Development History of Urbanization

中国正在经历世界从未有过的大规模、高速、并与机动化、工业化、智能化同步的城镇化进程（图1-1）。根据国家统计局数据1978-2013年间，中国城镇化率以平均每年1.02%的速度增长，城镇常住人口从1.7亿人增加到7.3亿人（图1-2），城市数量从193个增加到658个，建制镇数量从2173个增加到20113个。截至2013年底，中国城市化率达到53.7%（图1-3）。根据预测，中国城市化到2030年将达到约70%。快速的城镇化成为中国发展的重要标志。
China is currently experiencing an unprecedented large-scale and rapid urbanization process which is synchronous with mechanization, industrialization and intelligentization (Figure 1-1). Statistics from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) shows that China’s urbanization ratio maintained an average annual growth rate of 1.02% from 1978 to 2013. During this period, permanent population in urban areas rose from 170 million to 730 million (Figure 1-2), with the number of cities increasing from 193 to 658, and the number of organic towns from 2,173 to 20,113. By the end of 2013, China’s urbanization rate reached 53.7% (Figure 1-3). It’s predicted that China’s urbanization rate would amount to about 70% by 2030. Rapid urbanization has become an important symbol of China’s development.
在过去的三十年，中国城镇化取得了巨大的发展。城市经济成为国家经济支柱，城市面貌极大改善，城乡居民生活水平全面提升，住房、交通等各项设施建设水平极大提高，社会福利和公民权益普遍改善。改革开放以来，中国建筑业发展迅猛，每年开工的建筑面积保持在20亿平方米，约占全世界新建建筑的45%。2012年，城镇居民人均住宅建筑面积从1978年的6.7平方米增加到32.9平方米。目前，中国既有建筑已超过500亿平方米，每年竣工建筑面积已经超过35亿平方米。(中华人民共和国国家统计局, 2013)
Over the past three decades, China has made great strides in urbanization. Urban economy has become the pillar of the national economy, and China has witnessed great improvements in urban landscape, the well-being of urban and rural residents, construction of housing, transportation and various facilities, social welfare and its residents’ rights and interests. Since the reform and opening-up policy was implemented in 1978, China’s construction industry has embarked on a road featured by dramatic development, and the annual area of structure commenced has been maintained at 2 billion m2, accounting for roughly 45% of new buildings across the globe. In 2012, the per capita floor space of residential buildings of urban residents grew from 6.7 m2 in 1978 to 32.9 m2. For now, the area of existing buildings in China has surpassed 50 billion m2, and the annual completed area of structure has exceeded 3.5 billion m2. (NBS, 2013)

国家新型城镇化战略
China’s New-type Urbanization Strategy

（版本1）新型城镇化要坚持以人为本，推进以人为核心的城镇化。
——习近平
(Version 1) New-type urbanization means remaining people-centered and advancing urbanization which puts people first.
By Xi Jinping
（版本2）促进经济转型升级和社会和谐进步，实现人的福利和幸福是城镇化发展的真正目标，新型城镇化是以人为核心的城镇化。
(Version 2) The ultimate goal of urbanization is to promote economic transition and upgrading, social harmony and advancement, and realize human welfare and happiness. New-type urbanization is people-centered urbanization.