Rural Built Environment of Sichuan Province, China

Major changes are taking place in the Chinese countryside as China rushes to modernizes and urbanizes its rural fabric. The transformation is improving the quality of life of rural inhabitants, but also brings about challenges as people strive to adjust. This book systematically examines the impact of change on the daily lives and activities of the residents of Sichuan Province, in China’s South-west. It examines the themes of infrastructure, transport modes and preferences, sanitation, water conservation, earthquake and flood disaster preparedness, and the impact these have on villager behavior and quality of life. This book is an essential reference guide for graduate students and practitioners in the fields of rural planning, renewal, and construction.

Yibin Ao is an Associate Professor at Chengdu University of Technology, China. He earned his Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctoral degrees from Chongqing University, Harbin Institute of Technology and Sichuan University, respectively. Through July 2017 to July 2018, he was seconded to Eindhoven University of Technology, in the Netherlands, as a visiting scholar. He is expert in the fields of rural planning and human geography. Currently, his research explores various aspects of China’s rural built environment and the impact these have on the daily lives of rural inhabitants.
Igor Martek is an academic at Deakin University, Australia. He earned his Bachelor of Architecture and PhD in Strategic Studies from the University of Melbourne. He has an MBA from the University of New South Wales, and an MA in International Relations from the Australian National University. He has worked extensively in industry on major capital projects in various locations around the world, including Europe, the Middle East, Singapore and China. For ten years, he was Managing Director of Far-East operations of a British consultancy firm based in Tokyo.