Philosophical problem of harmonization of form and content in modern urbanization processes (on the example of Chinese ghost towns)

The article analyzes the phenomenon of Chinese ghost towns, characterized by sparsely populated and mostly unpopulated skyscrapers, residential buildings and grandiose squares. The work raises the philosophical problem of harmonization of form and content in modern urbanization processes. At the same time, there is no ready-made recipe, an algorithm for such harmonization. At the same time, it can be achieved if the people responsible for the implementation of the relevant projects are in constant close contact with the population and civil society, developing joint and compromise ways of resolving conflicts that arise. The paper emphasizes that the study of the phenomenon of ghost towns is complicated by the presence of methodological difficulties in assessing the scale of this phenomenon, as well as the lack of a generally accepted definition. The problem with China's ghost towns stems from rapid and overly ambitious real estate planning. The author concludes that most of the literature on ghost towns uses either a descriptive approach or focuses on financial and economic analysis. At the same time, the fundamental causes or processes that resulted in this phenomenon are rarely analyzed.