Out now, February’s Geographical magazine takes a look at China’s newest megacity and President Xi Jinping’s grand plan to unite eleven existing cities and provinces into a single giant megacity in the south east of the country. The Greater Bay Area (GBA) is a rebrand of the Pearl River Delta and will be twice the size of Wales with a population equal to that of the UK.
Cities forming the GBA include Macau, Shenzen and Hong Kong, along with nine other major cities. The idea is to build enough transport links so that every city within the region is within a one hour commute, forming an integrated economic region which will lead China towards a services and innovation economy. But will this plan work? Is the GBA the megacity model of the future or are the region's districts too different to come together?
Other articles this month include a look at how robotics and automation is changing the world of agriculture; a spotlight on the canyon state of Arizona; and an investigation into how female-led artisanal mining collectives are fighting back against the predominately male-led world of mining in Democratic Republic of the Congo. Plus, an edited extract from Davina Jackson’s new book, Data Cities, explores the interplay between today’s pressing environmental concerns and modern architectural thinking.
Geographical is included as part of the membership package for Ordinary Members, as a digital edition for Young Geographers and it can also be added to subscriptions for Fellowship. So why not join us today?