Abstract

Concentrating on eight Caishi (former farmer’s markets) and nearby Suguo supermarkets in the southern districts of Nanjing, China, the present study focuses mainly on the morphological, social and economic impacts of a new commercial landscape, the supermarket, on Caishi.

A documented overview of Nanjing’s commercial history and policies gives this research a theoretical background regarding Caishi and supermarkets and indicates the policies which have directed the transformation of Caishi and direction of supermarkets. Building a typology of three Caishi types, documenting the genesis of the Caishi landscape, investigating the production of each commercial landscape, analyzing Caishi’s geospatial relationships with nearby residential developments, supermarkets, other Caishi and adjoining commercial landscapes, provides an understanding of how shifts in political economy influence the built environment and market trends. The qualitative methods employed in the interviews section drew forth views and opinions based on the interviewees’ individual perceptions. The subsequent quantitative methods adopted in questionnaire analysis and economic data analysis allowed a more objective examination of relevant issues from the customer’s perspective and was complementary to the interviews. The results suggest dialectic between the social and economic dimensions of commercial landscape building and material and physical layouts.