Offshore Urbanism in China: Critical Perspectives on the Development of Artificial Islands for Residence and Tourism

Abstract

Since 2010, China has witnessed a marked upsurge in artificial island reclamation along its coastline, primarily for tourism and residential purposes. This boom persisted for nearly a decade before coming to an abrupt halt around 2018. At present, 25 artificial islands are at various stages of development. This mixed-methods research investigates their development trajectories and interrogates the underlying drivers of this phenomenon. Anchored in the tripartite conceptual framework of offshore–megaproject–interruption, this study is structured around three core questions, what, how, and why, concerning the governance models, spatial strategies, and institutional drivers of artificial island development in China.

First, a comprehensive review of archival and documentary materials provides an overview of the evolution of artificial island development and its associated governance mechanisms. Second, planning and urban design schemes from selected case studies, sourced from municipal government and design agency websites, were analysed to interpret spatial strategies. Third, a detailed policy analysis was conducted, tracing central and local regulations as well as the trajectory of China’s marine spatial planning system. Notably, the study draws on semi-structured interviews with professional stakeholders, including planners, designers, and engineers, to offer in-depth empirical insight.

The findings reveal the multifaceted nature of artificial island development in China. The process unfolds in three distinct phases, shaped by variegated actors and governance models. These spatial interventions, marked by hyper-commercialised strategies, are collectively produced by a coalition of developers, designers, and dredging professionals. Furthermore, the association between the shifting development agenda and the spatial production of artificial islands was interpreted. The power dynamics between the Central and local governments are the fundamental forces in shaping these islands. Land finance strategies, which account for the accelerating urbanisation in China, were implemented to boost real estate development on man-made land. Due to the current assessment system, municipal governments were keen on land-making for short-term revenue. The Central government’s recentralisation of reclamation authority reflects a recalibrated emphasis on economic and ecological sustainability, effectively ending the exceptional institutional conditions that had enabled artificial island development. The discussion focuses on the unfiltered transnational migration of ideas that allow the adoption of a hyper-capitalistic model of land-making for real estate value extraction in the context of China. This research advocates for a contextualised adaptation of ideas within the dynamic globalised network of knowledge production in urban planning.

Date of Award	21 Jul 2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	City University of Hong Kong
Supervisor	Lufeng ZHANG (External Supervisor) & Gianni TALAMINI (Supervisor)