7 Billion Humans | National Geographic Magazine: Lock-Step Urbanization | Century Park | Shanghai, China

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Lock-Step Urbanization | Century Park | Shanghai, China

Deng Xiaoping’s strategy after Tiananmen was to buy off the people by means of economic growth. Part of that growth is to bulldoze the old buildings and make gleaming new high-rise condos for the newly affluent to live in. Chinese prefer to buy into a brand new condo. Newspapers advertise homes for sale by owners as “used.” Buildings look good when they go up, but Chinese know they will only look good for 20 years or so.