Changing Beijing

Beijing is being transformed from a socialist city of undifferentiated low-rise districts to an increasingly high-rise metropolis marked by areal specialization. This article examines the effects of recent urban planning, of industrial, commercial, and transportation development, and of housing construction on the morphology of the city. Elements of change include development zones, new residential areas, increasing motor-vehicle use, and emergence of a new central business district. The evolving form blends new urban-planning ideals, complex landuse and transportation patterns, and private and joint-venture initiatives with elements of traditional and socialist Chinese urbanism.