Thesis (S.M. and M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2005.This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.Includes bibliographical references (p. 93-95).The author will use Gaoming District in the western part of China's Pearl River Delta (PRD) as an opportunity to examine the impact a range of residential densities along planned public transportation corridors can have on the rate and degree of agricultural land conversion in urbanizing areas. The author will use collected field data on the existing densities of old and new residential building construction in Gaoming, Gaoming District's 2004 Master Plan, projected population and economic growth figures from the Gaoming planning Department, and the parameters of land leasing and revenue generation in China as inputs in her analysis. The author will then present scenarios where a range of residential densities is created from variations in the degree of government planning, public transportation investment and land leasing methods. Moreover, the author will present instructions to build an economic model for planners to understand the land valuation process by which private developers bid for land. Lastly, the author will make recommendations to the planners and officials for how they can generate more revenue from land and work towards the sustainable build-out of Gaoming.by Karen Jia Ying Hu.S.M.and M.C.P
