all their needs would be met inside the same building, including schooling, health, sports and numerous normal outdoor activities, as well as daily issues such as fresh food and water. It sounded like a dream.

After going through the China's New-type Urbanization Plan 2014-2020, I think the country of more than 1.3 billion people is moving closer to fulfilling some of ideas mentioned at the fairy-tale Theme Pavilions. It is not a coincidence as Beijing has been working on the challenges of urbanization for quite some time. That is why the exposition's main motto (Better City - Better Life) was also linked with the issue of big cities and towns.

The Urbanization Plan was released by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the State Council around mid-March. It aims to create a modern society which will not only be self sufficient, but can serve as a powerhouse for sustainable economic growth.

China wants to catch up fast with the highly industrialized nations where 80 percent of dwellings are termed "urban," compared to China's 53 percent. The developing nations having an earning status equal to that of China are also ahead of it in terms of urban life, with 60 percent of their people living in cities.

The fancy idea is laden with problems which can easily spoil the particular charms of city life. The urban communities test the limits of efficiency and honesty of administration. They need a nonstop supply of water, power and food. They demand fast moving and with that reliable and cheap modes of transportation. They expect communication systems like the Internet and telephone to be there. And, most importantly, they need security from theft, crimes and organized mafia which spread like viruses across the big cities. For developing countries it becomes highly difficult to take care of all these issues.