A Comparative Study of Suburbanization in United States and China

Suburbanization as a topic of urban geography is always an important subject. This study responds to the recent call for a “comparative (re) turn in urban studies” by comparing suburbanization in the United States and China. The comparative perspective offered here focuses on the “differences” rather than the similarities. This study clarifies one of the significant differences between the United States and China, suburbanization has not weakened the functionality of city centers in China in the way it did in the United States: 1) unlike the United States, suburbanization has not weakened the economic function of city centers in China because of the different administrative jurisdiction system; 2) when suburbanization is taking place, city centers gain even more political powers in China; 3) despite the fact that people moved out to the suburbs, city centers are still the places where the best living condition and most job opportunities exists.