A few years ago, one of the trolls that used to swing by got all pissy because I didn’t want to visit New York City. I made it clear that I have a dislike of densely populated large cities in general, and thus New York City would be especially unpleasant, but that didn’t satisfy him because NYC, I guess, was Something Special. Well, if NYC is special because it’s a giant densely packed peoplefarm, China is about to one-up it. Maybe even two-up it.

As Beijing Becomes a Supercity, the Rapid Growth Brings Pains

For decades, China’s government has tried to limit the size of Beijing, the capital, through draconian residency permits. Now, the government has embarked on an ambitious plan to make Beijing the center of a new supercity of 130 million people.

Nope.

NOOOOOOOOOPE.

As the article points out, the city (“Jing-Jin-Ji,” for reasons similar to Demolition Man’s “San Angeles”) would be about the size of Kansas but hold more than a third of the population of the US. It would not grow “organically,” but would instead be a centrally planned new construction.

Because planned housing projects and densepak apartments have such a spectacular record.