Spatial evolution and cause analysis of urban villages: A case study of Shenzhen Special Economic Zone
城中村空间形态的演化特征及原因——以深圳特区为例

Studies on urban villages' renewal and governance have attracted much interest in human geographical research field since the 1990s. However, there is little literature focusing on the developing evolution, pattern and dynamic mechanism of urban villages based on the theoretical system of urban spatial structure, and there are very few scholars doing comparison studies between urban village and general urban spatial form. In this paper, Shenzhen, the most representative city on urban villages' development in China, is taken as a case to explore the characteristics and modes of urban villages' development. With census data of urban villages' construction in 1999 and 2004, spatial and temporal characteristics of 91 original administrative urban villages in Shenzhen Special Economic Zone (Shenzhen SEZ) on land area construction floor area and construction intensity have been analyzed and compared with developing mode of general urban space. It is indicated that urban villages match with general urban developing rules in three aspects. (1) Land sprawl is the most remarkable mode in initial development of urban villages. (2) In urban villages' rapidly developing era thereis, "distance-attenuation" tendency in construction intensity obviously accompanying with some anomalous fluctuation at several urban sections. (3) Renewal and redevelopment methods are carried out gradually since urban villages come in their maturely developing period. However, because of historical and institutional restriction, urban villages perform uniquely in original spatial distribution, spatial expanding mode in developing era, developing rate of spatial form evolution, etc. The results not only contribute to theoretical extension on the mode of general urban spatial structure and further exploring on theoretical values of studies on urban villages, but also imply that governments should establish rational and objective rules to govern urban villages and advance their smart growth according to urban economic development and different housing demands concerning different income levels. Urban villages should be neither redeveloped in full accordance with the ways that general urban spatial form faces, nor ignored with their developing demands and trends as a type of urban spatial form.