In 2004, the China Planning Network successfully held their inaugural symposium "Planning for Continuity and Change in Urban China." This year's China Planning Network Symposium seeks to further investigate how balanced urban development can be achieved, as globalization, economic liberalization,and decentralization increasingly brings Chinese cities to the forefront of the world economy.

Recognizing that cities have become the engines of China's spectacular growth, policy makers in China have elevated urbanization to one of the national priorities for economic development and poverty alleviation. By 2050, it is estimated that 1.12 billion people will live in Chinese urban areas, accounting for 70% of the population, almost doubling the urbanization rate of 36% in 2000.

The 2005 symposium will seek to address some of the critical challenges relating to this astonishing growth. How can Chinese policy-makers ensure urban design and planning excellence in a climate of rapid development? How can they increase the effectiveness of urban transportation systems while ensuring they are safe, inclusive and environmentally sustainable? How should the social change resulting from the arrival of migrant workers in cities and new patterns of property ownership best be managed? As China becomes more exposed to global economic, financial, and cultural forces, how can its cities and regions nimbly develop their areas of competitive advantage?

To address the issues above, the symposium will bring together scholars and practitioners specializing in Chinese urban planning and development via a series of presentations and panel discussions on the following critical topics:

• Physical Planning: Learning from international experience
• Transportation Challenges
• The Changing Landscape of Housing in Urban China
• Regional Planning: Competition and Integration

Confirmed speakers and discussants include:

• Gary Jefferson, Brandies University
• Randall Crane, UCLA
• Dennis Frenchman, MIT
• John Pucher, Rutgers University
• Ellen Lou, Director, Urban Design and Regional Planning, S.O.M
• Lu Weiming, Lowertown Redevelopment Corporation, St. Paul, MN
• David McIntyre, Principal, Sasaki Associates, Inc.
• Peter Rogers, Harvard University
• Lanchih Po, Beijing University
• Karen Polenske, MIT
• Fred Salvucci, Centre for Transportation and Logistics, MIT
• Peng Zheng-ren, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
• Qing Shen, University of Maryland
• Wu Fulong, University of Southampton, UK
• Wu Weiping, Virginia Commonwealth University
• Yang Cuihong, China Academy of Science
• Zhang Li, University of California, Davis
• Zhang Ming, University of Texas
• Zhang Tingwei, University of Illinois at Chicago

Please do not hesitate to contact us with any further queries. We look forward to seeing you on March 17 and 18.

Sincerely,

The Organizing Committee