Eco-city on the rise : a study on green capitalism, neoliberal planning and corruption in China’s eco-city development

Abstract: In 2011, China’s urban population surpassed its rural population for the first time in the history when it reached 690 million. The massive urbanization has resulted in a booming of urban housing and infrastructure. Consequently, crowded infrastructure systems burdened by an increasing urban population and severe environmental problems like air pollution have become the main challenges for Chinese cities. In recent years, the Chinese government has begun to envision an urban future with so-called eco-cities. Eco-city development is largely supported by national and local governments since it appears to be a solution not only to environmental sustainability in the mounting critique against Chinese cities’ environmental condition but also a way of attracting green capital investment. In this thesis, I have attempted to understand the relationship between green capitalism, neoliberal planning and corruption in the context of China’s eco-city development. The case study of Dongtan eco-city in Shanghai is used as an empirical venue to apply the above conceptual frameworks. The data collection is based on literature review of academic journals, news articles, reports and qualitative/quantitative secondary data. My study shows that corruption facilitates eco-city projects supported by the concept of neoliberal planning; the neoliberal planning strategy intensifies intercity competition for green capital investment, which in turn increases the likelihood of corruption as a result of public and private actors seeking economic and career advances through illegal practices. A lack of effective supervision from the public and civil society groups exacerbates the situation and leads to a vicious circle of systemic corruption. My study offers new insights into China’s eco-city development and shows the importance of anti-corruption for urban sustainability.