作为区域开发与发展的核心问题之一,城市体系研究一直是学术界关注的主要领域。本文在总结大量文献基础上,从历史进程、研究现状及未来趋势三个角度入手,对国内外城市体系研究的发展特点、理论范畴、存在的主要问题和今后研究重点等诸方面问题进行了较为全面的分析和阐述。是对一定时期以来这方面工作的一个理论概括。

The study of urban system, as one of the focuses of approaches on regional development, has been arousing much attention of the scholars for years. Based on a summarization of a great deal of studies on urban systems, the paper just argues somewhat comprehensively the research in its evolutional characteristics, field extent, present shortcomings and future tendency in China as well as in western countries.