Through the case study of Dazhalan, one of Beijing's 25 preservation districts, the book evaluates Beijing's current preservation and urban design policies specific to protection and rehabilitation strategies for traditional courtyard houses, Siheyuan, and their alleyway neighborhoods, Hutong. Beijing's ambitious 1990s Master plan attempted to define a totalizing image and characteristic form for the entire Old City. This city-wide preservation policy have produced solutions that also handicapped the city's ability to accommodate changes. Despite the designation of twenty five historic zones,...