Urbanisation, urban planning and paradigms: new theories, China's practices and discussion

The paper builds a new framework by applying the idea of ‘paradigms’ to urbanisation and urban planning. Under this framework, new theories are summarised from recent influential literature reviewing and criticising western developed countries' history of urbanisation and urban planning; also China's newest related practices are examined. It is found that the literature can generate new areas of concern and guidelines for China; some of China's practices are shown to have transcended those in the western developed world and are in the process of producing new paradigms. Thus increased dialogue between the influential literature and related practices in China would bring about new paradigms for China and even for the world. The new paradigms would help China and the world in general to realise improved urbanisation and urban planning.