China should give special consideration to the balanced development of cities with the rising urban economic strength in the country, according to some of the world's leading urban planning experts.

"Besides economic growth, good governance, a skilled workforce and physical renewal should become important standards to evaluate the urban development level in China," said Nicholas Brooke, president of the UK-based Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), quoted by Wednesday's China Daily.

Brooke made the remark at the "Winning Cities Conference" forum in Beijing Tuesday. It is the first forum being hosted in China for RICS, the world's largest organization for real estate professionals.

Rising urban centers in China may face the similar problems, which used to baffle major Western cities such as London and New York in the 1950s and 1960s.

For example, cultural facilities often give way to the development of commercial developments in some Chinese cities, leading to the removal of historic landmarks.

As well, many low-income urban residents have to move to remote suburban areas because they cannot afford the high prices associated with downtown housing, Brooke said.

Jones Lang LaSalle regional director Tim Bellman agreed.

He said that an example from London shows that moving low-income residents away from expensive downtown areas can have negative repercussions on local commerce and cultural diversity, while affecting the employment structure of those being moved out.

(Xinhua News Agency February 19, 2004)