Study Of The Construction Of Key Towns In Chengdu Plain

Key towns come between small and medium-sized cities and small towns in China' s urban system. They, which are better located, better developed, and which have stronger comprehensive power, are importantly playing radiating and exemplary role in the development of the neighboring towns and countryside. As the development of key towns directly affects the improvement of small towns and countryside in economy, society, culture, and environment, construction of key towns is just the key to the construction of the new socialist countryside and to balancing urban and rural development.Chengdu Plain is a typical area of "big cities with wide suburb" . Except Chengdu, there are no big and few medium-leveled cities. Lack of integrity of the urban system in Chengdu constrains economic energy' s transmission between cities, towns and rural area, and influences the development of the latter two. This characteristic of Chengdu decides that construction of key towns must be focused in Chengdu' s process of balancing urban and rural development. Promoting the development of a number of key towns will make up for the defect of urban system, and extend cities' function of propelling development of rural area. And it will finally lead to narrowing the gap between urban and rural area, and then building a harmonious region.Chengdu focuses on the construcion of its well-conditioned towns a lot in its process of forging the integrity of urban and rural area. It identified 30 key towns throughout the city area, and maked 14 prior towns among them as pilots.Based on the practice of Yang' an Town in Chengdu, construction of key towns in Chengdu Plain, especially in Chengdu City is studied. The paper first introduces the definition of key towns and their general character. Secondly, it analyzes the present situation of key towns in Chengdu, several main types of them, and the main ideas for their development. Thirdly, it analyzes the positive effects of key towns in regional economic development, and in the promotion of the integrity of urban and rural area. And on the basis of summing up the practical experience, the paper makes it clear that construction of the key towns must begin with the planning, which should be made according to their own characters. Then carry out accordingly. Finally, it discusses how to construct key towns well from economic development, institutional arrangement, social harmony and social development, etc.