This book offers a concise and yet diverse study on the Chengzhongcun. It has a broader scope
both geographical and temporal than existing works on this topic. The typical Chinese urban
informal settlement is related to morphologically similar communities to be found elsewhere in
the world. The chapters' themes were inspired by the methods in historical geography
citizenship studies and new cultural geography. What is truly unique to this book is that ten
years after the basis material of this book was defended it is enriched with practical
experience and first-hand observations of the rapidly changing Chinese city. As urbanization in
China slows this book will interest sociologists urbanists and scholars of China.
