This book is structured into four parts:

Part I explores the backgrounds and motives of private operation of urban public utilities, analyses the history and current status of private operations, and outlines the performance evaluation system.
Part II recognises that the private operation of urban public utilities and government regulation are highly interdependent, and investigates the negative effects that may arise from private operation of public utilities as well as their causes. It further analyses the demand for government regulations on private operations, and discusses government regulatory systems, institutions, and policies.
Part III focuses on three public utility areas: urban water supply, gas pipeline, and waste disposal. It investigates the technical and economic features and the current status of private operation reforms in these three areas, evaluates the performance of private operations in each area, and explores the main contents of government regulations and policies in each utility area.
Based on the summary and analyses about the success and problems in private operation of China's urban public utilities, this books provides ideas that can be used to deepen the reforms of private operation of urban public utilities.