Robust economic growth and rapid urbanization led many Chinese cities to embark upon some of the world's largest inner city renewal projects. The official goal of inner city neighborhood redevelopment is to improve quality of life; however, it has often been used as an excuse to displace the poor....

Rising concern over urban-rural economic disparity in China in the early 2000s spurred a series of policy initiatives to improve people's quality of life in rural areas. A recently launched Rural Land Transition Program in Sichuan Province aims to increase land-use efficiency and rural incomes...