Fringe-Belt Phenomenon in a Historic Chinese City: The Case of Foshan

Abstract

This paper explores the fringe-belt phenomenon in Foshan, which, unlike the large majority of historical cities in China, lacked city walls throughout its history. By tracing the stages in the transformation of the physical form of the city, a contribution is made to understanding the process of urban development and regeneration. The implications for other Chinese cities that have undergone rapid industrial growth since 1949 were considered.