The Enduring Commons in the Evanescent Age: The impactof E-commerce on the rural commons in Zhejiang, China

This project examines the relationship between collective land management by villagers, the construction and improvements of logistics and internet infrastructure, and the establishment and operation of e-commerce businesses in rural villages in Zhejiang, China. Zhejiang is the home province of Alibaba, China’s largest e-commerce and technology company. The research aims to investigate how the development of e-commerce influences rural life, and vice versa. The study focuses on villages that have undergone significant transformations due to their active engagement with e-commerce industries. These transformations have been facilitated by the support or negotiations with mega e-commerce platform companies and various government agencies. As a result, these villages have experienced noticeable increases in exposure, production efficiency, and overall land development.The research documents change in the rural landscape at regional, local, and human scales. It also explores the social dynamics among villagers, including mutual learning, imitation, cooperation, and competition. The project aims to gain a deeper and more nuanced understanding of how these dynamics impact the decision-making of villagers and local village leaders. This is achieved through on-site fieldwork, GIS analysis, literature review, and comparative case studies. The specific aspects of decision-making that are explored include the establishment of new industries, land use transformation, and the construction of infrastructure and communal service facilities. Additionally, the project investigates the current state and future impact of these new development projects. The goal is to promote equitable and sustainable development of urban-rural commons for the villagers who are experiencing these changes.

https://doi.org/10.35483/ACSA.AM.112.97

Volume Editors
Germane Barnes & Blair Satterfield

ISBN
978-1-944214-45-6