Development of Urban Infrastructures and Population Change in China

摘要

The provision of urban infrastructure is crucial for the sustainable development of cities, and it has been proven that the growth of urban infrastructure should be in line with the population change in cities. However, evidences have shown that it is not the case in Chinese cities. Furthermore, there are disparities in the development of urban infrastructures across sector, and these disparities are also related the administrative level of a city. Using the data from China City Statistical Yearbook, this paper mainly finds two conclusions: (1) compared to other sectors, population condition (the size of household registered population) is more in line with the development of urban infrastructures that can improve the attractiveness of the cities to businesses and investments, and (2) population size and population density are more likely to be negatively associated with the development of urban infrastructures in second level cities. The findings of this paper suggest that local governments should emphasize the development of infrastructures of a more diverse range, and that second level cities need more attention in further development.