Village Transformation and New-Type Urbanization in China

Despite decades of rural-to-urban transformation in China, much of the literature still treats villages and cities as distinct entities. This book reframes rural-urban transformation as an integrated process, examining administrative practices, implementation challenges, and the evolution of new-type urban communities.

Based on extensive, multisite fieldwork conducted over several decades in Shandong Province, the author makes a contribution to Chinese village studies by examining the contexts, drivers, and processes of village consolidation and the formation of new-type urban communities. The book illustrates how village mergers and new-type urbanization are shaped by―and in turn shape―project-based governance, grassroots organizations, and villagers' everyday lives. It also explores why "new urban residents" often face delays in acquiring urban citizenship. Finally, it outlines people-centered pathways toward a more integrated urban-rural relationship.

The book clarifies the institutional and everyday challenges of China’s rapid rural transformation, offering timely insights for scholars of Chinese studies and global researchers and practitioners facing accelerated social and spatial restructuring.

Lin Juren is Professor of Sociology and Department Head at Shandong University, China. His research lies at the intersection of sociological theory and rural sociology, with a particular focus on China’s rural-to-urban transition. He is the author of A Century of Change in a Chinese Village (2018).