Publication Type

Journal Article

Version

acceptedVersion

Publication Date

8-2024

Abstract

In recent years, industrial metropolises in China have experienced a surge in proactive planning initiatives aimed at developing high-rise industrial structures, commonly known as “Industry’s Going Upstairs (IGU).” This study argues that the IGU represents a distinct form of urban verticality that is neither motivated by capitalist speculation nor sustainability prompts but rather by local states’ intervention to ensure economic resilience and enhance innovation capabilities. This study presents the case of Shenzhen to demonstrate how the adoption of the IGU initiative is catalyzed by concerns over manufacturing sectors’ out-migration and the effects of volatile US-China relations on the city’s competitiveness. In light of these circumstances, Shenzhen has embraced the ambitious IGU initiative as a practical approach to reverse the trend of deindustrialization while sidestepping the lengthy process of industrial land redevelopment. The paper concludes by emphasizing the need for a comprehensive understanding of political-economic factors that drive urban vertical expansion and their potential consequences.

Keywords

Urban verticality, deindustrialization, geopolitical influence, Industry’s Going Upstairs, manufacturing

Discipline

Urban Studies and Planning

Research Areas

Integrative Research Areas

Publication

Environment and Planning A: Economy and Space

Volume

56

Issue

5

First Page

1447

Last Page

1461

ISSN

0308-518X

Identifier

10.1177/0308518X241226889

Publisher

SAGE Publications

Copyright Owner and License

Authors

Additional URL

https://doi.org/10.1177/0308518X241226889

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