Study on path dependence in reform of housing system in China

Abstract

With the deepening of Chinese Reform and Opening-up, the old housing system impeded the development of society. All the time, the urban housing problem is one of the most critical social problems in China. In order to conquer the problem, a series of housing system transformation have been adopted since the 1980s in China. However, the problem of path dependence emerged during the process of housing system Reform. This paper uses path dependency theory of New Institutional Economics to discuss the transformation process of Chinese housing system and analyze the path dependence problem in housing system transformation in different periods, then puts forwards a set of corresponding countermeasures to avoid path dependence in the future housing system transformation. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2014.