当前边界研究主要以国家边界为主，对于城市居住区尺度的边界研究不多，特别是对于城市内部边界动态进程是怎么样的，如何发生的，其关键影响因素有哪些等问题，有待进一步的研究和理论探讨。本课题借鉴政治地理学的国家边界相关理论，以城市居住边境区，即由封闭社区和城中村（或村落）相邻组成的居住区域为研究对象，着眼于分割两者的“围墙”，对城市内部空间边界化、去边化和重边界化的动态进程和机理进行研究。在边界动态进程的内涵和特征研究上，重点从功能、符号和社会网络三个维度进行阐释。在机理研究上，从“结构-能动”两个维度阐释其驱动因素。本课题通过引入政治地理学的边界理论视角对城市问题进行研究，可以对城市条件进行新的解读，增进我们对城市空间结构的理解。同时，通过实证研究提取理论解释，有利于丰富和发展边界理论。

The dynamics of bordering processes have been examined substantially on national borders, however, not much attention has been paid to the borders on the scale of neighbourhood. Especially, there is little known about what kind of bordering processes there are, how and why the processes happen at the neighborhood borders. Adopting the perspective of national borders theory in the political geography, this study explores the processes and mechanism of urban bordering, debordering and rebordering, which are occurring at the border between two different but contiguous enclaves: a gated community and an (urban) village. This study examines the functional, symbolic and social-network aspects of neighbourhood debordering and rebordering processes, and explores the driving forces of these processes through an “agency-structure” approach. This study tries to provide an alternatively way of understanding urban conditions and spatial structure by importing new perspective of national borders theory. The empirical study of neighbourhood borders also helps to extend the border theory, and contributes to the theory debate.