Speaker: Zhao Miaoxi, South China University of Technology

In China’s system of public land ownership, industrial land leases often extend beyond the relatively short lifespan of enterprises. Consequently, formulating land use strategies that account for business turnover has emerged as a crucial task for urban planning. This lecture explores urban land vacancy through the primary lens of firm turnover data, examining the complete business life cycle from market entry to exit. Using downtown Guangzhou as an empirical case study, the research reveals that the survival spans of most companies are significantly shorter than their granted land tenure, inevitably leading to spatial inefficiency and vacancy. By simulating the interaction between company survival rates and land tenure periods, the study evaluates various policy interventions aimed at minimizing land waste. We propose several targeted planning strategies, including flexible land transfer mechanisms, the revitalization of underutilized industrial spaces, and the promotion of mixed-use development.

Professor Miaoxi Zhao holds dual Ph.D. degrees in Urban Planning (China) and Geography (Belgium). He is a Professor and Department Head of Urban Planning at South China University of Technology.  His research centers on urban transformation in contemporary China, examined through the theoretical and empirical lens of the global network society. His methodological and technological innovations in spatial planning have directly informed high-impact policy documents and strategic frameworks, including the Pearl River Delta Regional Integrated Development Plan, the Guangzhou Urban Development Strategy (2040), and the Shenzhen Hub City Construction Research Report.

Zoom meeting link: https://mit.zoom.us/j/94120080608