Watson Events

Conference -- China: Cities after Socialism

"China: Cities after Socialism" is a conference scheduled for February 28, 10:30-5:00. It is a Brown University Year of China event supported by the Vice President of International Affairs and the Dean of the Faculty and it has been organized by S4 and the Urban Studies Program.

China's decisive shift from a centrally planned economy four decades ago has greatly affected urban life. Housing – previously in short supply but treated as a welfare good – has been largely privatized. Economic growth in old and new cities has been fueled by a labor force recruited from the countryside, a majority of people now live in urban areas, and cities have sprawled far beyond their previous borders. New divisions have been created by class inequality and official discrimination against rural migrants. This conference brings together many of the leading scholars on China's urban transformation to examine key aspects of these changes, to anticipate future changes, and to assess the challenges these pose for urban research.

Location: Joukowsky Forum, Watson Institute, 111 Thayer Street.