Ordos New Town (Kangbashi)

Ordos New Town (Kangbashi) was designed as a futuristic city to house one million people, fueled by Inner Mongolia’s coal wealth. Planned in the early 2000s, it featured grand boulevards, iconic architecture, and cultural landmarks like the Ordos Museum. However, speculative real estate investment outpaced actual demand, leading to its reputation as a “ghost city”, with vast empty housing and commercial developments. While its population has grown, it remains underoccupied compared to its capacity. Efforts to diversify the economy, attract businesses, and integrate it with Ordos’ established districts continue. Kangbashi’s story highlights the challenges of top-down city planning, over-reliance on speculative investment, and the difficulties of creating urban demand without strong economic drivers or gradual population migration.

Ordos New Town was developed as part of China’s broader strategy to promote urbanization and economic diversification. Situated in Inner Mongolia, the city was intended to harness the region's coal reserves and the rapidly growing energy sector, positioning Ordos as an economic hub for both energy production and urban expansion. The economic rationale was to stimulate regional development by creating a new city to absorb population growth and provide infrastructure for modern industries, particularly in energy, manufacturing, and high-tech sectors. The development was also part of China's broader urbanization strategy, aimed at balancing economic growth across the country and reducing regional inequalities. However, overinvestment in real estate and speculative development led to underpopulation, challenging the initial economic vision.

Ordos New Town is a new city, though it is often referred to as a ghost city due to its low population despite significant development. Located in Inner Mongolia, China, Ordos New Town was designed as a high-tech urban hub with modern infrastructure, including residential complexes, commercial areas, and cultural institutions.

The city was built to accommodate hundreds of thousands of residents and serve as a model for urbanization in China, but rapid construction and speculative real estate practices led to overbuilding, with under-occupancy remaining a significant issue. While it was intended to be a self-contained new city, it has not yet fully achieved its population and economic goals, making it more of an unrealized urban center than a vibrant new city.

Ordos Kangbashi is one of the worst-planned new cities in the world, suffering from overbuilding, economic miscalculation, and a complete failure to attract people. While not entirely deserted, it hasn’t come close to functioning as a real city, making it a global symbol of urban overreach and failed speculation.

Strengths:

• Physically Built & Functional – Ordos Kangbashi isn’t abandoned—it has completed high-quality roads, infrastructure, and buildings that are technically usable.
• Some Government & Educational Presence – Government offices and a few schools/universities operate here, preventing it from being completely deserted.
• Tourist Curiosity – Its "ghost city" reputation has ironically made it a minor tourist attraction, drawing people interested in failed urban experiments.

Challenges:

• It’s Still a Ghost City – Built for over a million residents, Kangbashi struggles to support even 100,000, leaving it eerily empty.
• Real Estate Speculation Killed It – Ordos was fueled by a coal boom, and local investors poured money into properties no one actually wanted to live in.
• No True Economic Engine – Unlike Shenzhen or even Tianjin Eco-City, Kangbashi never had a strong industry, financial hub, or special economic incentive to drive sustainable growth.
• Failed as a Livable City – Even the people who do live there complain that it feels lifeless, with limited businesses, few entertainment options, and an underwhelming atmosphere.