Keywords: urbanization, urbanization, industrialization, modern economy, regional economy
A city is a symbol of human civilization and the center of people's economic, political and social life. The degree of urbanization is an important symbol to measure the economic, social, cultural and scientific level of a country and a region, and it is also an important symbol of the social organization and management level of a country and a region. Urbanization is an inevitable process of human progress and an important clue to the transformation of human social structure. After urbanization, it marks the realization of modernization goals. Only after the baptism of urbanization can mankind move towards a more brilliant era. However, it is not enough to praise and shout the fruitful results brought by urbanization. The process of urbanization is not necessarily a beautiful movement. Like many advances, there are many discordant voices in the process of urbanization. It is of great significance for our country to correctly understand the impact of urbanization and take necessary measures to solve it seriously. At present, scholars at home and abroad have expounded the concept of urbanization from the perspectives of demography, geography, sociology and economics.
1. Demography
Demography defines urbanization as the process of transforming rural population into urban population. What they call urbanization is the urbanization of population, which refers to the process of "population concentration in cities, or agricultural population becoming non-agricultural population" Most of the population in China is farmers, and at present, the urban population in China accounts for about 36%. Therefore, accelerating the pace of population urbanization in China is of great strategic significance for promoting the transfer of rural surplus labor and realizing rural economic growth.
2. Geography
Urbanization in geographical research is a process in which the population of a region is relatively concentrated in towns. Urbanization also means the expansion of urban land and the spread of urban culture, urban lifestyle and values in rural areas.
3. Sociology
From the sociological point of view, urbanization is the process of changing rural lifestyle to urban lifestyle. Development is not an end, but a means. Its fundamental purpose is to improve people's living standards, improve people's quality of life, promote people's skills and quality, improve the overall development level of human society, and realize the harmonious development between people and nature.
From the perspective of social development, urbanization is the popularization of advanced socio-economic factors in urban and rural areas.
4. Economics
In economics, urbanization is defined from the perspective of industrialization, which means that urbanization is the process of transforming rural economy into urbanization production. Now it seems that urbanization is the inevitable result of industrialization. On the one hand, industrialization will accelerate the mechanization level of agricultural production and improve agricultural productivity, while industrial expansion will provide a large number of employment opportunities for rural surplus labor; On the other hand, the backwardness of rural areas will also be detrimental to the development of cities, thus affecting the development of the entire national economy. Accelerating rural industrialized production is of great significance to the development of rural regional economy and the whole national economy. Different disciplines explain the meaning of urbanization from different angles. Through comparison, we can find that the connotation of urbanization is the same: urbanization is a process in which the population of a country or region shifts from rural areas to cities, rural areas gradually evolve into cities, and the urban population continues to grow; In this process, urban infrastructure and public service facilities have been continuously improved, while urban culture and urban values have become the main body and spread to rural areas. In addition, the increase of urban characteristics in rural areas also belongs to urbanization. Urbanization is a process in which the progress of productive forces causes people's production mode, lifestyle and values to change. [Edit this paragraph] The essence of urbanization [1] First, urbanization is the process of increasing the proportion of urban population. Urbanization first manifests itself as a large number of rural people entering cities, and the proportion of urban population in the total population is gradually increasing.
Second, urbanization is the process of industrial structure transformation. With the advancement of urbanization, the labor force originally engaged in the traditional and inefficient primary industry has turned to the modern and efficient secondary and tertiary industries, the industrial structure has been gradually upgraded and transformed, and the country's ability to create wealth has been continuously improved.
Third, urbanization is a process of raising the income level of residents. Cities are places where high-consumption groups gather. Urbanization has transformed a large number of low-income residents into high-income residents. Therefore, the process of urbanization is the process of expanding the market and increasing the attractiveness to investors. It is also a process in which more and more citizens enjoy the benefits in development, and it is also a process in which the middle class of a country forms and occupies the main body.
Fourthly, urbanization is a process of continuous development of urban civilization and infiltration and diffusion to rural areas. The process of urbanization is also a process of continuous improvement and modernization of rural and farmers' production methods and lifestyles, that is, the process of urban-rural integration.
Fifth, the process of urbanization is the process of continuous improvement of people's overall quality. Because most citizens are engaged in advanced industrial activities and their quality of life is high, people's lifestyle and values will undergo major changes, and society will establish a new urban social order that is fundamentally different from agricultural society. People can freely carry out more colorful social activities according to the established rules of the game. Self-discipline, self-esteem and self-improvement have become social trends. This is the soul of modern civilization and the real charm of the city. [Edit this paragraph] There are three basic forms of urbanization in China: centralized urbanization, decentralized urbanization and old-fashioned urbanization. In different regions and periods of China, various forms of urbanization play their respective roles. 199 1 June, natural information magazine published Ceng Bangzhe's monograph, and put forward the urbanization road of villages and towns and the industrialization of solar energy, electronics and biotechnology, in order to avoid the urban problems such as population and transportation brought about by the excessive centralized development of cities. The urbanization strategy should be urban agglomerations and urban networking. In the process of analyzing the three forms of urbanization, through the above understanding of the meaning of urbanization and the actual situation in China, we can recognize some factors that hinder the urbanization process in China. (1) Centralized urbanization refers to the continuous concentration of rural population and non-agricultural economic activities in cities. In this process of urbanization, many original factors affecting the process of urbanization in China have been exposed, which has also brought us many new problems.
1. The negative impact of the old household registration system
The household registration system implemented in China has indeed made great contributions to the development of the national economy in a specific period. However, with the development of economic and political system and the expansion of urbanization, this system has become an aspect that restricts the urbanization process and economic development of China [3]. Decades ago, the gap between "rural people" and "urban people" has become an obstacle to the development of rural economy and urban economy in China. As we all know, an important way to increase farmers' income is to guide farmers into cities and promote the transfer of wealthy rural labor. If the situation of a large number of people stranded in rural areas is not reversed as soon as possible, it will not only directly restrict the improvement of farmers' income, the process of agricultural modernization and the overall prosperity of rural economy; It will also restrain the growth of rural consumption demand for a long time, seriously affecting the healthy and sustainable development of the national economy. It is an inevitable trend of industrialization and modernization to accelerate the transfer of rural surplus labor to non-agricultural industries and cities and towns. Therefore, China should gradually change the existing backward household registration system as soon as possible to create a better institutional environment for the rational and orderly flow of labor.
2. The "national treatment" that migrant workers should enjoy is difficult to achieve.
Urban construction has created a large number of construction and industrial jobs; Migrant workers in cities have also made great contributions to the development of cities. According to the statistical data of Beijing in 2003, the contribution rate of migrant workers to Beijing's GDP in 2003 was about 10%. At the same time, farmers have learned all kinds of non-agricultural employment skills, felt the urban culture, appreciated the market competition and improved their comprehensive quality. Similarly, working in cities is also an important way to increase farmers' income. However, in practice, farmers are subject to many unreasonable restrictions, and their wages, welfare and medical care are not guaranteed. Similarly, another problem, the difficulty in enrolling children of migrant workers, has also become another hot issue concerned by many media. The enrollment of children of migrant workers is a long-term issue related to the development and progress of society and the country.
These problems not only affect the life and work of migrant workers, but also have a lot of negative effects on the development of cities. For example, the serious lack of work in Quanzhou reported in early 2004 had a great adverse impact on the city's economic development and urban credit. China Youth Daily reported that in 2004, the phenomenon of "spring recruitment shortage" reappeared in Quanzhou, Fujian. What do Quanzhou it officials think are the reasons? First, some small enterprises are in arrears with workers' wages; Second, the working environment is poor; Third, the salary is low. The government has the responsibility to create a good "working environment" and protect the legitimate rights and interests of migrant farmers. No matter from the requirements of caring for vulnerable groups and people-oriented, or from the goal of economic development, the government should take concrete actions. Especially in the current situation that migrant workers are not fully organized to compete with powerful forces, the role of the government is even more important. (II) Decentralized urbanization Decentralized urbanization refers to the outward spread of urban economic activities and population. It means the rapid development of the suburbs of big cities and their surrounding non-urban areas. Decentralized urbanization can be divided into two forms in spatial form: (1) extended (or continuous) urbanization. That is, cities gradually extend from regions, forming "urban belts" or "urban agglomerations" of different scales. (2) Enclave (or leap) urbanization. That is to say, in order to meet the needs of long-term development, big cities build a new city at a certain distance from themselves, or develop the original residential areas into cities [4]. Decentralized urbanization plays a leading role in the intermediate or even advanced stage of the city. In today's China, with the continuous expansion of the city scale, many problems of decentralized urbanization are increasingly exposed.
1. Diseases in big cities are increasingly prominent.
The diseases in big cities in China are quite serious now. Traffic congestion, shortage of resources and decline in the quality of life of urban residents are all plaguing the progress of the city [5]. This year, the pace of construction and transformation of big cities in China has been accelerated, and urban agglomerations have begun to appear in some parts of China, and many megacities have also begun to build "satellite cities", hoping to solve the problems of diseases in many big cities. For example, Ding Xiangyang, director of the Beijing Municipal Commission for Economic Restructuring, mentioned in his report to the people of Beijing at the first session of the 12th National People's Congress that Beijing will determine high-level planning and design by public bidding according to the standards of modern eco-city, build several new "satellite cities" suitable for more than 500,000 people to live and work, and evacuate the population in the urban center. However, in practice, the development of "satellite cities" often makes cities more "bloated" and "urban diseases" more prominent. Therefore, in order to solve the problem of urban diseases, we should pay attention not to make the city more "bloated" when developing the decentralized urbanization "satellite city".
2. The transformation of urban functions is not obvious.
The urbanization process in developed countries can be roughly divided into two stages. The first stage is characterized by "centralization" and the second stage by "decentralization". As a result, "metropolitan circle" or "urban agglomeration" and "urban belt" centered on big cities have developed rapidly. In some developed areas of China, such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, there has been a trend of the affluent class migrating from cities to suburbs, that is to say, it has entered the second stage of urbanization: the "suburban stage". The development of "city circle" and "satellite city" needs to pay attention to the transformation and coordinated development of urban functions and surrounding suburban functions. The process of urbanization is the process of continuous modernization, and central cities should constantly improve the scale, layout and function of "urban belt" and "regional economy". The continuous evolution of urban functions is the premise of the good development of central cities, and it is also the basis for solving the diseases in big cities and promoting the stable and healthy development of surrounding areas. (3) Old-style urbanization refers to the primitive countryside without the direct role and influence of cities; Because of the discovery and development of certain resources, or the establishment of external traffic status, or the change of production structure, farmers leave the land to engage in non-agricultural production, and rural areas are transformed into cities, which is also the process of rural urbanization.
Due to the large rural population in China, there is a serious surplus of urban and rural labor force; The prosperity of rural areas in China must be realized by developing rural non-agricultural industries. The existing big cities are unable to absorb hundreds of millions of rural people, so we can only start with small towns and cities with less investment and simple facilities. By analyzing the reality of China, we can expose some problems in rural urbanization. Many problems arise from the process of urbanization in rural areas, but also hinder the urbanization in this area [6].
1. Rational development of industrial structure in the process of urbanization in rural areas
At present, China has entered a critical moment of economic development, and 30 years of reform and opening up have achieved initial results. In the process of deepening the achievements of the new round of reform, we still need to grope for progress. With the advancement of urbanization in China, it is facing the climax of a new round of urban construction. As we know, towns, as intermediaries connecting cities and rural areas, should make full use of local resources, develop their own industries and pay attention to the coordinated development of the economy. At present, many areas still blindly invest in projects, resulting in repeated investment; It not only caused a lot of waste, but also delayed opportunities and the process of urbanization and modernization. Therefore, as a town construction closely connected with the countryside, a development model that is in line with the actual situation of the region should be formulated in its development process. For example, in some backward areas in the west, it is quite difficult to start initial development because of weak economic foundation and shortage of resources. In order to improve the self-development ability of backward areas quickly, we can establish an optimized industrial development order, that is, develop the tertiary industry with less investment and quick results, such as tourism and commerce, so as to promote the original accumulation of regional development funds, communicate with the outside world and lay the foundation for the rational introduction of external funds and technology. Then develop other industries and related industries suitable for the region accordingly, promote the reasonable, sustainable and healthy development of the region, and avoid rushing for success.
2. Pay attention to urbanization and the improvement of population quality in rural basic education.
Rural urbanization is a process in which the mode of production and lifestyle of rural population changes. With the popularization and development of industrialized production in rural areas, the improvement of the quality of agricultural labor force and the improvement of socialized service are in line with this. People are the main body of the city and the starting point and destination of urbanization. The key to human urbanization is human modernization. It is not only necessary to speed up farmers' entry into cities and transform the agricultural population into non-agricultural population, but more importantly, it is necessary to strengthen ideological and moral education, scientific and cultural education and legal education through training and employment, improve the overall quality of the population and turn villagers into real citizens. Basic education is an important factor affecting the future development of China's comprehensive national strength. The uneven distribution of educational resources in China and the low level of regional education will inevitably affect the development of a regional economy, thus affecting the process of urbanization in China. Strengthening the basic education and vocational skills training for rural population and paying attention to the improvement of the quality of urbanization subjects are fundamental problems that need long-term attention and urgent solution in the process of urbanization. [Edit this paragraph] To promote the process of urbanization in China, people are the main body of the city and the starting point and destination of urbanization. In the process of urbanization, we must first establish the people-oriented thought. First, we need the broad masses of agricultural workers to have real freedom in choosing jobs and land, break the artificial shackles that fix farmers on the land, and improve the land policy, household registration policy and social security system. At all stages of urbanization, we should pay full attention to people's interests in the process of urbanization [7].
There have been and will be many problems in the process of urbanization. We should insist that urbanization itself is to supervise and guide our work from promoting, improving and enhancing people's production methods and values; Constantly find problems and solve them. The road of people-oriented sustainable development is the long-term road of urbanization. [Edit this paragraph] The performance characteristics of urbanization process have certain characteristics: the proportion of urban population to the total population is rising; In the industrial structure, the proportions of agriculture, industry and other industries change with each other. The level of urbanization is directly proportional to the growth of per capita GNP; High-level urbanization is not only based on the development of secondary and tertiary industries, but also the result of agricultural modernization.
Measures of urbanization:
1, indicator of urbanization level
The formula of this index is: pu = u ÷ p×100%; In which: u- urban population; P- total population.
2. Urbanization speed index
The formula of sub-index is: ta =1÷ n (put+n-put); Where: ta-urbanization speed; N- the speed between two moments; PUt+n, put-the percentage of urban population in t+n and t years; It should be noted that the unit of urbanization speed (TA) in the formula is the percentage of the average increase (or decrease) of urban population, not the percentage.
3. Urbanization quality index
The quality index of urbanization is not single, but a comprehensive index system. Here, the index system for measuring the quality of urbanization proposed by Ye Yumin is adopted, which is divided into two major systems with slight changes.
(A) urban modernization index system
Urban modernization is a comprehensive reflection of urban quality, which is reflected in all aspects of urban development level. The index system for measuring urban modernization is divided into three categories: 1 1 index. The first category is the index of the modernization level of economic structure. It mainly includes three indicators: per capita GDP (yuan/person), the proportion of employees in tertiary industry (%) and the proportion of added value of tertiary industry in GDP (%), which are used to reflect the level of economic development. The second category is the index of infrastructure modernization level. Including four indicators: per capita paved road area (square meters), buses and trams owned by ten thousand people, doctors (people) owned by ten thousand people, and telephones (including mobile phones) (departments) owned by ten thousand people. They reflect the development level of transportation, medical care and communication respectively. The third category is the index of human modernization level. Including the number of books in public libraries per capita, the number of college students per 10,000 people (people), the per capita living area (square meters) and the per capita public green space (square meters). Respectively reflect people's quality, living environment and the development level of cultural infrastructure.
(B) Urban-rural integration index system
Urban-rural integration is a process of mutual integration, mutual supplement, mutual integration, mutual coordination and common prosperity between cities and rural areas in an interdependent region. Theoretically, the index system for measuring urban-rural integration includes four indicators: the average profit rate of the primary industry, the secondary and tertiary industries, the material and information flow between urban and rural areas, the income gap between urban and rural residents, and the Engel coefficient gap between urban and rural residents. Due to the limitation of statistical data, the income difference between urban and rural residents (reflecting the living standard) and the Engel coefficient difference between urban and rural residents (reflecting the quality of life) are selected to calculate the current level of urban-rural integration in China. [Edit this paragraph] Problems in the process of urbanization and their solutions
(A) environmental quality decline
(B) traffic congestion, poor living conditions
(3) Increase employment difficulties and increase the number of unemployed people.
solution
(a) the establishment of satellite city, the development of new areas.
Improve urban traffic and living conditions.
(3) Protecting and Governing the Urban Environment [Edit this paragraph] Characteristics of urbanization in developed countries 1. Start early.
2. High level of urbanization.
3. There is an anti-urbanization phenomenon. [Edit this paragraph] The characteristic of urbanization in developing countries is 1. Start late and develop fast.
2. Low level of urbanization.
3. Unreasonable urban development.
For example, in Brazil, the urban population accounts for 3/4 of the national population, and the urbanization problem is very serious!
[Edit this paragraph] Impact of urbanization 1. The decline of urban environmental quality-environmental pollution of urban environment-the product of human utilization and transformation of nature, including natural environment and artificially transformed environment.
The natural environment is rarely seen in the city, but only in the suburbs or parks of the city can you see a little natural environment, such as fields, ponds, naturally growing trees and so on. Most cities are reconstructed artificial environments, such as streets and buildings. Natural environment and artificial environment are isomorphic to form urban environment.
It is mainly the new public hazards brought by high technology, such as air conditioning disease, computer radiation, the harm of mobile phones, noise and light pollution. 2. Traffic congestion and poor living conditions. The increase in employment difficulties and unemployment will also bring other social problems in the process of urbanization, such as poverty, inner city decline, aging population, social security and so on. [Edit this paragraph] Urbanization magazine "Urbanization" is a public professional periodical sponsored by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development and the Information Center of the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development. It focuses on the problems and countermeasures, experiences and lessons in the process of urbanization, comprehensively reflects the present situation of urbanization in China, summarizes the experience of urbanization in China, and discusses China's urbanization development theory. It is an authoritative publication in the field of urbanization in China. Its aim is to "make the urbanization of China benefit all mankind" and its mission is to "provide intellectual support for the urbanization of China".
The magazine Urbanization is edited by China International Urbanization Development Strategy Research Committee, and is favored by readers because of its high-end, professionalism and readability. At present, the magazine covers more than 600 cities in China, and its readers include mayors, party secretaries, heads of planning and construction departments at all levels, presidents or senior executives of large and medium-sized enterprises, academic and scientific research institutions, universities and colleges, etc. , with a circulation of 300,000 copies.