Rural Areas’ Resilient Development Under a Water Conservancy Project: The Case of Nantong, China

This chapter aims at figuring out the key mechanism for the development of the villages neighbouring the city in Nantong, China. By carrying out the research of this region, a varied way of evolution in the rural areas was demonstrated under the city-region context. Techniques, such as field research, map analysis and GIS analysis, have been considered while performing the research. On the bases of the analyses of four common samples of this region, it was discovered that two of the settlements were developed owing to a water project, which was led by Zhang Jian and designed by a Dutch engineer Hendrik de Rijke. This water conservancy project not just introduced economic benefits for the rural development of Nantong but also brought forth exceptional means of industrial growth of the city. Furthermore, as a result of this project, a spectacular spatial form has been represented in the area as well. Currently, owing to the growth of population, together with the changes in production and traffic, some of the key spatial forms are disappearing. How to maintain the original spatial texture, together with adapting it to the new era, has emerged as an issue that requires solution by the local government.