近代治所城市在管治形態上的轉型,不僅在橫向層面體現為從"城鄉合治"到"城鄉分治"的演變,還在縱向層面體現為城市本身脫離既有行政序列,進而成為具有獨立行政區域的行政主體的過程。廣州作為近代首個具有獨立行政建制意義的城市,其成為"廣州市"的過程包含從晚清開始的超越南海、番禺兩縣合治,直屬省級政府,又從省級各機構中獨立出來等一系列的變動,其中涉及新舊制度的勾連、中央與地方的關系、資源的博弈、權限的分割等多個方面。同時,也伴隨著近代社會經濟變動中一個整合度較高的城市社會的形成與新型管治方式的確立。從較長時段看,這是制度與社會共同作用的結果。

Provincial capitals underwent institutional transformation in the modern time in the two senses. Horizontally it changed from the combined governance of the urban and rural areas to the separation of the urban and rural governance. Vertically,provincial capitals gradually became separated from the administrative hierarchy and developed into municipalities with their own jurisdictions. Guangzhou underwent a long process to be the first modern municipality in China,starting from the combination of the Nanhai and Panyu County to form an administrative jurisdiction directly affiliated to the provincial government in late Qing and then separated from the other provincial organs to form a municipality. This process was involved with the continuity of the old and new institutions,the relationship between the central and local government,the bargaining of resources,the division of powers and so on. It was also accompanied by the establishment of the an integrated urban society and a new mode of governance in modern social and economic transformation. It was caused by both institutional and social factors.