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oai:figshare.com:article/32805479 2026-10-01T16:15:46Z portal_1172 item_type_8 month_year_10_2026

Analysing the impact of neoliberalism on community planning in rural China Yue Liu (292931) PUREID: 675908523 neoliberalism planetary urbanisation state intervention real estate speculation rural community planning <div>The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of neoliberal ideas and principles on planning in rural China. This study uses neoliberal urbanism and planetary urbanisation as a theoretical framework to analyse the policy conditions and operational mechanisms of rural planning, and to examine the participation of and tension between multiple stakeholders. Using Chengdu as a study area, it explores how national and local political-economic changes affect the planning of rural communities, and what the socioeconomic consequences of these changes are. Methodologically, the study adopts semi-structured interviews and focus groups, and supplements this with secondary data from key government planning documents and economic data. The data is analysed through critical discourse analysis and thematic analysis. </div><div>The study finds that neoliberalism has a multilevel impact on rural planning in China. The operation of neoliberal urbanism is more active at the local level than at the central level. This has led to real estate speculation and entrepreneurial governance and has spread to rural areas through rural land marketisation experiments. The private sector, thus, can participate in rural planning and construction. This is a manifestation of planetary urbanisation. Meanwhile, the State has begun to intervene in speculative urban and rural development through its authority and monopoly over land ownership, contrasting with Western neoliberal interventions. Speculative construction has been suppressed, and the recession in the real estate market has caused the ghost city phenomenon in both urban and rural areas.  </div><div>The findings confirm that market and city competition principles, shaped by neoliberalism, continue to affect China’s rural planning policies and practices. The study offers policy suggestions to reduce these negative impacts and provides experiences for rural revitalisation in other Global South contexts facing similar pressures. </div><div><br></div><div><i>Thesis is embargoed until 31 July 2031.</i></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div> 2026-10-01T16:15:46Z Text Thesis 10.17034/32805479.v1 https://figshare.com/articles/thesis/Analysing_the_impact_of_neoliberalism_on_community_planning_in_rural_China/32805479 All Rights Reserved Open Access after 2031-07-31