In Search of Regional Planning in China: a case of Jiangsu and its surrounding Yangtze Delta

Since the People’s Republic of China was found in 1949, there have been intermittent efforts to define and redefine the concept and scope of ‘regional planning’ to meet different political and economic needs. Chinese scholars suggest that there have been three upsurges of regional planning over the last 60 years. This article aims to provide a critical understanding of the wider development context, process, nature and purpose, and the content and principles of the new wave of regional planning in China. The aim is to find out whether the latest surge in regional planning serves as a policy instrument to coordinate territorial development trajectories and manage development resources to achieve balanced and sustainable development patterns in China. The article also discusses whether there are ways for regional planning to play a more strategic role in promoting both functional and spatial integration to achieve a more sustainable growth regime in China. These issues will be examined via the case study area around Jiangsu Province and the surrounding Yangtze Delta.