With a continuous fast pace urbanisation, China remains a fascinating venue of experimentations and research for architects, planners, urban designers and landscape architects alike. In the last two decades, many ‘star-architects’ have contributed to the erection of iconic structures that have become landmarks regionally but also internationally (see for example Zaha Hadid’s Cultural Complex in Changsha or Opera House in Guangzhou; Herzog & de Meuron Olympic Stadium in Beijing, etc). Yet, landmarks represent a very small part of the development of cities, megapolises and provinces; even more so in a country with such a large territory. It is timely therefore to examine the historical and theoretical influences, both nationally and internationally, that have contributed to shape contemporary Chinese urban planning and design.

Consequently, this Special Issue (SI) seeks original contributions that will reveal what theories, principles and works have underpinned the Chinese urban planning and design of the last 100 years (1920-2020). It also seeks to understand the historical concepts and practices in this field and how these have been transformed - or not- by internal and external factors, such as political reforms, globalisation and climate change. At last, this SI invites submissions reflecting on the transferability of contemporary Chinese urban planning and design theories and works to other geographical contexts.