Making China's cities productive and livable

Future historians will see the urbanization of China, and of countries throughout Asia, as one of the biggest social and economic transformations ever. Getting this right - maintaining the productivity of cities while making them livable for all their citizens - is crucial to the future of the world.

China is making very large investments in transportation infrastructure, social support and environmental protection that will improve lives in cities and spread prosperity to smaller cities and hinterlands.

The Asian Development Bank issued a report in September titled Fostering Growth and Inclusion in Asia's Cities that used a new database of nighttime light intensity to analyze the rapid growth of urban areas throughout Asia.