Migration, Changes of City-Region Structure and Implications for Planning Practices and Regional Development Policies in the Yangtze River Delta Area in China

The Yangtze River Delta Area (YRDA), especially Metropolitan Shanghai, is undoubtedly the leading economic region in China, and it has become one of the most important population convergence areas. It is also widely considered as the sixth largest urban agglomeration in the world. Concluding that migration is the most important aspect of population dynamics in YRDA, the author studies two important forms of internal migration: migration into or out of YRDA, and migration among different cities within YRDA. The paper explores how both forms of migration jointly influence the population distribution among cities and determine the changes of the city-region structure. Furthermore, the paper makes a demographic projection of the future evolution of the area based on estimates of urban-specific fertility, mortality, and net migration. The author suggests that it is necessary to adopt migration-led development strategy and polices in YRDA, in the context of the national population redistribution and achieving a balanced urban–rural development. The author also suggests that it should strike a good balance between migration and regional sustainability. Furthermore, the author suggests that differential development strategies should be advocated for different cities within YRDA, and it is necessary to strengthen regional coordination system for achieving an integrated regional development strategy in the area.