Il patrimonio urbano come motore di sviluppo nella Cina contemporanea

With the economic reform introduced by Deng Xiaoping in 1978 China entered a new period of modernization focused on industrialization and urbanization, entailing the destruction of many historic cities and districts. What is the role assigned to cultural heritage, and, speci cally, to urban heritage, since then? e article approaches this question by examining the historic water towns South of the Yangtze River. Following the evolution and im- plementation of urban conservation in some of these water towns, the authors reveal the complexity of this issue identifying di erent actors and their approaches: central government’s policies, local interests, and the impact of academic institutions and professionals, such as Prof. Ruan Yisan and Tongji University in Shanghai. Hence, the article shows how urban heritage has been utilized from time to time to promote interests of modernization and economic development, tourist growth, integration of rural and urban areas (especially in more recent times) and the promotion of a political strategy of so -power.