In 1968 the author published his first academic article, under the title “Is there an urban sociology?”. Thirty-two tears later, with the hindsight of historical perspective and a life of practicing social research on cities, the answer is: yes, there was; no, there is currently not; but perhaps, with luck, it will resurge in the twenty-first century, with new concepts, new methods, and new themes, because it is more necessary than ever to make sense of our lives. The author especially says few words in the beginning of this article for Chinese readers as well as the reference of the readers of this journal of intercity networking.