Abstract:Understanding urbanization and evaluating its effects are vital in formulating Chinese sustainable development. The results obtained from evaluating the effects of urbanization, however, depend on the type of measurement used (adopting subjective and objective indices). Through a review of previous studies, the present study found that the objective index improved monotonically along with urbanization in China, whereas the subjective index, place attachment, did not improve along with the urbanization level in China. The assessment scores from the city dwellers did not differ significantly from those in the country areas and, more surprisingly, both were significantly higher than the assessment scores of the town dwellers, which were expected to fall between the assessment scores of the country and city dwellers. The present study dubbed this V-shaped relationship the “town dislocation effect.” Further literature reviews and data analysis showed that place attachmen is affected mainly by demographic variables, social support, and physical environment. Therefore, people should focus on both objective and subjective indices in the assessment of urbanization in China.