Abstract: Urban movement (or urban social movement) has a different theoretical tradition from that of the mainstream social movement studies in the western academia. While urban movement has recently stimulated considerable interest among Chinese scholars， it is yet to be incorporated into a systematic theoretical paradigm. This paper starts with its critical examination of Chinese scholars’ adoption of the term of “urban movement” and then reviews the evolution of western urban movement theories， highlighting the difference between urban movement studies and mainstream social movement studies in terms of their theoretical perspectives and research approaches. The paper argues that the urban movement in the west with its tradition of emphasizing scholars’ involvement and intervention at the community level can enlighten the empirical research in current China.

Key words: urban movement , theory, Manuel Castells