ABSTRACT

Dynamic urbanization during the reform period has led to the emergence of a new spatial and social space in Chinese cities, so-called urban villages (chengzhongcun in Chinese). 1 During the process of urbanization, many villages adjacent to the city have been spatially encompassed or annexed by the expanding city, forming a distinctive rural landscape within the city’s boundaries. Their rural status remains unchanged, however. This kind of geo-social landscape has commonly appeared in Chinese cities, especially in those that have experienced a rapid pace of urbanization.