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4. Funded Research Projects

4.27 Economic Geography of Unplanned Commercial
Establishments: An Investigation of Shenzhen’s Urban

Villages (on-going project)

Principal Investigator: Dr. Hao Pu
Research Assistant Professor, Mobility and
Urbanisation Working Group of LEWI

Source of Funding: GRF, RGC, HK
Amount Awarded: HKD488,500

Brief Introduction:

The built environment of modern cities is largely shaped by urban planning rather

than spontaneous development. While whether planned urban space
adequately accommodates human needs remains heatedly debated, the

increasing complexity of urban development continues to challenge the
competence of planners and policy makers. In Chinese cities, given the rigid

control of land use and development, planning generally goes undisputed.
However, the distribution of urban activities is increasingly redirected by market
forces, leading to unplanned development. Most commonly seen are various

commercial establishments that have emerged spontaneously within and around
the planned fabric of the urban environment, such as a convenience store

popping up at the corner façade, a hair salon opened in the roadside garage
and a studio concealed in an apartment building. Despite the downsides of these

establishments, they not only meet market demand that is unheeded in city plans,
but they also facilitate entrepreneurial endeavours for individuals who cannot

afford regular premises.

In general, unplanned commercial establishments are distributed sporadically.

However, such establishments prevail in urban villages, which are migrant
settlements that have been transformed from rural villages engulfed by urban

expansion. In a state of quasi- urban jurisdiction where rural collective land
ownership remains, the construction and utilisation of buildings are beyond the

control of planning or building codes. The high level of autonomy allows excess
commercial establishments to emerge in residential buildings and non-residential

buildings. Given the large population of migrant tenants in urban villages, the
proliferation of various commercial establishments reflects the local demand for

53 HONG KONG BAPTIST UNIVERSITY | David C. Lam Institute for East-West Studies