Chinese-Invested Smart City Development In Southeast Asia - How Resilient are Urban Megaprojects in the Age of Covid-19?

HKUST IEMS Thought Leadership Brief No. 56

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Yujia He & Angela Tritto

Smart cities are emerging as major engines for deploying intelligent systems to enhance urban development and contribute to the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDG). In developing economies facing rapid urbanization and technological change, new cities are being built with smart technologies and ideals, complete with business districts and residential, retail, entertainment, medical, education facilities to entice businesses and talents to relocate. Governments tout the potential of such “greenfield” smart cities for innovation and sustainability. Yet such urban megaprojects are often extremely expensive, prompting governments to partner with private players such as property developers, investors, and tech firms to share the cost, and supply infrastructure and technologies.

 

References

Bong, X. (2019). Forest City to hand over more than 20,000 residential units this year, unveils new golf course. EdgeProp. Retrieved from https://www.edgeprop.sg/property-news/forest-city-hand-over-more-20000-residential-units-year-unveils-new-golf-course?__cf_chl_captcha_tk__=pmd_b0e0a1f1c843f3ec8a7a60e55588a044912dd3b2-1627486258-0-gqNtZGzNA2KjcnBszQii

EdgeProp. (2019). Developer of Forest City has yet to return with plan on affordable housing, says KPKT. Retrieved from https://www.edgeprop.my/content/1463138/developer-forest-city-has-yet-return-plan-affordable-housing-says-kpkt

He, H. (2020). China’s middle-class dream of a second home in Malaysia dashed by coronavirus and geopolitical tensions. South China Morning Post. Retrieved from https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3102154/chinas-middle-class-dream-second-home-malaysia-dashed

Ho, B. (2017). Forest City’s Chinese buyers in limbo over developer’s penalty clause. Retrieved from https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/penalty-clause-adds-to-woes-of-forest-city-chinese-buyers.

Kumar, P. (2020). Coronavirus slows China-funded $100bn city in Malaysia. Nikkei. Retrieved from https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Markets/Property/Coronavirus-slows-China-funded-100bn-city-in-Malaysia

People’s Daily. (2019). Construction of digital Silk Road lights up BRI cooperation. Retrieved fromhttp://en.people.cn/n3/2019/0424/c90000-9571418.html

Tritto, A. and He, Y. (2020). Cities in China’s BRI: Green and Smart or Gray and Clumsy? Italian Institute for International Political Studies, 7 July, https://www.ispionline.it/it/pubblicazione/cities-chinas-bri-green-and- smart-or-gray-and-clumsy-26858 

Xinhua. (2018). China outnumbers other countries in smart city pilots: report. Retrieved from http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-02/20/c_136987058.htm

 

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