Systematizing views on urbanization studies in China

China’s scientific views of the urbanization process, taking into account the specifics of its course and state regulation are analyzed at the article. It was revealed that urbanization in China is fundamentally different in approaches to the classical understanding of the process and spatial development in comparison with developed countries. The main factors of differences are the intensive industrialization, regional differences of the country and the special role of the state in solving the problem of urbanization. Features of the dynamics of urbanization in China led to the allocation of four stages, characterized by a change in the priorities of scientific views on its study: the initial period of urbanization research in China (1978–1983); the period of development of domestic theories, models and leading factors of urbanization based on classical theories of urbanization (1984–1997); the period of promotion of research by the state (1998–2004); the heyday of urban science research in China (2005 to present). This article focuses on the study by Chinese scientists of theoretical approaches, basic concepts and models of urbanization (small cities, endogenous urbanization, local urbanization of settlements, top-down and bottom-up urbanization models, pluralistic urbanization).