China's 'New Socialist Countryside'

The Chinese government looks to develop rural infrastructure, but what about the political voice of millions of countryside peasants?

1 minute read

March 10, 2006, 11:00 AM PST

By David Gest


"After years and years of runaway growth in its eastern cities, suddenly China is furiously talking up the idea of building a 'new socialist countryside.' Putting money where his mouth is, Prime Minister Wen Jiabao of China stood before the National People's Congress this week and pledged a 14 percent increase in spending on the rural world."

"Mention of any 'new socialist countryside' begs the question of what became of the old socialist China countryside, and any examination of this subject should provoke deep suspicions -- not of Beijing's ability to carry out sweeping national campaigns, but rather of the results that its authoritarian centralism tends to produce."

Wednesday, March 8, 2006 in International Herald Tribune

Lake Powell with much of the water evaporated.

Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River

Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.

October 30, 2026 - Yale Environment 360

A road in north eastern Nebraska with power lines on either side, and grassy fields.

Eastern Nebraska is running out of electricity

Data centers and electrification are straining eastern Nebraska’s grid, throttling economic development.

November 6, 2026 - Grist

People walking in downtown St. Louis, walking past shops.

Move over, LA: St. Louis gears up for Olympics, invests millions in downtown redevelopment

The Missouri city will host the 2028 Olympic soccer group stage and knockout matches.

November 1, 2026 - Smart Cities Dive

A crowd of people cheering for an unseen performer.

‘No clear next steps’ for Chicago's permanent festival grounds

Eleventh Ward Ald. Nicole Lee has suggested Soldier Field as a possible location for the permanent event space.

45 minutes ago - Chicago Sun Times

Construction in Hawaii, with cranes in front of a lush mountain.

California, Hawaii, Rhode Island approve housing propositions

Hawaii and Rhode Island each approved their sole proposition, while California approved two of its three.

1 hour ago - Smart Cities Dive

An Amtrak train pulls into a station in chicago.

Officials claim feds 'rushed' Amtrak environmental review

Amtrak plans to move their Chicago maintenance facility from an industrial area to a residential one.

2 hours ago - Block Club Chicago

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.