Small cities and towns in global city-centred regionalism: Observations from Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, China

Jonas, Andy; Li, Yi

Abstract

This paper examines the historical and recent efforts towards constructing an integrated Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei global city-region, arguably the most politically privileged urban agglomeration in China. It considers how a progressive national policy discourse concerning city-regional integrated development is substantially focused on the central city (Beijing), thereby privileging the competitiveness and interests of the larger global city at the expense of those of the surrounding smaller cities and towns. The study argues that future research and policy informing city-regionalism should pay closer attention to the uneven power dynamics and distributional politics operating within, and often in tension with, the geopolitical orchestration of global city-regions by nation states.

Citation

Jonas, A., & Li, Y. (in press). Small cities and towns in global city-centred regionalism: Observations from Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, China. Transactions in Planning and Urban Research, https://doi.org/10.1177/27541223231157225

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jan 11, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Mar 11, 2023
• Deposit Date: Jan 17, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Mar 13, 2023
• Journal: Transactions in Planning and Urban Research
• Electronic ISSN: 2754-1223
• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/27541223231157225
• Keywords: Global city-regions; Small cities and towns; Distributional politics; Regional governance; Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/4183480