<P>Introducing readers to the far-reaching global orientation that is now taking place in urban China,&nbsp;an international team of contributors describe overarching globalization through a detailed examination of the transformation of the built environment. </P>
<P>A range of urban development processes are analyzed including urbanization, real estate development, changing landscapes, the industrial restructuring of the second-tier city, and the formation of the city-region in the context of global and local interactions. In examining city development and local practices as part of globalization processes, the global city is treated as a collection of microcosms and concrete places, overcoming the analytical tension of the dichotomy of the&nbsp;perceived&nbsp;'East versus West' divide. </P>