As an important part of urban region structure

urban fringe is the most sensitive area with acute contradictions in modern urban system. Deeply research on the regulation of the regional spatial variation is very important for promoting urban construction and regional development. The method of multiple criteria was used to analyze the spatial evolution of the urban fringe in Guangzhou for 1990

2000 and 2009. The result shows that: ① The development mode of Guangzhou has gradually changed from “single core” expansion to “point-axis’ expansion

and a metropolitan area with “multi-cores” will be eventually formed. ② At the beginning of 1990s

Guangzhou was in the process of urbanization accelerated phase

and the urbanization was extensive and disordered. Since 2000

the overall strategic development center has moved to the south of Guangzhou. ③ The urban expansion and fragmentation are of synchronization and similarity. the variation extent of degree of fragmentation can indicate the level of urbanization. ④ Urban fringe is a spatial-temporal complex

which is extremely sensitive and unstable. In the early stage of development

it is no-continuous and broken

and later it becomes continuous and compact. This phenomenon from disorder to order occurs throughout the development of the urban fringe. The result can provide theoretical support and reasonable proposals for strategic development plan and the integration of urban and rural construction.