Abstract
This study is based on a survey in Panyu Prefecture in the Zhu River delta, which is in the suburbs of Guangzhou City in Guangdong Province. The survey concerns the retarding urbanization of a rural area, relationships between the city and the rural area, modernization of dwellings, and hierarchical structures and scales of public facilities. Panyu Prefecture is a main producer of rice and sugar cane. It is also prosperous in industry and trade, located close to Hong Kong and Macao. The study areas are three administrative districts and two rural settlements. They are classified into
(1) villages with traditional features still remaining
(2) villages currently being reorganized in accordance with a settlement plan, and
(3) villages already reorganized in accordance with a settlement improvement plan. Panyu Prefecture is undergoing the re-development and new development of urban areas subsequent to the recent economic growth.* Representatives from each district discuss and draft a planning proposal. The proposal is then discussed several times in each district and a final proposal is approved under the guidance of the prefectural government. In realizing the plan, Chinese overseas capital is sometimes introduced. In Panyu Prefecture, remodeling of dwellings has been promoted since the 1970s. It was only a partial improvement of the traditional dwellings at the beginning. It has become a total innovation of dwellings since the introduction of open economic policies, and a new type of dwelling, which can be called modern housing, has been built. The following are pointed out as factors of change from traditional to modern housing:
(1) enlargement of the size of dwelling
(2) improvement of facilities;
(3) improvement of the overall function and composition of dwellings, and
(4) acceptance of a western life-style.
Since Kwangtung Province is situated where western influence is most obvious, westernization is likely to be an issue in the near future. Medical facilities and schools are located systematically in each administrative district and prefecture. However, social welfare facilities are not located systematically. They are mixed with production distributive facilities and located outside existing urban districts. In relation to these problems, restructuring settlements will raise new problems of transportation and environment. It can also be pointed out that the settlement improvement has resulted in the loss of long-maintained communal space in the settlements.
* The government and provinces have been promoting the preparation of plans which consist part of this scheme.
