Monica Smith

Monica Smith is a UCLA professor of anthropology and Navin and Pratima Doshi Chair in Indian Studies whose archaeological research focuses on urbanism, economic networks, consumption, material culture, and comparative historical archaeology. She is the author of Cities: The First 6,000 Years, which examines the long history and recurring dynamics of urban life.

China Is Betting on Megaregions to Escape the Middle-Income Trap

Bloomberg’s documentary argues that Hong Kong’s Northern Metropolis is not just a local development plan but a test case for China’s attempt to turn megaregions into a new growth engine. The project would convert rural land near Shenzhen into a technology hub linking Hong Kong more tightly to the mainland’s Greater Bay Area, an 11-city, $2tn economy. The source presents the strategy as a bid to escape slower growth through concentration of people, capital and ideas, while showing the displacement, political constraints and institutional frictions that come with it.

Bloomberg OriginalsJun 1, 20268 min read