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China’s urbanization has evolved amid the interconnected forces of historical legacies, contemporary state interventions, and human and ecological conditions. Embracing this notion, a new collection of work in the book "China Urbanizing: Impacts and Transitions" questions the conventional imagination centering cities in the West. This presentation highlights key conclusions and theoretical touchstones that have emerged. In addition to outlining new perspectives on the impacts of China’s urbanization, Professor Wu will point to the transitions underway as well as the gravity of the progress, particularly in the context of demographic shifts and climate change.

Weiping Wu is Professor of Urban Planning and Director of the Urban Planning programs in the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation at Columbia University. Trained in architecture and urban planning, Professor Wu has focused her research and teaching on understanding urban dynamics in developing countries in general and China in particular. She is an internationally acclaimed urban and planning scholar working on global urbanization with a specific expertise in issues of migration, housing, and infrastructure of Chinese cities. Currently, she is the chair of Planning Accreditation Board (PAB), which accredits university programs in North America leading to bachelor’s and master’s degrees in urban and regional planning. She was the President of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning (ACSP) in 2017-2019, a consortium of university-based programs offering credentials in urban and regional planning. In addition to "China Urbanizing: Impacts and Transitions," published by the University of Pennsylvania Press in September 2022, other recent books include "The Chinese City" (2020, second edition) and "The Sage Handbook on Contemporary China" (2018).