Understanding the Unique Spatial Relations and Power Dynamics of China’s Urban Villages

China’s recent history as a Communist stronghold-turned-economic-powerhouse has garnered widespread scholarly and popular attention, as its government seeks to marry economic liberalization with one-party rule, propping up the private sector while retaining the preeminence of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party). As its economy continues to grow at astounding rates and the state begins to take a more forward position on the world stage, many have deemed it an impending threat to Western hegemony. Yet focusing on China’s outward positioning obscures the many peculiarities bubbling within it. On the ground, the landscape of the country has been fundamentally transformed within a relatively short time frame. The geography produced by the quick one-eighty from state-sponsored communism to state-sponsored capitalism is fascinating, providing us with an insightful counterpoint to processes more familiar to us in the West. The rapid urbanization that has accompanied the onset of market reforms has led to urban forms and characteristics hitherto unseen