Abstract
Abstract. The continuing integration of the Chinese economy into the globalizing world and increasing intercity competition have had significant and comparatively recent implications for post-socialist urbanization in China. Driven by market-oriented development and globalization, decentralization of economic decision-making and downscaling of governance from the central state to local governments and authorities characterize the changing role of the state from urban managerialism to urban entrepreneurialism. Drawing on Jessop's definition of the entrepreneurial city and his concept of glurbanization, this paper aims to identify and analyse different modes of entrepreneurial urban governance based on the example of Guangzhou, a Chinese megacity that has been under intense pressure to revitalize its leading role as an economic, commercial and cultural centre in the Pearl River Delta and the rest of southern China. To face globalization and promote competitiveness, Guangzhou pursues various innovative interscalar entrepreneurial strategies in an active entrepreneurial fashion through adopting an entrepreneurial discourse. This is critically reflected upon within this article.
Highlights
As recently as 35 yr ago, the People’s Republic of China was far from integrated in the process of globalization; it remained, strongly isolated from the world’s political arena
Drawing on Jessop’s definition of the entrepreneurial city and his concept of glurbanization, this paper aims to identify and analyse different modes of entrepreneurial urban governance based on the example of Guangzhou, a Chinese megacity that has been under intense pressure to revitalize its leading role as an economic, commercial and cultural centre in the Pearl River Delta and the rest of southern China
Drawing on Jessop’s definition of the entrepreneurial city and glurbanization, this paper aims to identify, analyse and critically reflect upon different modes of entrepreneurial urban governance based on a literature review and independent field work in Guangzhou, southern China
Summary
As recently as 35 yr ago, the People’s Republic of China was far from integrated in the process of globalization; it remained, strongly isolated from the world’s political arena. Driven by market-oriented development and globalization, decentralization of economic decision-making and downscaling of governance from the central state to local governments and authorities characterize the changing role of the state from urban managerialism to urban entrepreneurialism (cf Schröder and Waibel, 2012; Shen, 2007) This transition and a strong orientation to a more outward-focussed stance, intended to enhance national and international economic and urban competitiveness, lead to a growing emergence of entrepreneurial governance at the city level including innovative entrepreneurial strategies, active entrepreneurial fashion and entrepreneurial discourses. In contrast to other cities in the world, the scale and speed of the activities of Chinese cities in regard to place-branding and competitivenessbuilding is unmatched and historically unique
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