China is in the process of building a mega-city expected to have a population larger than most countries by the year 2030.
China has approved a $36 billion railway development plan to improve transportation between Beijing, Tianjin, and several cities in Hebei province, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) revealed Monday, according to Reuters.
The rail projects should be completed before 2020; however, mega-city development is expected to continue on for another decade.
The new rail lines should cut the three-hour trip from Beijing to Tianjin to half an hour.
The Jing-Jin-Ji mega-city project will encompass 110 million people and cover an area of 82,000 square miles, making it twice the size of South Korea, both in terms of population and total area.
By the time the project is completed, the population could be around 130 million, making it more populated than Japan.
The mega-city developing around China’s capital combines Beijing’s economic and research resources, Tianjin’s port connections on the Bohai Sea, and Hebei’s technological developments.
Urbanization is occurring at an incredible rate in China, forcing the country to make substantial preparations.
China’s urban population could hit 1 billion by 2030, marking an increase of several hundred million urban residents and creating a demand for sprawling mega-cities.
The Jing-Jin-Ji project is not the only mega-city China is building.
China is also constructing a mega-city in the Pearl River Delta in Southern China. Covering nine cities, Shenzhen, Dongguan, Huizhou, Zhuhai, Zhongshan, Jiangmen, Guangzhou, Foshan, and Zhaoqing, this mega-city will serve 57 million residents and span 15,000 square miles.
China anticipates the Pearl River Delta mega-city will generate roughly $2 trillion annually.
The feasibility of China’s mega-city projects is questionable, however, these are projects the country is determined to complete.
As is, China’s major cities struggle with severe ground, air, and water pollution, overcrowding, transportation, housing, sustainability, and general service issues. Nonetheless, China is making an effort to rectify these problems through continued development.
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