Tag Archives: migration

Viewpoints: An examination of China’s New Urbanization Strategy

1430433167_f50bdaaaab_oJun Yang
Tsinghua University, China

In the last three decades, urbanization in China moved ahead at an unprecedented speed. Between 1978 and 2014, the urbanization rate increased from 17.9% to 53.7% (Chinese Government Network, 2015 [In Chinese]). During that time, more than five hundred million people moved from rural areas into cities. Rapid urbanization, along with industrialization, has propelled social and economic development not only in China, but globally as well.

However, the prospect of continuing at such high levels of urban development is dimming for three reasons. First, urbanization in China in the last three decades was driven externally by international industry transfer associated with the de-industrialization of developed countries. China’s status as “the world’s factory” provided funding and a workforce for urbanization. Internally, policies and regulations favoring urbanization, especially land use policy, paved the way for rapid urbanization. Nevertheless, as China’s economy has begun to slow due to the drop of the global market, the sustainability of this rapid urbanization has become a great challenge.

Click here to read the rest of the article

Call for Applicants: Workshop on Climate, Migration & Health in Latin America

Climate, Migration & Health in Latin America: Connections through Urbanization
University of Colorado Population Center
Boulder, Colorado, USA
May 26-27, 2016

Organizers:
Lori Hunter and Fernando Riosmena – University of Colorado-Boulder, USA
Patricia Romero-Lankao – National Center for Atmospheric Research, USA

With support from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development, the Institute of Behavioral Science and University of Colorado Population Center are hosting the 2nd annual workshop on Climate, Migration and Health.  This year’s sub-theme is “Connections through Urbanization” with a geographic focus on Latin America.

The two-day workshop, held in Boulder, Colorado, USA and will bring together approximately ten researchers and policy communicators to showcase innovative research on urbanization, climate and health.

Workshop applicants must have a current research project in Latin America and should aim to come to the workshop to present ongoing work.  We will also spend time brainstorming broader knowledge gaps and specific research projects or proposals designed to fill those gaps.

Researchers from social and natural sciences are encouraged to apply.  Funds are available for partial reimbursement for domestic travel and lodging. Applicants must be post-PhD. The aim is for an interdisciplinary mix of junior and senior scholars.

To be considered for this workshop, please send a CV and a complete paper, working draft, or an extended abstract (including data description, methods, and preliminary results) by February 19, 2016.  Decisions will be made by March 11th.

Please address questions to Lori.Hunter@colorado.edu.
Please submit application materials to Cheryl.Graham@colorado.edu.

Viewpoints: The Places Left Behind

shutterstock_69010459 (1)Colin Harrison
IBM & Arizona State University, USA

The largest labor force migration in history is underway, driven by urbanization, global communications, low-cost labor, business growth and technological innovation. This transition began in Europe and North America in the late 18th century at the dawn of the Industrial Revolution and now encompasses most of the world. Figure 1 illustrates a pattern that is being repeated worldwide. In this pattern, labor migrates from agriculture into higher value occupations such as manufacturing, where the transitioning region usually has a cost advantage, and later into the services sector as manufacturing industry is lost in turn to newly developing regions. This transition is still underway in regions such as sub-Saharan Africa, parts of Asia, and South America, and may be receiving new impetus from forces such as climate change and political instability. It seems likely to reach a fluctuating equilibrium during the 21st century.

Click here to finish the article