The Evolving Geography of China's Industrial Production: Implications for Pollution Dynamics and Urban Quality of Life

China's rapid economic growth has been fueled by industrialization and urbanization. Given its export focus, this industrialization was spatially concentrated in the coastal eastern cities. Over the last decade, a spatial transformation has taken place leading to a deindustrialization of the rich coastal cities and sharp industrial growth in the inland cities. This survey examines recent work that studies the economic geography of industrial production, per-capita income, pollution and quality of life in China's cities. We focus on the interaction between firms, local governments and the central government that together determine the new economic geography of industry and pollution within China.