Mapping China: Urbanisation - 2 Regional Cities and City-Regions: City-Regions in the Hinterland

Besides the ‘big three’ coastal city-regions, there are more metropolitan regions under formation in the hinterland of China. Among them are the Greater Changsha Metropolitan Area (or Chang-Zhu-Tan Metropolitan Area) and the Wuhan Urban Cluster. Located along the Yangtze River, they are also attached to a port economy and are the role models for cities in the developing hinterland of China.

The Greater Changsha Metropolitan Area covers three cities in Hunan, namely Changsha, Zhuzhou and Xiangtan. With a combined population of six million, the three cities form a trianglular area that features vigorous economic productivity. Public services such as telecommunication have been integrated in the area, and an intercity railway network is under construction.

A similar development is taking place in the Wuhan Urban Cluster. With its strong cultural identity and environmentally-friendly lifestyle, Wuhan is aiming at building a sustainable urban model and expanding its impact along the Yangtze River. The Wuhan Land Use and Urban Spatial Planning Research Centre (WLSP) was established under the Wuhan Municipal Land Resources and Planning Bureau to undertake studies on national, provincial and municipal land use, formulate and amend urban planning at different levels, carry out feasibility studies on urban redevelopment projects and policy studies for relevant planning implementations, etc.