中文摘要：

在全面认识我国城镇化发展趋势的基础上指出，要使超过2亿农民工平稳完成城镇化转型的进程，除了要关注人口导入地的城市群资源集聚效应以外，还必须重视人口输出地的农村经济中心——即小城镇在城镇化进程中的作用。文献分析和案例研究表明，小城镇发展的动力机制不仅仅在于工业化，更重要的是农村人口对城镇服务的内在需求，包括住房、教育和人居环境等。多年来小城镇发展滞后于城市，其背后有着一系列的社会、经济和制度等原因。为此提出，新时期小城镇发展仍然是城镇化进程中的一项“大战略”。但是发展思路需转变。总之，人口高输出地区的小城镇是我国未来健康城镇化发展的重要组成部分，关系着我国健康城镇化是否能够顺利推进和实现。也可以说，新时期的“小城镇、大战略”要有新的内涵。

英文摘要：

There has been enough research attention on urban agglomerations in provinces with net in-migration. This paper stresses the importance of roles played by small towns--rural centers in the provinces with net out-migration. This research reorientation is necessary in order to address the needs of China＇s more than 200 million rural migrant labors who want to lead a decent life in cities without discrimination. These provinces are mostly located in the Middle and the Western part of China. Small towns in such provinces tend to bear the pressure of both in-situ urbanization and out-migration backwash. Literature review and case study illustrate that both industrialization and the demand for urban service such as housing, education and amenity by rural population are driving small town development. There are many social, economic and institutional reasons for the slow pace of small towns development relative to that of cities. This paper argues that policies aiming to promote small town development in the transitional era are a grand strategy. However, to make policies more effective, policy orientation needs to be adjusted. In conclusion, small towns in regions with net out-migration is a constituent part of China＇s urbanization process in the next decade（s）.