When a society enters a higher level of development, the focus shifts from purely economic growth to the pursuit of both material and cultural prosperity. Since 2016, the P.R.C. has embarked on a new journey of "high-quality development" as opposed to purely economic growth. China is certainly not alone in this transition. As developing economies progress along the development ladder, all will, to a certain extent, see this change.

If you walk the streets in Nanchang today, compared to just a few years ago, you would certainly be struck by the change of landscape. Aside from the cleaner streets and extra skyscrapers jutting into the sky, there are also subtler changes. All outdoor electrical transformers have been painted over with beautiful and creative paintings. Overnight, it seemed, these ugly, bare metal structures on sidewalks and corners had been turned into artworks worthy of being inside a gallery. In other cities and even in villages across China, such minor additions are now commonplace. It reflects not just a governmental objective to beautify the streets, but a changing urban attitude towards art and beauty. China's urbanization rate is up from 17.92% in 1978 to 65.2% according to the most recent cencus, growing from 172.45

million to 920.71 million, growing by 748.26 million people, more than the entire population in the European Union (346.66 million) As more and more people move into cities, it gives city planners both an opportunity and an imperative to innovate in the urban planning process, creating cities built to last.