Urbanization must be more rational to avoid repeating past mistakes

AT THE SECOND INTERNATIONAL FORUM on Sustainable Urban Development held recently, Xu Lin, director of the China Urban and Small Town Reform and Development Center, said in 20 years, 80 percent of China's population will be living in urban areas and sustainable urban development will undoubtedly be a big challenge. Legal Daily comments:

Some big cities already suffer from serious urban diseases ranging from air pollution to traffic jams. Their expansion relies primarily on the boom of real estate industry and the explosion of their population. The heavy pressure on transport and public services in the megacities have become increasingly unbearable.

The growth of big cities is partially based on the hollowing-out of smaller towns. Thus the development gaps among cities continues to widen.