A pioneering study of the social production of space by migrants in the context of Chinese urban modernization efforts in Beijing.

As China races towards modernity, its cities are experiencing an unprecedented surge in urbanisation, characterised by a relentless influx of migrants and sprawling expansion into suburban realms. Shiyu Yang draws upon Henri Lefebvre's influential theoretical framework and applies it to case studies of two urban villages in Beijing to examine how migrants shape the social production of space in these districts. With a wealth of first-hand material from the field, this study provides essential insights into the ongoing processes and social dynamics that resonate with scholars from cross-disciplinary urban studies as well as practitioners in governance and urban planning.

Autorentext

Shiyu Yang, born in 1992, is an assistant professor at the School of Architecture and Design at Beijing Jiaotong University, China. She received her bachelor's and master's degrees in architecture from Tsinghua University, China, and her PhD in urban planning and design from Universität Stuttgart, Germany, where she was awarded the highest distinction. Her research interests span the fields of informality, migration, spatial theory, and architectural theory and design. Her work has been presented at international conferences such as IFoU, AESOP, N-AERUS and CUD.