Abstract: During the 1950s and 1960s, there was an important transition in the development of American cities where metropolitan areas became the dominant form of urbanization. People moved to the suburb instead of downtown, municipal government intervention was enhanced,and scholars began to research the models of metropolitan areas management. Responding to these changes, pluralism posted a critique of the elitism in the urban management theories. Chinese cities, facing the similar transition of new urbanization may benefit much from the transition experience of U.S. urbanization.