ABSTRACT
Compared with other developing countries at similar stages of development, China’s urbanization since 1949 has been characterized by low levels and strict controls over rural-urban migration. This chapter intends to document the evolution of the Chinese urban transformation in the last half of the twentieth century. Four stages in the period 1949-2000 may be identified based on China’s urban policy and urbanization levels. The first stage (1949-57) and the last stage (1978-2000) are similar in terms of rapid urban growth and the strong link between urbanization and industrialization. The second stage (1958-65) witnessed sharp fluctuations in both urban policy and urban populations. Anti-urban bias and falling urbanization levels were the main features in the third stage (1966-77).
