![]() ![]() With the highest per capita GDP of any major city in China, Shenzhen is also experiencing soaring land prices.įrom ghost towns to megacities: The extreme transformation of Asia's city skylines Some media reports have pointed to the so-called “Skyscraper Index,” an idea first proposed by economist Andrew Lawrence in 1999, which suggests that a surge of investment in skyscrapers is a harbinger of recession.īut rather than signaling a downturn, Shenzhen’s spate of new skyscrapers may simply reflect its booming economy. Tianjin built no fewer than three central business districts filled with skyscrapers – including one unashamedly modeled on Manhattan. Entire new cities were built in places like Ordos, a dusty outpost in the Gobi Desert, which then sat empty for years. ![]() In addition to a current crop of 49 buildings taller than 200 meters, a further 48 skyscrapers are under construction, according to CTBUH data.Ībandoned architectural marvels in China's largest ghost townĪcross China, the race upwards has produced outsized landmarks (like Nanjing’s Zifeng Tower which is nearly twice the height of the city’s next-tallest building) in areas where there was not enough demand to justify construction. Shenzhen appears to be showing no signs of slowing. A growing network of subway lines and a new high-speed rail connection to Hong Kong have made this strip even more desirable, pushing development up rather than out. Often described as “China’s Silicon Valley,” the city is home to huge companies like Tencent (which itself built two skyscrapers) and a network of thousands of smaller firms.īut Shenzhen’s geography plays a part, too: the city center is located in a narrow strip between mountains and the Hong Kong border. Today, Shenzhen has evolved beyond its manufacturing roots to become a hub for service industries – especially technology and design. When Deng Xiaoping made his first visit to Shenzhen, he was really excited by the speed at which tall buildings were being built.” ![]() “The term ‘Shenzhen speed’ was coined from the (time of) the construction of the city’s earliest skyscrapers. “Between the early 1980s and the early 90s, it had more tall buildings than any Chinese city. “In Shenzhen, (skyscrapers are) really linked to the image of the city,” she said over the phone. ![]()
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