Equipped with the diverse talents and tools of a journalist, scholar, and travel writer, Williams tells a fascinating story about China's pursuit of economic growth and environmental protection, urbanization schemes and new socialist countryside initiatives, urban modernization programs and rural heritage policies, which can only be described as contradictory, incongruous, and conflicting yet daunting in their nature, driven by high-minded seriousness, a pragmatic spirit, and unalloyed ambition.

Sustainability: the Journal of Record

Among the myriad of books on a rising China, China's Urban Revolution sits among the most valuable.

Asian Affairs

China's Urban Revolution is a terrific book.

Spiked

This is an in-depth exploration of the recent explosion in city development in China ... What is unique about this book is the fact that Williams spent several years teaching in China and made contact with local academics, planners, bureaucrats and architects as part of his research... The book also contains excellent notes and references for each chapter.

Edward Farrell, University of Lincoln, UK