Page 168 - JCAU-7-2

Journal of Chinese
Architecture and Urbanism Mitigating the risks

regions where population levels have peaked. In addition, economic development strategies. A more balanced
the proportion of people living in urban areas is expected to regional approach is essential, one that accounts for the
rise to 70% by 2050 (Cai et al., 2019). Urban agglomeration growing risks posed by concentrated human population in
appears to be an inevitable outcome of human civilization’s cities.
evolution, and urbanization is now an unstoppable global
trend. 2. Causes of excessive urbanization
This urban expansion has clear economic advantages. Humans, along with our crops and animals, require
For instance, in China, every 1% increase in the continuous access to freshwater resources. Consequently,
urbanization rate is estimated to contribute approximately most villages and cities have historically been established
1.5% to GDP growth (National Development and Reform on low-lying riverbanks or near coastal areas to facilitate
Commission of China, 2016). Accordingly, China’s trade through ports, despite the increased risk of natural
urbanization rate has rapidly surged from 17.9% in 1978 disasters such as floods and tsunamis (Chen and Cao,
to 64.7% in 2021, driven by both economic benefits and 2013). Rivers offer significant advantages for agricultural
policy guidance (National Bureau of Statistics of China, and logistical activities, such as providing nutrient-rich soil
1979 – 2021). This shift represents perhaps the largest for crop cultivation, improving irrigation conditions, and
population migration in human history. However, despite enabling lower costs for accessing freshwater resources. In
its undeniable economic benefits, this rapid urbanization addition, lakes and seas support inexpensive transportation
has also exacerbated obstacles to sustainable development of large cargoes between coastal cities, making these areas
by concentrating human activity and its environmental highly favorable for human settlements.
impacts into increasingly dense urban areas. However, these low-lying areas – particularly in the
Cities contribute about 70% of the global GDP and lower reaches of rivers and along the shores of lakes and
serve as the core of the global economy (Kosovac et al., oceans – are highly vulnerable to water-related natural
2020). The rapid development of global trade has further disasters. Runoff from heavy rainfall or snowmelt at
accelerated the migration of the world’s economic centers higher elevations can lead to excessive water accumulation
and inland populations toward coastal and riverside areas, and fast-moving flow, significantly increasing the risk
exacerbating regional development imbalances in inland of waterlogging and flooding (Esfandeh et al., 2022;
regions. This pattern of urban growth increasingly appears Grimmond, 2007).
unsustainable, contributing to significant ecosystem In addition to water access, the search for rare mineral
degradation and other adverse effects (Nguyen et al., resources has also driven urbanization. Mining activities
2019). At the same time, beneficial but inequitable policies often lead to the establishment of cities and mine ores
that favor urban residents over rural residents – such as around geological fault zones and volcanoes, particularly
price controls on agricultural products, preferential access when these areas are near important water sources that can
to welfare and social services, and tax incentives for support a large population and water-intensive industries.
exporters (Cao et al., 2009) – have further intensified the Unfortunately, the scarcity of suitable land often forces
overdevelopment of urban and coastal regions, deepening people to cluster in low-lying areas or on steep slopes,
the divide between urban and rural areas. These inequitable areas that are highly prone to flash flooding and landslides
government actions and market behaviors collectively (Deacon & Samways, 2021). These risks are further
distort a country’s social and economic development, while exacerbated by land degradation (e.g., deforestation, which
the associated environmental risks remain insufficiently reduces the interception and retention of rainfall and
addressed by economists and governors. meltwater), along with increased precipitation driven by the

The consequences of unsustainable urbanization are interplay of topography and climate change. Earthquake-
reflected in the decline of ecosystem service values (Basu prone regions add yet another layer of vulnerability for
& Das, 2021; Mitchell et al., 2015). More critically, the these communities.
concentration of population in low-lying coastal areas Another advantage of urbanization is its ability to
and seismically active fault zones significantly increases reduce transportation costs and improve the efficiency
the risk to human lives and infrastructure. Historical of commodity and information exchange. To capitalize
examples reveal that cities can collapse under the pressures on these benefits, humans have increasingly migrated to
of disasters, particularly when they exceed their maximum cities. Between 2000 and 2018, the number of cities with
sustainable scale (Seto et al., 2010). a population exceeding 500,000 grew at an average annual
To achieve safe and sustainable social and economic rate of 2.4%. By 2018, there were 548 cities worldwide with
development, governments must look beyond purely a population of at least 1 million, a significant increase

Volume 7 Issue 2 (2025) 2 https://doi.org/10.36922/jcau.5320