Projects in China
PRD 1a: Border Drawing and Spatial Differentiation of Urban Governance Modes in the Pearl River Delta with Special Regard to Informal Development and Self-Organisation
The project focuses on governance issues with regard to the dynamics of land-use and land-cover change in the urbanisation processes of the Pearl River Delta. Important aims are to identify spatially different governance modes, to understand the role of self-organization and informal processes for these modes and to link the practice of differentiated governance with the creation of bounded space.
Institutions: University of Kassel, Sun Yat-Sen University Guangzhou, Australian National University
PRD 1b: Governance over Time - Spatial Differentiation & Temporal Change of Urban Development and Redevelopment Strategies in the Pearl River Delta
The project investigates urban development and redevelopment strategies in the Pearl River Delta (PRD). Within the PRD, there are differences between the various regions in terms of their respective starting points and the speed of their economic transition: While some are at the forefront of experimental reforms, others are former provincial backwaters that are still catching up with the process of economic development. Competition is pushing the cities to foster creativity and innovation.
Institutions: University of Hamburg
PRD 2: Analysis of Informal Dynamics in Mega Urban Areas – Based on Spatial Structure and Steering Mechanisms Focused on Water in the Pearl River Delta
The urban agglomeration with its special structures created by rapid urbanisation and industrialisation is subdivided into smaller units. Within these 'urban cells', in-depth analysis of various socioeconomic, morphological and ecological structures as well as agency structures and mechanisms become feasible. The research of resource flow in form of water dynamics and management complements the structural analysis.
Institutions: RWTH Aachen University, University of Kiel
PRD 3: Informal migrant communities and health strategies in urban villages of Pearl River Delta/China - linking global change and urban health
This research project focuses on the interrelation between the dynamic flows of informal migration and megaurban health problems as well as strategies, with a strong focus on social and political aspects. Thereby, underlying and influential formal and informal institutional and social structures are identified and their impact evaluated.
Institutions: Free University of Berlin, University of Cologne, Sun Yat-Sen University Guangzhou
PRD 4: Satellite-based aerosol mapping over megacities: Development of methodology and application in health and climate related studies
This project follows an interdisciplinary approach by developing meteorological technologies to measure the spatial distribution of aerosol pollution as well as public health relevant epidemiological methodologies in order to quantify the burden of disease influenced by air pollution in the same area.
Institutions: Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research, University of Bielefeld, Beijing University, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz
PRD 5: The dynamics of peri-urbanization in the Pearl River Delta: Emerging land use patterns, urban villages and their linkages to global mechanisms
Urban villages are the catalyst for economic development as well as the formation of a mega-urban landscape. The project analyses the global-local interactions that take place in the urban villaes of PRD, the actors involved and their roles and the intertwining of formal and informal organisation.
Institutions: Berlin Institute of Technology, University of Kassel, Guangzhou Academy of Social Sciences
PRD 6: Informal Dynamics of Agile Firm Organisation in the Greater Pearl River Delta
Economic activities in the PRD are embedded into fragmented global value and production chains with a high degree of spatial division of labour. The projects investigates the way firms capitalize on linking formal and informal agile organisation modes - achieving competitive advantages on increasingly volatile global markets.
Institutions: Leibniz University of Hannover, Institute for World Economy Kiel, University of Cologne, University of Gießen, Sun Yat-Sen University Guangzhou, University of Hong Kong