ABSTRACT
Agoodwaytoapproachtheshiftsinthepositionandroleoflarge,keycitiesin Chinasincetheurbancomponentofeconomicreformbeganistodrawon perspectivesofferedbyscholarsfromvariousdisciplineswhohavewrittenon cities.Theinsightsofseveralanalysts,amongthemurbananthropologists,help tohighlightthedifferencesbetweenpre-1949andpost-1949urbanpolicy;betweenprereformeraplansforcitiesandthedesignsofthereformers;andbetweenwhathasbeenintendedbyreformers,ontheonehand,andtheoften convolutedoffshootsofthoseintentions,ontheother.
