Abstract:
Cities are the bedrock of human civilization. Throughout history, human civilization has evolved from an agricultural to an industrial phase, thereby kickstarting the urbanization process. China's journey towards urbanization began later than that of Western developed nations. Consequently, in its early stages, China's urbanization mimicked Western models, both theoretically and practically. The object-focused approach to urbanization led to various urban challenges. As China is a country led by the Communist Party of China with the people’s interests as the fundamental principle, the Western urbanization model does not reflect the party's original vision of "people's cities are built by the people and for the people", nor does it align with China's unique conditions and developmental trajectory. As socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, decidedly takes a new type of people-centered urbanization strategy. This new paradigm, serving both as a tool and a fresh direction, has realigned China's urbanization course, vigorously propelling the establishment of a Chinese modernization and building modern Chinese civilization. The shift from traditional to new urbanization in China follows a historical rationale and epitomizes a uniquely Chinese and contemporary synthesis of "two integrations".