Construction in China continues to boom at a rapid pace, even without 3D printers that can print a skyscraper in just 19 days.
Developers and local governments in China are known for building master planned developments from scratch, but as Forbes contributor Kenneth Rapoza points out, many of them today are still ghost towns.
“From shopping malls to soccer stadiums, hundreds of new cities in China are largely empty. And yet more cities are still being built deep in the heart of the country,” Rapoza writes.
The city of Ordos, in China’s province of Inner Mongolia, is an example of such city. It made headlines in Western media after journalist Wade Shepard featured the city in his book, “Ghost Cities of China.”
Time magazine published a web slideshow of Kangbashi District in Ordos, with photography by Michael Christopher Brown. It shows swaths of subdivisions, mid-rise apartments, and commercial complexes built to entertain and accommodate a population the size of San Diego, but remains nearly empty.
Yet under-occupancy doesn’t seem to deter development. Last week, renderings started to circulate online of a walkable, terrace-shaped exhibition hall that Chinese practice Kuanlu Architects designed for Otog, also in Ordos.
“China’s continued urbanization push can be viewed as a full-on effort to develop an insulated economy that’s based on domestic production delivering goods and services to domestic consumers,” Rapoza writes, adding that it is a result of economic crises in the U.S. and E.U. taking a toll on China’s economy.
Related Stories
Mixed-Use | Dec 1, 2016
Initial work on mixed-use development, The Parks at Walter Reed, is underway
The D.C. development is the product of a partnership between Hines, Urban Atlantic, and Triden Development Group.
Multifamily Housing | Dec 1, 2016
One of Canada’s largest media companies dives into real estate development
Rogers moves forward on M City, a multi-building, multi-year project in a Toronto suburb.
Office Buildings | Nov 15, 2016
Under Armour unveils phase one of 50-acre Baltimore headquarters
The campus will be located in Baltimore’s $5.5 billion Port Covington redevelopment project.
Mixed-Use | Nov 10, 2016
Terraced mixed-use development planned for Shanghai’s urban city ring
The development will be highly accessible and provide ‘humanism’ to the area.
Mixed-Use | Nov 8, 2016
Blue Star Accelerator program seeks to help early stage businesses in the technology, sports, and entertainment industries
Applications for the program are currently being accepted.
High-rise Construction | Nov 1, 2016
Winthrop Square will give rise to Boston’s second tallest building
The building will become the tallest residential tower in the city.
Mixed-Use | Oct 31, 2016
New Frank Gehry project on Sunset Boulevard moves forward with a few compromises
Among the compromises, the 8150 Sunset Blvd. project will see its tallest residential tower reduced by 56 feet.
Mixed-Use | Sep 27, 2016
10 Design wins competition to design huge mixed-use development in China
China Resources Land, New Fenghong Real Estate Development, and China Resources Trust have designated 50 billion yuan for the construction of the development.
High-rise Construction | Sep 12, 2016
Bangkok’s tallest tower is also one of its most unique
At 1,030 feet tall, MahaNakhon Tower’s height is only outdone by its arresting design.
Mixed-Use | Sep 9, 2016
Rolled book scroll-inspired mixed-use project from Aedas planned for Chongqing, China
With a bookstore at the heart of the development, the project looks to exemplify an ancient Chinese proverb that says “knowledge brings wealth.”