The Function Change And Strategic Choice Of Small Towns In The View Of Urban Agglomeration

In 2011, the rate of our urbanization has surpassed 50%, on one hand, it indicates that it is the time for our “urban society”, on the other hand, it also means our urbanization will be in an important period of transformational development: its focus from quantity to quality. In this process, urban agglomeration, as the main form of advancing urbanization, has already been promoted to a strategic position. But small towns, as the important part of urban agglomeration system, which have large numbers with weak ability, to a great extent restrict the whole group progression. In 2014, the new urbanization plan not only stresses Urban Agglomerations Strategy, but also highlights the role of small-medium cities and towns. Now the problem of the new type of urbanization which China is facing is that how about their interaction between urban groups and the small towns, how about the functional changes of small towns in urban agglomeration? What protecting measures should be taken to promote to optimize the function of small towns?In this paper, it teases out the theoretical research of small towns systematically, then forms the theoretical analysis starting for the point of small town function, making changes of policy and institution as background, and supporting by urban agglomeration and structural functionalism, to explain china small town development in the field of urban agglomeration. It composed by seven parts: preface, five chapters and conclusion. The structure of this paper is arranged in accordance with “the process of function changing-function status analyzing-ways of function optimizing” then forms a comprehensive research system.Preface elaborates the research background of small town functional optimizing in the field of urban agglomeration, analyses its significant of theoretic and reality. It teases the theoretical development and research status of domestic and foreign urbanization and small town, discriminates the concept of urbanization, small town and urban agglomeration and urban system and so on, introduces research objective, research method, research approach, research framework and chapter organization.Chapter 1, examines domestic small towns theoretical development and research status. Firstly, it divided the development of small town function into three stage including ancient, modern and contemporary times, and teases small town development and character in each period; secondly, it analyses small town status by quantitative and qualitative methods, and refines its basic characteristics: large quantity, slow pace; strengthen economy, significant regional difference; improving infrastructure; emerging a group of developed towns and so on.Chapter 2, discusses the relationship between urban agglomeration development and small town. Firstly, it elaborates how urban agglomeration function becomes subjective formation of promoting domestic urbanization; secondly, it investigates the development characteristic for the urban agglomeration structure: special structure network, clear division of industrial structure gradient, gathering orderly in multi-space for population; at last, illustrates the relationship between urban agglomeration and small town from its interaction. Chapter 3, investigates the problems which need to be solved for small town function of domestic urban agglomeration. At the beginning, it explains the essential question for small town functional development, including irrational position of small town function, functional structure conflicts and mismatch for function and spatial; then analyses the reason for above problems, mainly from: small scale of towns, impetus scarcity; unscientific small town plan and management; drawbacks of administrative system and so on. Chapter 4, illustrates the small town function reconstruct and optimizing strategy on the perspective of urban agglomeration. Firstly, it investigates the new requirement of small town function for urban agglomeration development, including: carrying on industrial transfer of city, assuming a part of consumption function in region, undertaking function of urban agglomeration network node; secondly, it provides functional optimizing strategy in accordance with the difference of small town, that is: small towns surrounding the central cities will gradually develop into asatellite city for the combination with industrial and town, small towns which is characteristic resources and location advantage will develop its characteristicsmall towns and small towns that away from the center citybecome a comprehensive service to agriculture, rural areas; finally, it emphasizes on promoting small towns functional optimization actively, and makes sure its function according by the laws of city operation.Chapter 5, shows further thinking for small towns functional optimization. It points the optimization need relative institution except spontaneous role of market mechanisms. First, it studies the development experiences of urban agglomeration area small towns for the western developed countries; second, it stresses government should improve urban institutional mechanism reform actively, and supply excellent environment for its development; thirdly, it highlights urban agglomeration area should establish compatibility mechanism of regional benefits, promote regional division of labor cooperation pattern formation, realize their coordinating development for cities and towns and optimizing distribution for the resource; and finally, it indicates the small town should deepen relative institution reform by itself, mainly including: leading towns orderly development by planning management modernization; promoting efficiency of urban operation in modern urban management; promoting the management level of society by diversification of governance; satisfying the needs of urban residents by cultural system mechanism innovation, and so on.Conclusion, as an important part of urban system structure, small towns not only enjoy the opportunities brought about by the development of urban agglomeration, but also play an important role in promoting the integration of urban agglomerations. So we must reconstruct the function of small towns in urban agglomeration horizon, further push related institutional reform, play the basic role of market in resource allocation better, put the function optimization of small towns in urban agglomeration in the regional development, and to realize the harmonious development of medium cities and small towns.