Over the last decade, Beijing has begun a drastic change towards becoming a new kind of city, and will soon become what Koolhaas describes as a “Generic City.”
Since the announcement of the location of the 2008 Olympic Games, Beijing has undergone an extensive transformation. The government has a deep seeded desire to become a metropolis that is modern, state of the art, and unforgettable, and they will stop at nothing to achieve it. Between striking fear into the hearts of the city’s inhabitants and destroying the neighborhoods that gave the city its character, the Chinese government is completely disregarding the importance of remaining a unique city (Broudehoux, 92, 100).
As Koolhaas describes it, a “Generic City” is not only devoid of character, but also loses its history, giving it freedom to become whatever kind of city it wants to (Koolhaas, 1248). This is illustrated in the destruction of Beijing’s poorer communities, which are, like in many other cities, the most vibrant, active areas within the urban fabric. By evicting a large percentage of the population and leaving them to fend entirely for themselves, the city is simply asking to lose its life force and detach itself from its history. Additionally, the move towards capitalism within China has pushed forward the process of separating the past from the future. With a capitalist economy run by an authoritarian government, the previous Socialist ideals of the country seem to fall through the cracks. Soon Beijing will become an entirely Generic City with buildings designed by some of the most famous starchitects in the world, which could be placed on any site in any city throughout the world without changing at all. While the buildings themselves may be beautiful, in no way does it produce an urban condition in the way the area had before. It loses every bit of rich cultural history that it once had.
Additionally, the government has little respect for its citizens who simply cannot survive in the changing world with extremely limited resources. The growing gap between the rich and poor will eventually lead to massive squatter settlements if not addressed immediately. As the city expands outwards, the gap between the rich and the poor inevitably grows wider. Those who can afford to live in gated communities will do so, further separating themselves from those whom they perceive as being lesser beings. There are millions of people whom the wealthy simply ignore as they pass them each and every day, exploiting them for cheap labor (Broudehoux 91, 96).
For any city, particularly one with as much rich history as Beijing, it is vital to never forget where you’ve come from in order to know where to go in the future. Sadly, Beijing may not have this option for much longer, since it is seemingly giving up on maintaining its urban culture or giving aid to its citizens.
What will it take for governments throughout the world, not just in China, to finally accept responsibility for their actions and take care of the entire population as well as their history and culture?

Broudehoux, Anne-Marie. Delirious Beijing: Euphoria and Despair in the Olympic Metropolis
Koolhaas, Rem; Mau, Bruce. SMLXL. Generic City