MANUFACTURED LANDSCAPES

I've just become aware of photographer Edward Burtynsky in the last week or so.



I watched Manufactured Landscapes tonight - a movie which I would recommend. The movie touches on his experience of photographing landscapes from mines, to oil fields, to factories in China and beyond. You can see photos on his website:

http://www.edwardburtynsky.com

In the movie, the visual representation of the changes going on in China are stunning.




After Mao, about 60 years ago, China's population was 90% agrarian 10% urban. The current idea coming from Beijing is to see China's population move to 30% agrarian and 70% urban. Which when you look at 1.3 billion people, the urbanization of China is unprecedented in the world. China is experiencing the largest country-to-city migration in history. By 2050, China urban population will be the equivalent of the combined population of the North and South American continents and the entire European Union.

Wow.

And these Chinese cites are replicating 'old thinking' rather than developing a new way of thinking about urban environments.