Analysis Of Urban Spatial Structure Evolution In Shanghai By FDI

City is a macroscopic geographical phenomenon on the land surface and an epitome of human economic and social activities. It depends on human purpose and does not remain constant. City also displays different features of spatial structure. More often than not, urban spatial structure is influenced by many factors and it is these factors together that bring the changes of urban spatial structure. With the economic globalization of 21st century, cities of different countries are in more closer contact with the outside world. As a result, foreign investment influence upon urban spatial structure becomes more obvious.As a country that has adopted the policy of reform and opening to the outside world, China has attracted the largest amount of foreign investment among the developing countries in the world. Foreign investment is the most important impetus that promotes China's economic development. Then, what role FDI plays and what kind of influence FDI exerts on urban spatial structure has become an issue on Urban Geography to be discussed in a new era.As the biggest economic city, Shanghai has attracted nearly $500 billion foreign investment by the end of the year 2003, which provides a good data base for studying how FDI plays its part in urban spatial structure evolution. Therefore, based on statistics of FDI in the past ten years, the paper analyzes the dynamic features of FDI distribution in Shanghai and tries to interpret its influence on urban spatial structure.The thesis is composed of six chapters. Chapter One starts with an introduction of the background, purpose and innovation of the study. Chapter Two is a literature review on previous research thus provides the thesis with a theoretical and practical foundation. Chapter Three describes systematically FDI's evolution process and present situation and also summarizes its evolution features from the perspective of foreign investment total, structure, source and model. In Chapter Four, the paper analyzes the features of FDI distribution in different districts and counties. Based on the previous two chapters, Chapter Five explores FDI's influence upon urban spatial structure evolution from the aspects of central business district (CBD) system, suburbanization and town construction. Finally the thesis draws a conclusion that FDI actually promotes the evolution of Shanghai urban spatial structure, especially urban spatial structure of new area, urban business space, suburbanization and town system construction.